In Brief: Workers Moving Farther From the Office; Brands Looking to Younger Influencers

With Hybrid Work, People Living Farther From the Office

White-collar employees who can work remotely now live roughly twice as far from their offices than before the pandemic, a new study finds.

As The New York Times reports, the average distance between people’s homes and workplaces has expanded from 10 miles in 2019 to 27 miles in 2023, according to the study by economists at Stanford using data from Gusto, a payroll provider.

The so-called “ZIP code shift” is primarily happening among white-collar employees in tech, finance, law, marketing and accounting, the study finds. Workers moving away from city centers are often in their 30s and 40s, have young children and want larger homes. 

Only about 12% of employees now work entirely remotely, compared to roughly 50% of the workforce at the peak of the COVID-19 lockdowns. Some in hybrid arrangements have accepted “super commutes,” in one case a flight from Cincinnati to New York City every other week, in exchange for cheaper housing and more space away from cities.

Brands Look to Youngest Generation as Influencers, Ambassadors

After courting Gen Z for years, brands are turning to Gen Alpha, born 2010–2025 and now ages 14 and younger, to become influencers and ambassadors. 

As Retail Dive reports, the retailer Claire’s, which markets to teen and tween girls, has launched a year-long marketing campaign that features Gen Z’ers and Gen Alphas, the youngest of whom is seven years old. Last May, the girls’ clothing brand Evsie started an ambassador program for kids ages 7 to 14. 

Gen Alphas are maturing at a younger age and often influence what their families buy, said Ashley Fell, director of advisory at McCrindle Research. Added Fell, “any organization that … fails to understand and engage with them will edge toward extinction.”

Minors need parental consent to work with a brand and cannot sign a contract independently, but many consumers and companies are wary of using children as ambassadors or influencers. As Fell said, at ages 13 and 14 they’re developing cognitively and “are still kids.”

Despite Reputational Blows, Harvard Regains ‘Dream School’ Status

Rebounding from a wave of negative publicity, Harvard is once again the top “dream school” among college applicants, a Princeton Review poll finds. 

The poll of nearly 8,000 college applicants was conducted in January and February, just weeks after Harvard President Claudine Gay resigned amid allegations of plagiarism and controversy over her congressional testimony about antisemitism on campus. 

This year’s early-admissions cycle occurred in the immediate aftermath of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas. Amid multiple incidents of antisemitism on the Harvard campus, early applications sank by 17%.

But in March, “I’m seeing clients who were so against Harvard just four months ago, easing back into it already,” said Christopher Rim, CEO of college-consulting firm Command Education.

Harvard admitted 8.74% of its total applicant pool, an increase of more than 1 percentage point over the previous year. The slightly more favorable acceptance rate may have prompted more students to apply, Rim said.

Companies Begin Workplace-Etiquette Training

 As more employees return to the office, many have forgotten how to behave professionally or never learned those skills in the first place, CNN reports. More than 60% of companies plan to introduce workplace-etiquette training this year, according to a survey by Resume Builder, a platform for job-seekers.

Examples of poor workplace behavior include talking loudly on the phone, leaving messes around the office, engaging in inappropriate office conversations, making awkward introductions and dressing unprofessionally for the office.

Training in workplace etiquette is especially important for Gen Z employees who are just starting their careers and lack experience working in an office, said Anne Chertoff, CEO of New York-based consultancy Beaumont Etiquette.

“Soft skills are just as important or more important than the technical skills that you learn,” she said. “If you’re making your colleagues uncomfortable … or your behavior is inappropriate in an office setting, or your behavior is inappropriate with clients, you’re going to lose your job or get demoted from your position.”

Chicago Communicators Have Positive View of Using AI, Survey Shows 

A majority of communicators and their clients hold positive attitudes toward using artificial intelligence technology in their business, finds a recent survey by Communication Leaders of Chicago and DePaul University’s College of Communication. 

Among communications leaders surveyed in the Chicago area, 78% of respondents said they held slightly to extremely positive attitudes toward using AI. Among their clients, 62% had positive attitudes about adopting the technology. However, just 33% of respondents said their firms currently have a dedicated AI team.

Concerns respondents expressed about adopting AI in strategic communications included quality and accuracy, ethical issues, privacy and data security. Respondents said their companies are currently using artificial intelligence to create content (43%), conduct research and analyze data (30%), perform administrative tasks (18%) and manage social media (16%).

Respondents said they personally use AI to generate ideas, inspire their thinking, analyze data and create or summarize content. Half said AI work product is permitted in their companies on a limited-use basis.

CEOs Differ on Hybrid Work Arrangements, Study Finds

Among CEOs, views on hybrid work vary, a recent study finds. Many CEOs require employees to work in-person at least some of the time, but differ on how many days per week they consider optimal.

In the survey by Fortune/Deloitte, more than a quarter (27%) of CEO respondents think three days per week, on average, is ideal for employees to work in the office or at client sites. More than a fifth (22%) say employees should work on-site five days per week, while just 6% of CEOs call two days per week ideal. About a quarter of CEOs surveyed (24%) say their organization’s approach to hybrid work varies according to job function.

More than half of CEO respondents agree that as hybrid and remote arrangements become the norm, employee engagement and loyalty will decrease.

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