{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1883254,
        "msgid": "gen-z-rejects-promotions-why-young-workers-shun-leadership-roles-1785127874",
        "date": "2026-07-27 10:55:06",
        "title": "Gen Z Rejects Promotions: Why Young Workers Shun Leadership Roles",
        "author": "",
        "source": "CNBC",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Social Policy",
        "summary": "A growing number of Generation Z workers are defining career success by work-life balance rather than climbing the corporate ladder, with only 6% aspiring to senior management. This reluctance is driven by the increased pressures of managing larger teams and the perceived sacrifice of personal well-being. Experts warn this global trend poses a significant challenge for organisations facing demographic shifts and a shrinking workforce, as artificial intelligence cannot yet replace the human empathy required for leadership.",
        "content": "<p>For Generation Z, career success is no longer defined by job\npromotions. Instead of pursuing managerial positions, many young workers\nnow prefer to maintain a work-life balance. This trend presents a new\nchallenge for companies preparing future leaders, as fewer young\nemployees are interested in occupying management roles. Tomasz\nSzklarski, CEO of Enpulse and an employee engagement expert, stated that\nonly about 6% of Gen Z globally aspire to become senior managers or\nbosses. \u201cLooking at global research, only about 6% of Generation Z want\nto take on senior management roles and become the boss. For\norganisations and their structures, this is a very big problem,\u201d\nSzklarski said. He noted that Gen Z\u2019s reluctance to become managers is\nprimarily triggered by the increasing responsibilities attached to the\nposition. In recent years, the number of employees under a single\nmanager has increased significantly. Where previously a manager\nsupervised an average of about six people, that number has now risen to\naround 12. This situation places greater pressure on managers. On one\nhand, they must meet business targets set by directors and executives.\nOn the other, they are also required to guide, motivate, and maintain\nthe well-being of an increasingly large team. \u201cGeneration Z has\ncarefully considered the meaning of life and work balance compared to\nthe sacrifices required to become a boss. They clearly see the burden a\nmanager must bear,\u201d Szklarski said. According to him, a manager is not\nonly responsible to superiors but must also continuously support a\nlarger and more complex team. Szklarski assessed that this trend is not\njust a problem for individual companies but a global phenomenon with\npotentially major impacts, especially in Europe. The continent is\ncurrently facing demographic changes causing the workforce to shrink.\n\u201cThere will be fewer and fewer people working, especially in Europe. If\nwe do not prepare a new generation of managers and encourage them to\ntake responsibility for leading teams, organisations will face\nincreasingly greater challenges in maintaining efficiency,\u201d he said.\nAlthough artificial intelligence is increasingly used to automate\nvarious tasks, Szklarski believes the technology cannot yet overcome the\nshortage of leaders in the workplace. He said it remains unclear whether\nemployees are willing to accept direction from AI algorithms or whether\nthe technology can perform all the functions of a manager. He assessed\nthat leading a team still requires abilities that are difficult for\nmachines to replace, such as empathy, building relationships with team\nmembers, motivating employees, and making decisions while considering\nthe human aspects within an organisation.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/gen-z-rejects-promotions-why-young-workers-shun-leadership-roles-1785127874",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}