High stress, low reward? Why Gen Z are saying no to middle management

Is climbing the career ladder going out of fashion? Is middle management now something to be avoided? A recent survey by Robert Walters UK found that for Gen Z the stress and limited rewards are no longer worth the effort. 

In this highly revealing survey, Robert Walters UK found that: 

• Over half (52%) of Gen Z professionals (those aged up to 27) do not want to be middle managers. 

• An individual progression route, rather than spending time managing others, is preferred by 72% of Gen Z professionals who want to focus on their own personal growth, wellbeing and skills development. 

• Middle management is perceived by 69% of Gen Z as too much stress for too little reward. 

• Only 14% of Gen Z think that traditional hierarchical structures in organisations are still fit for purpose. 

How to respond? 

The jury is still out on this one, with no clear way forward yet emerging. However, it’s definitely an issue that organisations and companies across all industries and sectors will have to grapple with. There are both challenges and opportunities arising from the changing attitudes towards career progression among younger professionals. 

The challenges 

• Gen Z’s reluctance to take on middle management roles could lead to difficulties further on down the road. What are the alternatives to being able to rely on a reliable pipeline of middle managers coming through? 

• If Gen Z places no value on promotions or progressing through an organisation, they may be less likely to remain loyal or stay for longer than suits them. 

• Middle management can undeniably be stressful and involve juggling a lot of responsibilities. It might be difficult to refute Gen Z’s assertion that there’s too much stress for too little reward. 

The opportunities 

• Listening to Gen Z, taking onboard their concerns and empathising with their fresh approach to working life, could lead to highly positive outcomes for your organisation, including being able to attract and retain star talent. 

• Traditional, hierarchical structures can be questioned and the advantages of ‘flatter’ structures considered, enabling individual talent to grow and develop without the drawbacks of a perceived ‘us and them’ culture. 

• Consider other new approaches such as ‘rotating’ or ‘shared’ management roles and flexible career paths that allow for specialisation and individual progression. 

• While acknowledging that middle management roles will probably remain a key lynchpin within organisations, the role of middle managers could be revolutionised, from ‘boss’ and ‘delegator’ to ‘empowering facilitator’ enabling skilled and talented individuals to use their own initiative in solving problems, overcoming challenges and championing innovation. 

• Organisations can also reconsider their approach to supporting and training middle managers to transform these leadership roles, basing them on expertise, thought leadership and specialisation to make them more appealing to Gen Z as they grow and develop.  

 You may find useful: 

Our Level 5 suite of leadership and management courses are for middle and senior managers who are looking to make a real impact on the teams they manage and their organisation’s business objectives. 

• Organisational Leadership Skills: This course focuses on the manager’s role as leader, facilitator and motivator and will help you gain a clear idea of the cultural impact you have on your organisation. It provides the opportunity for delegates to assess their natural leadership styles and discover how to adapt and change where necessary to get the best results.  

• Strategic Thinking and Decision Making: This course will help you analyse the macro-environment in which your organisation works. You will reflect on your organisation and its environment from a variety of key perspectives and concentrate on building strategy and culture.  

• Driving Organisational Focus and Efficiency: This course explores how to ensure that your organisation has a clear sense of purpose and that this is shared across all departments and teams to ensure customer satisfaction, efficiency and profitability are maximised.