Why Gen Z is Saying No to Management

When it comes to taking roles in management, a majority of the workforce’s youngest employees are starting to say, “Thanks, but no thanks.” And firm leaders are starting to worry.

In a recent survey, a surprisingly high number—72%—of the youngest generation of workers say they’d rather be individual contributors than middle managers. The trend, which even has its own term, “conscious unbossing,” is making leaders worry about future generations; Gen Zers now make up 30% of the workforce, having surpassed baby boomers earlier this year.  “It’s not worth the potential upside,” says Margie Warrell, Ph.D., a senior client partner and advisor in Korn Ferry’s CEO and Enterprise Leadership Institute. “Management is viewed as an albatross by many—but clearly not all—in Gen Z.”

For decades, of course, jobs in middle management were viewed as a key step forward. But the pandemic began to change that, as it has done with so many aspects of the work world. Companies decided that it was easier—and cheaper—to lay bosses off, rather than the workers who reported to them. The result: Just under 40% of people in a survey said they would pass up a promotion to manager, citing workload, stress, and work-life balance as more important.

But of all the demographics, it’s Gen Z that seems to see early management roles as particularly thankless. Even if they’re not being offered a higher role, many are avoiding the track that would lead to one. “They saw parents move into management and get burned out,” says Flo Falayi, a Korn Ferry associate client partner and leadership coach. Since joining the workforce just before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, Gen-Z workers have seen their own managers forced to pivot to remotely supervising their direct reports. Then those managers were tasked with keeping employees engaged during multiple rounds of return-to-office policy changes. Many of those same managers were then reassigned as individual contributors—or even let go—as their organizations pushed toward greater efficiency after the Great Resignation-era hiring spree.

Middle managers are often the most stressed members of the corporate hierarchy. In a 2023 survey, about one-quarter of midlevel leaders said they “feel overwhelmed by their responsibilities”; a similar percentage said they don’t feel mentally engaged at work. “Gen Z is seeing the responsibilities, but not the rewards, so why move up?” says Shanda Mints, Korn Ferry’s vice president for RPO Analytics and Implementation.

Some Gen-Z professionals may feel they don’t have the skill set management requires. It’s not unusual for individual contributors of any generation to question their readiness for change, but experts say Gen-Z employees might feel especially concerned. Having spent much of their time working remotely, without face-to-face interaction with coworkers, they may not have developed the interpersonal skills they need to become capable managers. “It’s unsurprising that so many shy away from positions that would require them to practice skills they have hardly developed,” Warrell says.

Experts say that any resistance to enter management on the part of Gen-Z workers will lead to bigger leadership problems. For instance, Alison Harrigan, head of Korn Ferry’s Travel, Hospitality and Leisure practice, says that some hotels don’t have enough general-manager candidates in their talent pipelines. “Younger hotel leaders are opting to repeatedly change properties or locations, instead of committing for multiple years to the top job at a single property,” she says.

The only answer? Experts say companies need to make management more attractive—fast. One way is by fostering a supportive culture that emphasizes mentorship, work-life balance, and recognition of the unique contributions of managers, Warrell says. Organizations also should consider investing in professional-development time, in order to give young workers opportunities to hone the skills required to be good managers.

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