Many young professionals are becoming increasingly disillusioned with middle management positions.
They call it ‘conscious de-bossification’ and it’s the idea that middle management positions in companies have become obsolete and no longer relevant. should be removed or convertedAccording to the young people of Generation Z who do not want such positions.
Most (52%) I believe these positions are not worth itAn even higher rate was recorded in France (77%), Belgium (42%) and Switzerland (30%), according to research by UK-based talent expert Robert Walters.
Why are young people rejecting middle management positions?
There are many disadvantages of this type of work for young people of Generation Z, that is, people between the ages of 13-28. 69% of these are middle management positions They are very stressful and do not give rewards.This means longer hours and more responsibility with little or no pay increase in return.
Other factors are little decision-making power (18%) and limited personal development (11%). According to Lucy Bisset, director of Robert Walters North, employees entering a new middle management role often say,a sharp increase in workloadGoals are expected to be attainable at all times, as well as constant pressure to achieve them.
“Many young professionals they are less interested because it’s not just about them,” he adds. Overall, a 2024 survey by Capterra found that 71% of middle managers admitted to feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and burned out.
How many people will say ‘no’ to the management?
While 36% of Generation Z would agree to move into a middle management position at some point, 16% remain committed to avoiding it altogether.
Lucy Bisset, director at Robert Walters North, says: “This reluctance to take on middle management positions may mean: then a problem for employers“. “More and more professionals of all ages are thinking: multiple management levels “We create an ‘us versus them’ attitude among workers in an organization,” he says.
When asked how they plan to develop their professional careers, 72% of Gen Zers say the best way is: Focusing on “personal development and skill accumulation” Rather than taking on a managerial position (28%).
Managers increasingly in the line of fire
If younger generations are already reluctant assuming middle management positionsThe latest data on layoffs may discourage them further. The rate of layoffs in senior positions has increased significantly, with companies like Google, Amazon, and Meta cutting middle management in 2023 and 2024.
In 2023, tech news site ‘The Verge’ quoted Meta chairman Mark Zuckerberg: “I don’t think you want a management structure where only managers manage managers. executive managersmanaging managers, managing the people who do the work.
Generally dismissal of staff in more junior positions decreased comparatively.
Re-enable rather than eliminate middle management
Only 14% of Generation Z professionals believe traditional hierarchical structures still the right one. However, 89% of business owners continue to believe that middle managers play a crucial role in their organization.
“It is clear that middle managers remain the cornerstone of any organization, and to keep these positions filled, companies need to revamp their strategies,” says Bisset. make them more attractive– from offering greater autonomy to regular workload assessments and clear skills development opportunities.”
adopt “a culture without bosses” “It could be key to shifting the role from being seen as an ‘unnecessary layer of management’ to being a ‘facilitator’ that allows your teams to take their own initiative.”
video editor • Mert Can Yilmaz
