Workplaces silencing rising talent

The quiet pressure to appear knowledgeable

Becky Cantieri, chief people officer at SurveyMonkey, recalls sitting in early-career meetings with questions she never voiced. She feared they would make her seem unprepared. She told herself she could solve the issue later. She believed everyone else already grasped the topic.

What she didn’t understand at the time was that those unasked questions were likely the ones that could have advanced the discussion. Someone else was probably wondering the same thing. Speaking up might have revealed a new viewpoint or helped the team reach a decision sooner.

Cantieri now notices similar reluctance in younger employees. Many assume Generation Z lacks confidence or prefers digital communication over in-person discussion. But the pressure to appear informed isn’t new—and it isn’t limited to one generation.

“I felt it early in my career and still feel it sometimes,” she said. “There are always employees who hesitate to ask questions.”

When curiosity feels like a risk

SurveyMonkey’s State of Curiosity report found nearly half of Gen Z workers feel expected to already know the answers. Over 40% said they’ve avoided asking questions because they worried they had already asked too many.

Those figures don’t indicate a generation that lacks curiosity. They indicate a generation that has learned expressing it can carry consequences. The difference is important. If curiosity were fading, companies would face a talent shortage. Instead, they face a workplace culture issue.

The message many early-career employees receive is clear: curiosity is encouraged. Uncertainty is not.

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This issue affects more than comfort. It shapes how people learn to lead. Many key workplace lessons aren’t found in the answers themselves but in the discussions surrounding them. A manager explaining a business decision. A colleague challenging an assumption. A peer providing context they didn’t know to request. These interactions help people handle uncertainty, form relationships, and develop skills needed for leadership.

Remote and hybrid work have reduced these opportunities. Early in their careers, employees used to learn by overhearing conversations or asking quick questions after meetings. Now, those moments often don’t happen. Meanwhile, AI and digital tools make it easier to find answers privately. Learning now requires more effort—and asking a question often demands more courage than searching online.

What gets rewarded gets repeated

When workplace interactions consistently reward the person with the quickest answer, employees quickly learn that confidence matters more than curiosity. Cantieri has seen leaders pause meetings to ask, “What are we missing?” She has watched executives invite junior employees to share their perspectives on issues. Those moments don’t just produce better ideas—they give others permission to be curious as well.

The most effective leaders she has worked with aren’t afraid to be wrong. They ask questions. They reconsider their views. They demonstrate curiosity, especially in front of their teams. They recognize that learning often happens during the conversation, not afterward.

This approach isn’t about lowering expectations or sacrificing efficiency. It’s about acknowledging that asking questions and admitting gaps in knowledge help make better decisions. Organizations that succeed in an AI-driven world won’t be those with the most self-assured employees—they’ll be those with the most inquisitive ones.

Businesses that want bold leaders in the future must create environments where curiosity doesn’t come with professional risks. Courage doesn’t emerge with a leadership title. It develops much earlier, in the small moments when people decide whether it’s safe to speak up, suggest a better approach, or simply say, “I don’t know.” Secondhand harassment can also silence employees, reinforcing the need for safe, open workplaces.