- Taking a cue from layoffs, salaries that don’t keep up with inflation, and the burned-out middle manager, Gen Zers are shrugging at becoming the next boss.
Gen Z doesn’t want your “#1 boss” mug. No longer pining to become Mr. Manager, young workers are deciding they’d rather forge a new path that prioritizes their independence and mental health.
More than half (52%) of Gen Z employees report to recruitment company Robert Walters that they’d rather not be middle managers—according to a survey of 2,000 white-collar workers, 800 of which were Gen Zers. Taking note of burned out and unprepared managers, as well as the current state of white-collar work, Gen Zers are setting their sights on bigger dreams than becoming bosses.
Most young workers (72%) would rather choose an “individual route to progression” than manage other people, finds Robert Walters. Indeed, the youngest working generation has increasingly turned to freelance while finding the corporate world to not deliver on its promise of financial and career stability.
A separate global survey from job platform Fiverr has echoed that 70% of Gen Zers are freelancing or planning to do so, a phenomenon fueled by the cost-of-living crisis where salaries don’t fall in line with the rate of inflation and a fear of facing AI-related layoffs. People are simply also craving greater flexibility and autonomy over their schedules.
“Gen Z is seeing people talk about burnout, and they’re thinking, ‘If that’s what’s coming, I would rather design a career that actually serves me, versus working myself into the ground for somebody else’s benefit,” career coach at Careershifters.org Natasha Stanley similarly told Fortune.
What’s more, the few Gen Zers who are still eying up the corporate world want to enjoy similar levels of autonomy as freelancers and do away with the structure basis of white-collar work—twice as many of the generation would opt for a flat organizational structure than a hierarchical one, found Robert Walters.
Gen Zers take a look at millennials’ managerial plight
At this point, becoming a boss doesn’t feel like that much of a promotion to many people. It’s a sentiment mostly shared by younger generations, as 69% of Gen Zers say that “middle management is too high stress, low reward.” And 63% of respondents think senior workers value middle management more than their younger counterparts.
Coming of age during the height of what was called “hustle culture,” a swath of millennials have now become the middle manager. The generation had the lowest self-reported satisfaction at work, per 2024 Forbes Advisor survey of 1,000 U.S. workers.
“One of the major drivers behind millennial unhappiness at work is the fact that millennials make up a large portion of the manager level in many organizations,” Jen Fisher, Deloitte’s human sustainability leader, explained to Fortune. “Managers are stuck in a particularly difficult place right now.”
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Already known as a job marked by unhappiness, middle manager roles have become all the more stressful recently as companies navigated how to do distributed work, tension during RTO mandates, and rounds of layoffs. In fact, a “management crash” is set to hit the workforce in 2025 if things don’t change, digital coaching platform meQuilibrium predicts.
Part of the issue is the latest swath of managers are not adequately equipped to handle these new challenges, as more than two-thirds of bosses reportedly are working without formal training (known as “accidental managers”), per Robert Walters. No matter the main cause, middle management seems to have lost its sheen for Gen Z.
Amazon backs away from the middle manager while Walmart embraces the role
It appears as if we’re at a fork in the road when it comes to corporations’ take on junior-level bosses. Over in the tech world, Amazon’s CEO Andy Jassy sent an internal memo announcing the company would reduce the ratio of employees to managers in early 2026. “I hate bureaucracy,” Jassy added in an internal call.
It’s perhaps a bellwether of more to come. “Amazon’s slashing of manager roles isn’t just about cost-cutting; it’s a glimpse into the future of work,” Naeem Zafar, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, specializing in entrepreneurship and strategy, said to CNBC. “Technology is eating away at the traditional corporate ladder, and middle management is feeling the bite.”
But the same can’t be said for every sector. Over in retail, Walmart is betting big on the importance of their middle managers. Introducing new pay raises and stock bonuses that means some managers can earn up to $600,000, Walmart had previously struggled in retaining talent.
“Walmart is increasing base pay, bonus opportunity, and annual stock awards for our market managers,” a Walmart spokesperson then confirmed to Fortune. The position “is key for our business and for serving our customers however they shop. This is the latest in a series of investments in hourly and salaried roles across Walmart U.S.”
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