Why Gen Z don’t want to become managers

Published on February 21, 2025

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Why Gen Z don't want to become managers — Keystone

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According to a recent survey, a majority of young professionals under the age of thirty do not want to be middle managers.

This content was published on February 21, 2025 - 11:00

Clémence Vonlanthen, Rouven Gueissaz, Antoine Schaub, RTS

Known as “conscious unbossing”, this phenomenon is causing concern among companies. Some are already taking steps to make management positions more attractive for younger workers.

Being a boss no longer appeals to many young people. A recent study conducted by the Robert Walters recruitment agency in the United Kingdom found that 52% of employees under the age of 30 are reluctant to take on a middle-management role during their career, while 16% are adamant they’ll avoid middle management altogether.

Adrian Schwery is one such young professional. Currently self-employed, the Swiss previously led a communications agency for nearly ten years. But Schwery, who holds a degree in management and marketing, became disillusioned by the excessive workload, mental strain and team management responsibilities.

“I still remember the day this collaboration ended. I was very relieved. I was less worried and anxious about the next day at work. I think my mental health has benefited from leaving this position,” Adrian Schwery told Swiss public television, RTS.

A changing relationship with work

“Conscious unbossing” reflects the evolving relationship younger generations have with work, explains Elodie Gentina, professor of marketing at the IESEG School of Management in Paris and a researcher specialising in Gen Z. Generation Z are people born between 1997 and 2012.

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“In the past, success in life was primarily linked to work. Work was a priority; the company provided everything, including a salary for life. Young people today have a different relationship with work. What matters most to them is enjoying life to the fullest. Work is part of that, but it’s no longer the only component,” Gentina explains.

She adds that this shift is significant: “Covid wasn’t the initiator of all this, but it accelerated issues related to teleworking, the search for meaning, the ecological transition, and now young people know how to clearly ask for what they want.”

Making these roles more attractive

This shift worries firms. As Gen Z get older, management roles must become more attractive. Swiss Post is one example of a company that is already adapting.

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“To meet these evolving needs and expectations, we’ve adapted management roles. We now offer them on a part-time basis or as job shares, which helps maintain work-life balance,” explains Laurent Tornare, a senior human resources manager at Swiss Post.

This balance was essential for Adrian Schwery. While he doesn’t rule out becoming a manager in the future, he would approach it differently. “You can imagine companies with fewer managers and flatter hierarchical structures that encourage greater dialogue with employees and involve them more in decision-making.”

Elodie Gentina also believes recruitment processes need to change to better align them with modern society: “We need to rethink how we conduct interviews. They could take the form of company tours where candidates meet the team, not just HR, and we should enhance integration processes and revitalise training programmes so that young people can take more initiative within the company.”

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Translated from French using DeepL/amva/sb

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