A recent survey conducted by recruitment firm Robert Walters reveals a significant trend among Generation Z professionals in the UK. As shown in the survey, 52% of these young workers have no desire to take on middle-management positions throughout their career. This change in mindset points to a larger trend towards valuing independence and self-improvement above the pursuit of the classic corporate ladder.
The survey found that 72% of respondents preferred an “individual route to advance their career.” This preference suggests that many young professionals are choosing to prioritize personal growth and skills accumulation rather than adhering to conventional career paths. Those results revealed the deep perception that 69% of people find mid-level management “too stressful, little benefit.”
The burdens of governmental middle management seem to equally act on existing managers too. As our survey found, 75% of these middle managers said they were “overwhelmed, stressed or burnt out.” These statistics are alarming enough to warrant serious consideration about whether typical management hierarchies have a future inside organizations.
Lucy Bisset, director at Robert Walters, elaborated on what these findings mean. She noted that the reluctance of younger professionals to pursue middle-management positions “could spell trouble for employers later down the line.” Bisset pointed out a surprising development. Younger professionals, who were brought into the workforce in remote or hybrid settings, are demonstrably less company loyal.
“Many younger professionals are less interested in climbing the company ladder … professionals of all ages feel layers of management create an ‘us v them’ attitude.” – Lucy Bisset
This new reality has led many organizations to reevaluate how they manage and maintain their assets. With Gen Z now entering the workforce, companies will need to pivot their brand accordingly. They need to treat this generation’s values and expectations. Employers will have to get creative in how they define and test roles and responsibilities. Flexibility and the trend toward individualized career pathways is fueling this shift.
Survey results indicate that a workplace culture change may be underway. With each passing generation, new cohorts are critically reshaping how we understand success and fulfillment in a career. An increasing percentage of workers want to develop independently and avoid or leave conventional managerial paths. In order to attract, engage and retain this talent, employers need to get on board with this new and evolving professional world.