Surprising Lessons From Gen Z [Video]

Many stereotypes and anecdotes surround Generation Z’s supposed work styles: Maybe you’ve heard “They don’t like to work very hard” or “They don’t want to come into the office.” Has research on Gen Z — people born between 1997 and 2012 — found that there’s any truth to these stereotypes? No — and what’s more, believing these stereotypes can deprive managers of valuable allies in the fight to improve hybrid work culture for all employees, argues Brian Elliott, an MIT Sloan Management Review columnist and coauthor of the bestselling book How the Future Works: Leading Flexible Teams to Do the Best Work of Their Lives (Wiley, 2022).

Elliott argues that, as digital natives, Gen Z workers have unique insight into how hybrid work actually does and should work. That means managers should listen carefully to what employees from that generation have to say about digital work culture, from team norms to in-office time that builds connection, not resentment.

In this video interview, Elliott …