Majority of young professionals reveal growing disillusion with mid-level management roles. Here’s why.
They call it “conscious unbossing”.
It’s the idea that mid-management roles are obsolete and should be eliminated or transformed.
For Gen-Zers, it’s often the deliberate choice of turning down or avoiding progression to mid-management altogether.
The majority of them (52%) think it’s not worth it, according to research conducted by UK-based talent specialist Robert Walters, which reported an even higher rate in France (77%), 42% in Belgium and 30% in Switzerland.
Why are Gen-Zers turning down middle management jobs?
For Gen-Zers — that is, people aged 13 to 28 — the downsides are many.
Some 69% of them believe mid-management roles are high-stress and low reward, meaning longer hours and more responsibilities with little or no salary growth in return.
Other factors are low decision-making power (18%) and limited personal growth (11%).
Employees who start a new mid-management role often experience “a steep step-up in workload, expected to be ‘always available’ to those they manage as well continuing pressure to hit targets”, says Robert Walters North director Lucy Bisset.
“Many younger professionals are less interested in ‘climbing the company ladder’ as it isn’t just them”, she adds.
Overall, a 2024 survey by Capterra found that 71% of middle managers admitted to feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and burnt out.
How many would say no to management?
While 36% of Gen-Zers have come to terms with embarking on a middle-management role, at some point, a further 16% are adamant they will steer clear of it altogether.
“This reluctance to take on middle management roles could spell trouble for employers later down the line”, says Robert Walters North director Lucy Bisset.
“An increasing amount of professionals of all ages feel as though multiple layers of management create an ‘us vs. them’ attitude between the main ‘do-ers’ and ‘delegators’ of an organisation.”
Asked about how they intend to grow their career, 72% of Gen Zs say the best way is to focus on “personal growth and skill accumulation” rather than taking on a management role (28%).
Managers increasingly in the firing line
If the youngest generations are already hesitant to take on mid-management, recent data on layoffs might discourage them even further.
ADVERTISEMENTThe rate of dismissals in higher roles has grown considerably, with companies like Google, Amazon, and Meta all slashing mid-management layers in 2023 and 2024.
In 2023, technology news website the Verge quoted Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg saying: “I don’t think you want a management structure that’s just managers managing managers, managing managers, managing managers, managing the people who are doing the work.”
Overall, layoff rates of staff in more junior positions have decreased in comparison.
Reviving mid-management instead of erasing it
Only 14% of Gen Z professionals think the traditional hierarchical structure is still fit for purpose.
ADVERTISEMENTYet, 89% of employers still believe mid-managers play a crucial role in their organisation.
“It’s clear mid-level management remains a lynchpin of any organisation”, says Bisset, “and to keep these roles filled employers need to innovate their strategies to make them more attractive – from providing more autonomy, to regular workload assessments and clear upskilling opportunities.”
“Embracing an ‘unbossed culture’ could be key in transforming the role from just being seen as an ‘unnecessary layer’ of management to a ‘facilitator’ who empowers their teams to take their own initiative.”
Video editor • Mert Can Yilmaz
