What happened
In an HR Dive opinion article, SurveyMonkey Chief People Officer Becky Cantieri argued that workplaces may be discouraging early-career employees from asking questions as AI and digital tools make private answers easier. She cited SurveyMonkey’s recent State of Curiosity research, which found nearly half of Gen Z workers feel pressure to already know answers and more than 4 in 10 have held back from asking questions.
Why it matters
For educators, instructional designers, and L&D teams, the practical issue is not whether AI supplies quick information, but whether learners still practice clarifying ambiguity with others. Cantieri wrote that leadership skills develop through conversations in which managers explain decisions, peers challenge assumptions, and colleagues add context, and that hybrid and remote work provide fewer incidental learning moments.
What to do next
Leaders can model questions, pause meetings to ask what is missing, invite junior employees’ perspectives, and recognize not knowing as part of decision-making rather than as weakness. For course and workplace learning design, build discussion before final answers. Treat the SurveyMonkey findings cautiously where needed, because the supplied evidence does not include research methodology or sample details.
About this briefing
Reviewed by TutorFlow Editorial. We link the primary source, preserve its publication date, and distinguish reported claims from TutorFlow analysis. Our commentary focuses on practical decisions for educators and training teams.
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