Why Gen Z-ers and Millennials do not want to be managers?

The survey done by technical interview platform CoderPad found 36% of tech workers do not seek out managerial responsibilities, Forbes reported.

This is because Gen Zs and Millennials care more about work-life balance than previous generations.

For them, the long work hours and pressure that come with management jobs far outweigh the extra pay.

Business Insider cited a survey of 1,000 full-time US-based employees by human resource analytics platform Visier that said just 38% of individual contributors are interested in becoming a people manager at their current organization.

It found participants believing that moving into management will mean working longer and grappling with an increased workload.

Some participants said they were content with their current roles, and managerial positions could pull them away from doing what they love.

In recent years management positions have lost their appeal to young professionals due to the demanding nature of the role and the need to shoulder blame when things go wrong.

Managers have also had to navigate the shifts in the job market as was evident during the Covid-19 pandemic when they were tasked with sending employees to work remotely before transitioning them to hybrid schedules, monitoring vaccination statuses and others.

But despite their numerous responsibilities and the fact that boosting managers’ effectiveness being most businesses’ focus, there has been a decline in organizational support for them in recent years, according to a study by MIT Sloan Management Review magazine.

According to business management consultant firm Korn Ferry, managers often bear a disproportionate share of blame, which diminishes the appeal of managerial roles.

They are expected to quell conflicts and navigate office politics, which will inevitably lead to some upset employees pinning the blame on them.

Yet, middle management positions are often the main target for layoffs when businesses face adversity.

In the post-Covid environment, middle managers are among the most exhausted personnel, with 45% reporting feeling burned out according to a 2022 survey by U.S. think tank Future Forum.

They also struggle with a sense of isolation after assuming their roles as they feel disconnected from their teams, the survey found.