Just like generations of 20-somethings before them, Gen Zers are being criticized for failing to adapt to traditional workplace norms. Some bosses complain about a lack of office etiquette and the high expectations they bring with them, while a vocal cohort say the digital natives are bringing valuable skills and a fresh approach to work. George Brasher, SVP and managing director, North America for $27 billion tech giant HP, says that the Gen Z label of lacking interpersonal skills is a myth. Now, they’re driving massive business wins with their work ethic.
“I’ve got a reasonable population of Gen Z folks in my team, and I find people with great ability to listen, great ability to build that trust, to build that relationship, and then to understand really what customers need,” Brasher tells Fortune. “I don’t see that at all.”
HP employs about 55,000 workers globally, and believes that the youngest generation of employees is leading the charge in creating a more “interconnected, inclusive, and conscientious world.” They drive innovation with their tech savvy, build communities with their digital-first approach to collaboration, and treat work-life balance as a non-negotiable. The HP executive says that growing up in the digital era is their superpower; not only are their AI skills making them more skilled on the job, but it’s translating to a better quality working life.
“Gen Z and millennials have the highest use of AI, highest use of the technology,” Brasher continued. “The fact that they’re digital natives—and AI natives—really puts them in a great position…to have that use of technology that will give them a healthy relationship with work.”
College students turning their tassels and taking on 9-to-5 jobs are typically AI natives, Brasher adds, which “positions them very well” within the tough entry-level job market. More than one million U.S. job postings even required AI-related skills as of last year, a 66% increase from 2024, according to a 2026 PwC analysis of Lightcast data. Being well-acquinated with the tools is the key to success in the newest era of tech: “I think everybody coming into their initial career into companies needs to make sure that they’re the best prepared for that,” Brasher advised.
Leaders at Colgate, Stripe, and LinkedIn agree that Gen Z has in-demand tech skills
Stereotypes stick, and some bosses have already made up their minds on Gen Z workers. Oscar-winning star Jodie Foster slammed the young staffers she encountered on the set of True Detective as being “really annoying, especially in the workplace.” And fellow actress Whoopi Goldberg claimed that Gen Zers “only want to work four hours” yet expect to live in comfort.
But business leaders like Brasher are looking past the tropes and unlocking the power of a generation built for the AI era.
The CHRO of $73 billion giant Colgate-Palmolive hit back that young staffers aren’t the career sloths some typecast them to be. Sally Massey credits Gen Z as being ambitious and incredibly tech savvy—critical skills that the consumer products company behind Colgate toothpaste and Irish Spring soap is looking for in talent.
“[Gen Z] have grown up with technology. They’ve grown up in a very different way than some of the other generations in the organization,” the CHRO told Fortune earlier this year.
“They bring with them new ideas, new perspectives, curiosity,” Massey added. “They’re pushing us to get better and to do things differently—I think it’s great.”
And last year Emily Glassberg Sands, the head of data and AI for Stripe, revealed that she’s all-in on hiring recent graduates at the $159 billion financial services company. Just like Massey, she singled out Gen Z’s tech adaptability as one of the in-demand skills she’s looking for in Stripe employees. They “have the cutting-edge skills” and are up-to-date on the latest tools to help them hit the ground running.
LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman agrees that Gen Z’s AI fluency could be their biggest advantage in a tough entry-level job market. The billionaire entrepreneur said that young people are part of “generation AI”; as digital natives who grew up with advanced technology at their fingertips, they are in the best position to leverage that skill. It may be Gen Z’s ticket to landing a job.
“Bringing the fact that you have AI in your tool set is one of the things that makes you enormously attractive,” Hoffman said in a video on his YouTube channel last year.
