Robert Walters has highlighted a significant shift in career aspirations among Gen-Z professionals in the UK. The research reveals that 52% of Gen-Z professionals are not interested in pursuing middle management roles, preferring alternative career paths.
Key Findings:
72% of Gen-Z would rather advance their careers individually, focusing on personal growth and skill development, than manage others.
63% of all professionals believe that senior professionals value middle management roles more than their younger counterparts.
69% of Gen-Z view middle management as high-stress and low-reward.
Twice as many Gen-Z professionals prefer a flat organizational structure over a hierarchical one.
Despite this, 89% of employers still see middle managers as crucial to their organizations.
The ‘Great Unbossing’
This trend comes in the wake of significant job cuts in middle management roles by major US corporations like Meta and Citigroup, a period dubbed the ‘great unbossing’. These cuts have further fueled the disinterest among younger professionals in middle management positions.
Expert Insights
Lucy Bisset, Director of Robert Walters North, comments: “Gen-Z are known for their entrepreneurial mindset, preferring to bring their ‘whole self’ to projects and focus on cultivating their own brand rather than managing others. However, this reluctance to take on middle management roles could pose challenges for employers in the future.”
Generational Differences
The study also found that 36% of Gen-Z professionals expect they will have to take on a middle management role at some point, despite their reluctance, while 16% are determined to avoid it altogether.
As organizations navigate these changing dynamics, understanding and adapting to the career preferences of Gen-Z will be crucial for future workforce planning.
