Gen Z is accelerating AI adoption in Canada: What HR should do next
Canadian organisations aren't waiting on a top-down AI rollout. Younger employees are taking the lead. Over half (55%) of Gen Z staff are actively helping more tenured colleagues adopt and learn AI tools, creating a practical cross-generational exchange that's moving the needle on performance.
Leaders are noticing. About half of C-suite executives say younger staff's AI skills have improved department productivity (52%) and quality of work (48%). Directors also report clear upside: 59% say AI support lets them focus on higher-value tasks, and 61% say new AI ideas from younger colleagues have opened fresh business opportunities.
What this means for HR
This is a rare alignment of culture and capability. Younger employees are eager to share skills. Senior employees bring context and judgment. Together, they shorten the learning curve and reduce the risk of shadow AI by keeping adoption visible and supported.
As Mark Dixon, CEO of IWG, puts it: younger, digitally savvy employees coaching tenured colleagues strengthens workplace bonds and speeds upskilling. HR's job is to turn that energy into a repeatable, tracked, and safe program.
Hybrid work is getting smoother with AI
AI isn't just boosting output; it's improving how hybrid teams work day to day. A majority (56%) of hybrid workers say AI makes collaboration across locations easier. Reported benefits include:
- Better meeting prep (42%)
- Real-time translation or transcription (32%)
- Stronger post-meeting follow-ups (32%)
- More time for team building and communication (31%)
With routine tasks automated, in-office days are being used for higher-value work: strategic thinking (35%), learning and development (35%), face-to-face collaboration (33%), and networking (27%). Overall, 46% say AI is helping them achieve better outcomes and 56% believe it's making hybrid work smoother.
Risk is now career-shaped
Employees see the stakes clearly. Most (59%) worry that not learning AI will slow their career progression, and 53% believe those who don't adopt AI will be left behind. The upside is cultural: 47% say AI is helping bridge generational divides, and 44% regularly share AI knowledge with colleagues-rising to 55% among Gen Z.
Build a simple, durable AI upskilling program
- Stand up a reverse-mentoring network: pair Gen Z coaches with senior staff by function. Keep sessions short, weekly, and outcome-focused.
- Define 3-5 priority use cases per team: meeting support, drafting, analysis, research, documentation, QA. Document do's and don'ts.
- Provide role-based training: give curated courses for HR, finance, sales, operations; avoid one-size-fits-all workshops.
- Set guardrails: approved tools, data handling rules, privacy guidance, and a simple process for tool requests.
- Measure impact: track time saved, task turnaround, error rates, meeting quality, and employee confidence with AI.
- Reward coaches and adopters: recognize shared wins in performance reviews and internal comms.
Quick metrics HR can track
- Share of employees using approved AI tools weekly
- Average time saved per team on admin tasks
- Quality signals: fewer revisions, faster approvals, cleaner documentation
- Adoption balance by age band (to confirm cross-generational spread)
- Training completion and proficiency scores by role
Close the gap with structured learning
One of the biggest risks is unstructured adoption without formal training. Employees experiment, but standards lag. Offer clear, role-based learning paths and refreshers. If you don't have internal capacity, consider curated AI learning mapped to jobs and skills.
Useful starting points:
- AI courses by job role for practical, role-specific upskilling
Sources and further reading
- International Workplace Group (IWG) insights on hybrid work and AI adoption: IWG
- Canadian sentiment on AI vs. global peers: Adecco Group - Future of Work
The takeaway for HR: formalize what's already working. Back your Gen Z coaches, give managers clear use cases, set light-touch guardrails, and track outcomes. Do that, and productivity and quality gains won't be random-they'll be repeatable.
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