Gen Z shun middle management roles


A study by talent solutions company Robert Walters shows that middle management roles are not popular amongst younger UK professionals. More than half of Generation Z professionals said they did not want to be in such a position.

72% of Gen Z professionals (those born between 1997 and 2010) would rather take a personal development and skills-accumulation-focused route to advancement than a middle-management role (28%).

Sixty nine per cent of respondents said middle management roles are stressful and low-rewarding. The survey also revealed that limited decision-making powers (18%) and a reduced growth in personal development (11%) were other factors.

36% of respondents said that they expected to be forced to take on a middle-management role in the future, even though they didn’t want to. 16%, however, were determined to avoid middle management at all costs.

Lucy Bisset, director of Robert Walters, said: “Gen-Z is known for its entrepreneurial mindset. They prefer to spend their time cultivating and promoting their own brand, and to not manage others. This reluctance of Gen-Z to accept middle management positions could cause employers problems in the future.

“More senior managers have typically committed years to a company, working through more traditional management levels and have as a result developed a greater level of respect for midlevel managers.”

She continued: “Younger professionals who have entered the workplace in a remote or hybrid capacity, with a focus on digital abilities are less inclined to complete company loyalty.”

The study revealed that there are significant generational differences. Almost 63% of respondents agreed that older generations place a higher value on middle management roles than their younger counterparts. Gen-Z professionals are less likely than older generations to think that a hierarchical structure is still appropriate. In fact, 30% would prefer a flat team-based organisation.

But 89% of respondents agreed that middle management plays a vital role in their organization.

“Embracing a unbossed’ culture could be the key to changing a role that is perceived as an unnecessary’ layer of management into a facilitator who empowers his teams to take initiative. Middle management should be given priority by employers to avoid talent shortages in the future.

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