Colgate-Palmolive Co.’s (NYSE:CL) top HR executive is pushing back against claims that Gen Z workers lack ambition, arguing instead that they are fueling innovation and technological progress at the company.
Colgate Leadership Defends Gen Z Workers
On Saturday, Sally Massey, chief human resources officer at the $62 billion consumer products giant, told Fortune that young employees are helping Colgate rethink how it works.
"[Gen Z] have grown up with technology," Massey said.
She added, "They bring with them new ideas, new perspectives, curiosity. They're pushing us to get better and to do things differently."
Colgate, which employs about 34,000 people across four generations, is adjusting its leadership structure to better integrate junior voices.
Senior executives are encouraged to listen directly to entry-level staffers to prevent decision-making from becoming disconnected.
"We're not siloed by generation or tenure," Massey said. "It's how we get better."
Companies Seek Gen Z Tech, AI Skills
Other major employers echo that view.
Emily Glassberg Sands, Stripe's head of data and AI, said on the Forward Future podcast that the company is hiring more new graduates than ever because they bring "cutting edge skills" and fluency with the latest tools.
At crypto investment firm Paradigm, cofounder Matt Huang acknowledged Gen Z hires can be disruptive but said their impact is unmatched.
"They create an absurd amount of chaos sometimes," Huang said, "but then you see what they can do and it's like, holy crap."
Gen Z Redefines Work, Side Hustles, Career Paths
Last year, Gen Z workers increasingly moved away from relying on a single paycheck, turning to side hustles and entrepreneurship to manage rising living costs and economic uncertainty.
Surveys showed many feared they would not earn enough to live comfortably and viewed multiple income streams as essential for financial security.
High expenses, doubts about the value of college and a desire for flexibility pushed more young workers toward self-directed careers, a trend accelerated by the pandemic and record levels of new business creation.
Gen Z also brought a different mindset to corporate jobs, prioritizing work-life balance, flexible roles and rapid growth, often switching positions more quickly than previous generations—forcing employers to adapt to retain talent.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
