The generational debate over Gen Z in the workplace has a new voice from the corner office — and this one is defending the youngest cohort.
George Brasher, SVP and managing director, North America for HP, told Fortune that the widely repeated charge against Gen Z workers — that they lack interpersonal skills and work ethic — simply does not match what he sees on his team.
'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 said. 'I don't see that at all.'
HP employs about 55,000 workers globally. The company has publicly stated it believes the youngest generation of employees is leading the charge in creating a more 'interconnected, inclusive, and conscientious world.' Brasher points to their status as digital — and AI — natives as the core competitive advantage.
'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.'
The numbers back the demand. A 2026 PwC analysis of Lightcast data found that more than one million U.S. job postings required AI-related skills as of last year, a 66% increase from 2024. For new graduates entering a competitive entry-level market, fluency with those tools is no longer optional.
'I think everybody coming into their initial career into companies needs to make sure that they're the best prepared for that,' Brasher advised.
Brasher is not alone among senior executives taking this position. Sally Massey, CHRO of $73 billion Colgate-Palmolive, told Fortune that Gen Z workers 'bring with them new ideas, new perspectives, curiosity' and are 'pushing us to get better.' Emily Glassberg Sands, head of data and AI at $159 billion Stripe, said recent graduates 'have the cutting-edge skills' and are up-to-date on the latest tools. LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman called young people 'generation AI,' arguing that 'bringing the fact that you have AI in your tool set is one of the things that makes you enormously attractive.'
Not every executive shares the view. Actress Jodie Foster, according to Fortune's reporting, called young staffers on a production set 'really annoying, especially in the workplace.' Whoopi Goldberg, also cited in the piece, claimed Gen Zers 'only want to work four hours' yet expect comfort.
The market, however, is already rendering its verdict. When AI-related job postings jump 66% in roughly two years, the generation that grew up building those skills is not a liability — it is a pipeline. Free enterprise rewards preparation, and by that measure, the AI-native cohort entering the workforce holds a structural edge that no amount of generational stereotyping can price away. Capital follows competence, and the data suggest competence is exactly what this generation is bringing to the table.
