Many young professionals would rather be their own boss than have to manage others.
A new study indicates that Generation Z is “consciously stepping aside” and avoiding stressful middle-management positions. According to recruitment firm Robert Walters, 72% of the youngest generation of workers say they would prefer to advance as an employee rather than become a middle manager.
Only 16% of those surveyed said they would avoid management roles at all costs (the survey included 3,600 people, all from Generation Z, which is a generational group entering the job market and is being closely studied to understand how companies can attract young talent). Nevertheless, the conclusion was that most young people today are not particularly excited about managing others.
Even 36% of respondents who expect to take on a leadership role at some point in their careers admitted they don’t actually want to do it.
Responsibility without extra benefits
At Genbeta, we’ve discussed many times how companies complain about the behavior of young workers entering the labor market instead of trying to understand them. Young people are tired of hearing that working hard will lead to success (the so-called meritocracy), especially when they see clear examples that this isn’t always the case.
Speaking of examples, some recent and representative ones include Amazon’s announcement to eliminate middle-management roles. Meta, during a wave of mass layoffs, took steps toward internal “flattening” by asking middle managers to either work harder (at the same level as their direct reports) or leave the company. At Google, where thousands of managers lost their jobs last year, workers were told it would be harder to ascend to leadership positions in the future.
This study shows that Generation Z would rather be their own boss. The takeaway is that Generation Z workers don’t shy away from success, but they prefer it not to come with the responsibility of managing others.
Lucy Bisset, a director at Robert Walters, explained that Generation Z prefers to put “their whole selves into projects and spend time cultivating their personal brand and approach, rather than dedicating time to managing others.” A clear example of this is the increasing number of young people leaving the corporate ladder to become their own boss or influencers.
Given that the oldest members of Generation Z turn 27 this year, many may not have been offered the opportunity to step into a leadership role yet, but it’s no surprise they feel discouraged. Entering the workforce during a time when tech companies are chasing “efficiency,” Generation Z has repeatedly received the message that middle managers are disposable.
When asked why they reject middle-management jobs, almost 70% of the young respondents said: “Too much stress and little reward.” Bisset explains that middle managers face a significant increase in workload, greater expectations of being ‘always available’ for those they supervise, and constant pressure to meet their own goals.
