- 52% of Gen Z professionals do not want to be middle management
- 72% of Gen-Z prefer to progress individually than manage others
- 63% of professionals believe that middle managers are more valuable than senior managers to their younger colleagues
- Gen-Zers are concerned about middle management because they feel it is stressful and low-reward.
- Gen-Z is twice as likely to prefer a flat organization structure than a hierarchical system
- 89% of employers believe that middle managers are crucial to their organization.
More than half of Gen-Z workers don’t wish to be in a middle-management role.
Although 36% of people expect to be in middle management at some stage, they are not interested. Another 16% will do anything to avoid it.
(a href=”https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2024-03-15/bloomberg-evening-briefing/middlemanagers are getting fired more often”>Source/a>) (Source)
Robert Walters, a leading talent solutions company in the UK, has released new research that shows a growing disillusionment with mid-level managerial roles amongst young professionals.
Preferred path to advancement According to a Robert Walters survey, 72% of Gen Z would prefer to take a personal development and skill-building route over a managerial role (28%).
Lucy Bisset comments on “Gen-Z is known for its entrepreneurial mindset. They prefer to spend their time cultivating and promoting their own brand, and not managing others.
However, employers may face problems if they don’t take on middle-management roles.
Differences in Generation
Three-fifths of professionals (63%) agree that older generations value middle management roles more than younger ones.
Only a fifth of professionals believe it to be equally valuable.
Lucy observes: More senior professionals are more likely to have spent years in one company and have worked their way up through traditional management levels. They have therefore developed a greater appreciation for mid-level manager. The younger professionals who have entered the workplace in a remote or hybrid role with a focus on digital abilities are less inclined to complete company loyalty.
Management stretched to the limit
Gen-Z professionals who were asked what the biggest deterrents are to middle management roles stated that they were high stress and low reward. Also mentioned were the lack of decision-making authority (18%) and reduced personal growth (11%).
A recent survey by <a href="https://www.capterra.co.uk/blog/4596/middle-manager-burnout-how-employers-can-support-them#:~:text=A%20majority%20(75%25)%20of,middle%20managers%20in%20the%20UK. Capterra discovered that 75% middle managers confessed to feeling stressed, overwhelmed and burned out.
Lucy comments
Does the future involve teamwork?
Only 14% Gen-Z professionals believe the traditional hierarchy is still appropriate. Over double that amount (30%) would choose a flat team-based organization if they had the option.
Lucy says: Many younger professionals are not interested in “climbing the ladder” of a company, but it’s not just them. A growing number of professionals feel that multiple layers of management create an ‘us against them’ attitude among the ‘doers’ of an organization and the ‘delegators.’
Middle management reframed
Middle management is still vital. 89% of employers say that they are crucial to their organization.
Lucy concludes
“Embracing a unbossed’ culture could be the key to changing the role of a manager from being perceived as a layer unnecessary’ to one that empowers teams to take initiative.
Employers should prioritize middle management to avoid talent shortages in the near term.
ENDS
Our 3,600 employees have a passion for helping people and organizations reach their full potential. We listen and connect fully with the people and organizations we work with. We are unique in our ability to understand people and organisations and tell their stories.
www.robertwalters.com
The first time this post appeared was on HR News.
