Gen Y in Uncertain Times of Remote Working: From the Employees’ Perspective

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this article is to identify the experiences of Generation Y employees of remote work and to identify the key factors that, in their opinion, develop or limit its effectiveness and efficiency. Research Design & Methods: The authors carried out a questionnaire (CAWI) which was filled in by 304 respondents from Generation Y who worked remotely during COVID-19. Descriptive statistics measurements were used in the analysis. The original questionnaire was based on two measurement scales: ordinal on the Likert scale and nominal (binary and categorical). Then, the two-way data analysis method was used. Due to the nominal nature of the variables, frequency and percentage statistics were used in the statistical evaluation. For variables on the Likert scale, measures of descriptive statistics were used. In addition, hierarchical clustering analysis was used as part of the conducted research. Quantitative research was supplemented by unstructured interviews, conducted with eight HR Business Partners. Findings: The obtained results made it possible to conclude that workers from Gen Y have adapted quite well to remote work and were very involved in the workplace when working remotely. Unfortunately, they were also overworked and tired. Gen Y strive to effectively perform their duties, regardless of whether they work on location or from home. Implications / Recommendations: The experience of remote work gained by organisations and employees during the pandemic was an opportunity to implement innovative solutions, suitable for pandemic and post-pandemic conditions of the functioning of enterprises in the remote work era. Contribution: The article recognises and analyses the experiences of employees from the Y Generation who are professionally active, working remotely during COVID-19. The value of the study is the presentation of two perspectives on the experience of switching to a different mode of work organisation – remote mode. Conclusions drawn from the empirical research have an application value primarily for leaders, managers, and supporting departments, such as HRM.