4 Lessons Gen Z Can Teach Us About Smarter Time Management

Gen Z uses digital tools to streamline work processes, improving productivity and time management.
Flexible work schedules are a priority, giving Gen Z greater control over their time.
Side hustles are at the core of Gen Z’s entrepreneurial spirit, demonstrating an efficiency that could benefit all employees.

Born between 1996 and 2010, Gen Z has entered the workforce with distinctive perspectives shaped by the internet, climate change concerns, economic insecurity, and the impacts of COVID-19.

Influenced by their tech-oriented upbringing, Gen Z gravitates toward digital communication in the workplace.

They have also embraced portfolio careers, side hustles, flexible work, and freelancing, reflecting their desire for control over their schedules and a more balanced lifestyle. Almost three-quarters of Gen Z workers would even consider switching jobs to achieve this goal.

In this context, effective time management is essential for maintaining productivity and supporting Gen Z’s prioritization of work-life balance.

What are the main areas where Gen Z is redefining time management, and what lessons can other generations learn from their innovative approach to work?

Effective Time Management in the Modern Workplace

Gen Z has prioritized time management as a key factor in achieving job satisfaction and creating a healthier work-life balance. With access to innovative techniques for improving time management skills, Gen Z challenges us to rethink our approach to work efficiency.

What are the key areas where Gen Z is redefining time management in the workplace?

1. Digital Tools and Technology

As digital natives and arguably the most tech-savvy generation in the workplace, Gen Z has mastered leveraging technology to manage time efficiently. Tools such as Trello, Asana, and Notion help streamline workflows, improve task management, and enable real-time collaboration, especially in remote work settings.

These tools allow Gen Z to stay on top of work deadlines while satisfying their desire for tech-driven solutions.

Gen Z expects tools and software that are user-friendly and efficient. Clunky, outdated, or inefficient systems can frustrate them.

Their preference for efficiency is clear: 70% of Gen Z employees are willing to switch jobs to gain direct access to state-of-the-art productivity tools that enable them to work faster and smarter.

2. Embracing Side Hustles

Gen Z is at the forefront of the growing side hustle trend, with 53% engaging in extracurricular work, balancing multiple income streams alongside their primary jobs.

This trend surged 19% between 2022 and 2023, highlighting Gen Z’s entrepreneurial spirit and drive for financial independence. Notably, 22% of Gen Z plans to transition their side hustles into their primary source of income.

For many in this generation, side hustles are not just a way to earn extra income — they represent a flexible approach to work and time management. Leveraging online platforms and social media, Gen Z has created income streams offering all sorts of services.

Approximately 47% of Gen Z report earning more from their side hustles than their main jobs, using digital tools to streamline their time management and stay ahead in fast-paced, flexible work environments.

3. Flexible Work Habits

Gen Z redefines traditional time management by focusing on flexibility over rigid office hours. They value the freedom to set their own hours, with 26% preferring to work late at night (from 6 p.m. to 3 a.m.). A global study, The Future of Time, highlights this transition toward asynchronous work and emphasizes the importance of flexi-time for younger workers.

Younger generations tend to be more productive outside the constraints of the traditional 40-hour workweek. Over 60% of Millennial and Gen Z employees report feeling compelled to follow standard office hours despite knowing they are less effective during that time. In contrast, only 52% of Gen X and 42% of Boomers report similar pressures.

Gen Z’s preference for flexibility is evident by their engagement in portfolio careers — balancing multiple part-time roles, gigs, and freelancing. While these careers offer greater control over their schedules, they can also leave limited time for socializing outside of work. As a result, many Gen Zers allocate more time to career development, often at the expense of in-person interactions.

Digital communication tools and platforms, such as Fiverr, facilitate Gen Z’s work flexibility and efficient use of time.

A study by Hubstaff reveals that remote workers, including many Gen Z employees, experience 22% more focused work time than their office-based counterparts, benefiting from fewer distractions and greater control over their time.

Time Management Lessons from Gen Z

Gen Z leverages productivity apps and time-tracking tools to enhance efficiency in hybrid or remote work settings. Suriel Arellano, a leading Digital Transformation and AI expert, told Allwork.Space how they believe Gen Z is redefining time management in the workplace through their use of the latest technology.

Arellano emphasizes their “work smart, not hard” mentality, challenging traditional views on work by suggesting that tasks can be completed in a shorter time frame, given the right strategies.

Arellano also points out that Gen Z’s balanced approach to technology and face-to-face interaction offers valuable lessons in improving productivity — insights that could benefit older generations.

“Do they really need to work five days a week to get their work done? Could they do it in four?” he asks.

Gen Z’s approach to time management provides valuable insights for all generations in the workplace.

By embracing their innovative use of technology, flexible work preferences, and entrepreneurial practices, both employers and employees can enhance productivity. Adopting these strategies can improve time management practices for everyone.

Here are four key lessons to learn from Gen Z’s time management practices:

Embrace Technology: Gen Z has fully integrated digital tools into their daily routines, using technology to improve both productivity and time management. Their comfort with AI and other advanced tools should inspire employers to adopt modern communication platforms that streamline work processes, benefiting all generations by improving efficiency.
Flexibility in Work Schedules: Gen Z values flexible, asynchronous work hours, as evidenced by the global study The Future of Time. This flexibility allows them to work when they are most productive, such as late at night. Adopting flexible schedules in the workplace can help other generations manage their time more effectively by working when they are most effective.
Learn from Side Hustles: Many Gen Z individuals pursue portfolio careers, balancing multiple part-time roles and freelance projects. This entrepreneurial approach provides valuable lessons in time management and skill diversification. Older generations could benefit from embracing flexibility, side projects, and new career paths.
Recognize the Value of Time: Gen Z excels at eliminating unproductive practices, such as unnecessary meetings, and prefers asynchronous communication and quick updates. They use digital tools to avoid lengthy face-to-face meetings, encouraging older generations to rethink traditional workplace habits.

How the Experts View Gen Z’s Approach to Time Management

Mark Beal, Executive Director and Assistant Professor at Rutgers School of Communication and expert author on Gen Z, spoke to Allwork.Space of the importance of understanding how this generation approaches work.

“A key pillar of today’s workplace is that Gen Z works smarter, not necessarily harder. Older generations traditionally worked harder, not smarter,” Beal explains. “As a tech-savvy generation, Gen Z proactively embraces digital platforms and innovative technology to improve efficiency, solve business challenges, and accomplish tasks.”

Beal recommends that older generations engage their Gen Z colleagues — whom he refers to as “ZEOs” — and challenge the status quo by testing and adopting new platforms and technologies to transform the workplace.

Carmen Amador Barreiro, Organizational Psychologist and Community Lead at Oyster observes that Gen Z’s focus on work-life balance often challenges traditional work structures. However, Barreiro told Allwork.Space that she believes their priorities reflect a broader “evolution” toward a healthier, more balanced approach to work — that values time and wellbeing in professional environments.

Nicole Neumarker, Executive Leader and Chief Operating Officer at WorkForce Software (now part of ADP) told us that Gen Z rejects the “always on” work culture and prioritizes work-life balance, scheduling flexibility, and meaningful work.

Neumarker believes these changing expectations can inspire companies to adopt more flexible time management policies that enhance engagement across all generations.