The young employees who started their careers at home

They're bright, capable and keen to do well. But in the office, something isn't quite clicking. They hesitate to speak up in meetings, send an email when a quick conversation would do, and seem unsure how to handle a frustrated client or a tricky colleague. You might find yourself wondering why the basics feel so hard.

For many young people, their first job happened on a laptop at a kitchen table. Onboarding young employees after remote working isn't just about showing them the systems. It's about filling in the quiet lessons they never had the chance to absorb. Those lessons can still be learned, with patient, deliberate support from the people around them.

What learning by watching gave the rest of us

Think back to your own early working life. Much of what you learned didn't come from training. It came from sitting near people who knew what they were doing.

You overheard how a senior colleague calmed down an angry customer. You noticed how your manager pitched an idea to the board, and how they recovered when it didn't land. You saw someone admit a mistake and watched what happened next. You picked up the rhythm of the place: when to speak, when to listen, who to ask and how to ask it.

None of this was written down. It was absorbed, day after day, by being in the room. It shaped confidence as much as competence.

What they're missing

Many people who started their careers at home missed out on that informal apprenticeship. Depending on their role, you might notice gaps in:

• Reading the room. Picking up on tone, body language and the unspoken mood of a meeting.
• Everyday professional conversations. Small talk, introducing themselves, handling a phone call or chasing someone politely.
• Knowing when to ask. Without a colleague nearby, it's hard to judge whether a question is welcome or a nuisance.
• Handling conflict and feedback. Many have had little practice with difficult conversations face to face.
• Building a network. Remote work rarely creates the chance encounters that lead to mentors, allies and opportunities.
• Seeing what good looks like. They've seen the finished work, not the messy process of getting there.

These gaps can follow people for years if nobody names them. Someone who never learned how to disagree well in a meeting may become a manager who avoids conflict. Someone who never built a network may stay invisible when opportunities come up. That's why it's worth paying attention now, while the habits are still forming.

It's not attitude, it's opportunity

It's easy to misread these gaps. Hesitation can look like a lack of interest. Over-reliance on email can look like avoidance. Not speaking up can look like not caring.

Conversations about Gen Z in the workplace sometimes slip into generalisations about attitude. In my experience of developing professionals, confidence follows practice, and practice needs opportunity. If someone has never had the chance to watch, try and get it slightly wrong in a safe setting, they haven't had the chance to learn.

Seeing it this way changes how leaders respond. Young employees lacking confidence at work rarely need a lecture about professionalism. They need exposure, practice and encouragement.

Onboarding young employees after remote working: how managers can close the gap

Developing junior staff in hybrid teams takes more intention than it used to, because the learning won't happen by accident. Here are some practical ways to help.

Make the invisible visible. Talk through your thinking out loud. After a meeting, explain why you said what you said, or why you chose not to push a point. That gives them the reasoning they would once have absorbed.

Let them shadow. Invite junior colleagues to sit in on client calls, negotiations and difficult conversations, with permission, and debrief afterwards. Ask: "What did you notice? What would you have done?"

Plan office days around learning. If people come in, make sure they sit with experienced colleagues on those days. An office day spent on video calls teaches very little.

Give explicit permission to ask. Say clearly that questions are welcome, and when and how to ask them. Many young people worry about bothering busy colleagues.

Set up a buddy or mentor. Pair each new starter with someone who isn't their line manager. It gives them a safe person to check the unwritten rules with.

Give small stretch opportunities. Let them lead part of a meeting, present an update or make a call while you listen. Small, safe steps build skill quickly.

Rethink graduate onboarding in hybrid teams. Go beyond systems and policies. Include how decisions really get made, who to go to for what, and what good communication looks like in your organisation.

Building confidence, not just competence

Competence is knowing how to do the job. Confidence is believing you can, especially when things don't go to plan. Young professionals need both, and confidence is often the bigger gap.

Confidence grows through:

• Specific encouragement. Tell them exactly what they did well, so they can repeat it.
• Safe mistakes. Treat early errors as learning, and share stories of your own (honestly, and only your own).
• Feedback that's kind and clear. Regular, two-way feedback helps them adjust without losing heart.
• A sense of belonging. Include them in the social side of the team, not just the work. Belonging makes people braver.

When young people feel trusted, they tend to step up. The investment you make now shapes the leaders they become.

These challenges often surface alongside a wider return to the office. If you're working through that change, you may find it helpful to read why ordering everyone back to the office won't fix your culture.

How I can help

I've spent 30 years empowering professionals through mentoring and skills development. I run workshops for organisations on effective communication, emotional intelligence, giving and receiving feedback, and managing difficult conversations, all of which help younger employees find their feet. I also offer a 12-month mentorship programme.

I can also help your managers become better mentors themselves. My approach combines positive psychology, storytelling, evidence-based coaching models and practical exercises. Find out more about my leadership training and team workshops.