Millennials, Gen Z design future of Australian workplaces

According to Colliers’ 2026 Asia Pacific Workplace Insights report, the contemporary challenge for Australian employers will be evolving workplace strategies to accommodate generational diversity and maintain engagement for a new employee cohort.

As such, Australian organisations will be defined by how well different needs are catered for – an interesting challenge given that older generations’ preferences differ significantly from those of emerging talents.

Moreover, head of workplace innovation and transformation, occupier services, at Colliers, Karen Primmer, outlined that “offices are no longer just places to sit, they’re spaces to connect, create and thrive”.

She outlined that multi-generational workforces mean “flexibility, inclusion and purpose are now baseline expectations”.

“Organisations should prioritise choice in how work gets done, offering a mix of collaborative, quiet and social spaces, supported by technology that enables seamless hybrid work.

“Crucially, employees should be actively involved in shaping these strategies to ensure they reflect diverse needs,” Primmer said.

With social connection the primary driver of office attendance, the report suggests workplaces change focus to fostering culture, enabling organic interaction, and creating a sense of belonging, rather than enforcing mandates. Currently, Australia leads the Asia-Pacific region in employee engagement, with more than 50 per cent of organisations involving staff in all workplace decisions.

An inclusive approach will be critical to attracting and retaining talent in an increasingly competitive market.

And organisations are starting to meet demand, with more investing in spaces that enable collaboration, facilitate quiet focus and decompression, and support hybrid work.

Primmer said: “Designing inclusive workplaces means going beyond aesthetics. It requires embedding wellbeing, accessibility and flexibility into both physical spaces and policies, ensuring employees feel supported and empowered to perform at their best.”

According to the Future of Work Workshop led by Davenport Campbell and UNSW, Gen Z values company and personal alignment and expects workplaces to offer mental health support and flexibility as a baseline.

With a number of shifts forecast for the Australian workplace, Primmer urges organisations not to attempt a “one-size-fits-all” approach when, in reality, “people have very different ways of working and being productive”.

She said: “Creating an inclusive environment comes down to both policy and culture – policy provides the framework, but it’s the culture that determines whether those settings genuinely support different working styles day to day.”

Previous research conducted earlier this year on multi-generational workplaces revealed similar findings, concluding that communication is “the lever that HR can pull immediately – it’s the system that underpins what modern workplaces depend on”.

As such, workplace management must move with the times to remain relevant, competitive, inclusive, and appropriate to the intricacies of up to five generations.

Those who successfully balance performance with purpose, flexibility and inclusion, Primmer highlighted, “will be best positioned to engage the next generation of talent”.

“High-performing workplaces are shaped by listening to their people, not relying on generational assumptions, and by strategically aligning with the values that matter to each generation to drive results,” Primmer said.

“To stay ahead, Australian organisations must move beyond aesthetics and deliver environments that inspire connection and performance. Embedding flexibility and inclusivity into workplace design, actively involving employees in shaping strategies and creating spaces that reflect shared values will be essential to attracting future talent and driving productivity.”