Mark Zuckerberg’s remark about 2023 is “Year of efficiency”Looks like it is turning in a decade of something else. The trend towards The elimination of middle management has only accelerated (Possibly due to the disturbing effect of AI on the labor market, but potentially inexpensive with a different name), whereby it has so far culminated for medium -sized managers in a brutal 2025. According to a count, 80,000 jobs were shortened in technical space Microsoft responsible for 15,000 alone and count. Some had described this as “great flattening”, and it is certainly a bruise for millennials that make it out Majority of the managers For the first time.
Z was reported that this situation has been viewed and reacted in a way that is appropriate to this Viral corporate scandal of the summerColdplay, a dark IT company called Astronomer, and a clever piece of public relationship Gwyneth Paltrow. Of course, Paltrow and Coldplay singer Chris Martin have the world in their kind of “introduced”Deliberate decoupling“And to Zs reaction to management”conscious experience. “”
There is only one problem with this narrative. Z is just in age – the 20s for the oldest of the cohorts – if they could become a manager, and the paper path is slim. Daniel ZhaoSenior economist from Glassdoor, told Truly intelligence that “you don’t really see evidence of consciously recognizing in the semi -annual company of his company Worklife Trends Report.
Z is actually one of ten managers in 2025, which Zhao determines that it is a similar trajectory in previous generations. “Gen z occurs with the same installments that Millennials and other generations have done in the past few decades, he said. In other words, gen z may say that they are deliberately uneducated, but they seem to be, so to speak, than any other generation that came before them.
The gen z perspective
Gen Z was born between 1997 and 2012 and entered the workforce in unprecedented times – characterized by economic uncertainties, global pandemics, social upheavals and a quickly digitizing world. These challenges shaped the attitudes of gene Z to work in a profound way that researchers still understand. For example, The generation dynamics team from EY In a massive global survey ordered to understand Z and found the “pragmatic generation” in most situations, especially traditional milestones in life such as career and salary, with a kind of “justified skepticism”.
In survey data, Z indicates that he prioritizes the purpose of advertising, freedom and flexibility and personal well -being. Over half of the workers of Gen Z –52% in a study-SAG that they do not want to take on medium -wing administrative roles at all, and 16% refuse a role that blames them for others.
The economy has developed in such a way that gen z – and all workers – push different ways of working. The rise of the Gig Economy, Side Hustles and project -based work means that there are many ways to achieve career satisfaction and financial stability without ever becoming a “boss” in the traditional sense. Other leaders theorize longs for authentic, transparent jobs where leadership roles are earned by proven influence, not just through term or politics. They prefer mentors and moderators to authoritarian managers.
More okay with authority than you might think
Despite the “unaffordable” rhetoric, Glassdoors Zhao finds that gen z reaches management status exactly on schedule. In fact, he added that gen z would probably exceed the management stairs by the end of 2025 or 2026 baby boomers when the current trends are continued.
ZHAO annexes that enter management remains one of the most effective abbreviations to increase the payment and accelerating career growth. In 2025, workers recorded an average salary climb of 11% – significantly higher than those of peers who remained, which remained, which remained, which remained, which remained, which remained, which remained, 7%. In all conversations about the dismantling hierarchies, Z seems to be right with their feet and understand that material advantages are associated with management.
The reality on the ground
So what happens if the generation “consciously appear” becomes the boss? There the story runs on headwind. While employees predominantly say that “emotional intelligence” is required by their managers, Zhao’s data – and the collection of anecdotal prove – are that the living experiences of the employees are less transformative.
Simply expressed, burnout is increasing: In May 2025, mentioning burnout on workplace evaluations have stagnated or even decreased compared to the previous year and access to services that reduce burnout, such as flexible planning or mental health care. For example, access to reduced or flexible hours fell by 2.2% and 1.7% compared to the previous year. Since 2019, the advantages of work from home have increased by 20.4% and mental health by 17.9%.
Zhao notes that these support systems do not hope that the employees will hope even if the overall point is supposedly increasing to holistic well -being. Instead, companies invest more frequently in services such as health savings accounts or fertility support – positive, but possibly less directly tied to the emotional work of the work for which the General Managers of Gen Z should support themselves. Zhao told Truly intelligence In an interview that he is surprised in a sense that “things have not necessarily worsened since January”, but they still don’t feel like they are in a great situation. At least things don’t seem to have gotten worse, he added.
‘Unsing’ or adapt?
The data draw a complex image. Zen Z places undeniable penetration into management and is considered balanced to prioritize well -being and flexibility. However, the pace of real change in topics such as flexibility at work and burnout remains slow. In practice, increasing managers of all generations inherited in inheritance: Economic uncertainty, household pressure and the inertia of many years of job standards.
The end? Z may want to “experience” the workplace, but the traditional levers of professional progress remain intact. “Management is not for everyone and that’s okay,” said Zhao about what his data shows, “but it is still the best way to climb the career ladder.” For good or bad.
For this story, Assets Used generative AI to help with a first draft. An editor checked the accuracy of the information before publication.
