Remote work career risks for Gen Z are 'subtle, but material,' Harvard professor says: How to avoid the pitfalls

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While remote work offers young people flexibility, autonomy and a commute-free day, research shows that forgoing the office can have a detrimental impact on those at the start of their careers.

Remote work is likely the main cause of a surge in youth unemployment, a report this month by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found. The National Bureau of Economic Research has also found, in a paper updated this month, that the rise in remote work makes it harder for younger workers to get feedback and advance.

"Early in your career, a significant amount of learning comes via observation and osmosis: watching how colleagues run meetings, navigate conflict, build relationships and make important decisions," said Megan Hellerer, an executive coach and the author of "Directional Living." "Those moments are challenging to replicate over Slack or Zoom."

Fully remote early in the career is ideally avoided.

Nicholas Bloom

economics professor at Stanford

Indeed, software engineers who sat near teammates got around 18% more feedback and saw their code quality improve, according to the NBER study, initially issued in 2023. Notably, the researchers found that the "gains are concentrated among less-tenured and younger employees."

"Many of the benefits of remote work are self-evident," said Joseph Fuller, a professor of management practice at Harvard Business School. "The risks are more subtle, but material."

Here's how to balance the benefits and drawbacks of remote work at the start of your career.

'You don't need all five days' working in office

Nicholas Bloom, an economics professor at Stanford University who writes about the benefits of remote work, said he gives the following advice to his students: "For your first five years, you want to go into the office at least three days a week," Bloom said. "That is very helpful for career development."

"You don't need all five days, but fully remote early in the career is ideally avoided," Bloom added.

That's because never going into the office means you lose out on mentorship, strong connections and watching others, Bloom said. "A lot of learning is quiet observing: how people behave, work norms, arrival and departure times, software, etc.," he said.

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Being in the office with other people at least a few days a week is the best way to improve your oral communication and presentation skills, and to hone your ability to negotiate and resolve conflicts — all of which are crucial for advancement, Fuller said.

"Interaction with colleagues or supervisors that is limited to remote interaction is unlikely to provide workers with important opportunities to deepen their social skills," he said.

"How does a supervisor evaluate social skills?" Fuller said. "Through observation, not looking at a monitor."

'Access to good people' can trump pay

Young workers may even want to take a hybrid position that pays less than a fully remote one that pays more, said certified financial planner Douglas Boneparth, president and founder of Bone Fide Wealth, a wealth management firm in New York City.

"If the hybrid role puts you next to people who make you sharper, the faster raises and promotions tend to overtake the remote premium within a few years," said Boneparth, a member of CNBC's Financial Advisor Council.

Ultimately, though, you want to prioritize "access to good people," he said.

"A remote job with a great manager can beat a mediocre office," he said. "A hybrid job with a checked-out one isn't worth the commute."

Remote workers can practice 'over-shining'

Despite the drawbacks, some young people will still prefer or need a fully remote work arrangement, Bloom said.

"Of course, if you have a disability or care constraint, working remotely is likely better for your career than not working at all," Bloom said.

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To combat the potential penalties of remote work, Hellerer, the executive coach, encourages her clients to practice "over-shining."

"This means sending structured weekly summaries of your wins and progress directly to your manager to make your output impossible to ignore," Hellerer said. "Make a template and do it every week."

Remote workers should also consider pitching short, virtual coffee chats with leaders and co-workers to make up for the lack of organic in-office interactions, she said. You can also get face time with your team by scheduling monthly or quarterly trips to the physical office during which you prioritize "intense networking and social bonding," Hellerer added.

"The goal isn't choosing between flexibility and development," she said. "It's being thoughtful about achieving both."