L’Oreal exec tells Gen Z to be that person who grabs their manager’s coffee—instead of making you look junior, she says it can get you noticed

(Credit: Getty Images— Alberto Menendez Cervero)

Gen Z might groan at the idea of fetching their boss’s flat white. And who can blame them? They’ve entered the workforce in an era where optics matter, and they know that being the person who always grabs the coffee, takes notes, or organizes the lunch (also known as “office housework”) can make you look more junior and hurt progression over time.

But Stephanie Kramer, the CHRO of L’Oréal U.S., says those small tasks are often where opportunity begins—and they played a surprisingly big role in her own career to the corner office at the world’s largest beauty company.