Who wants to be a manager? How different generations feel about career progression

The jobs market may be facing a tougher patch, with vacancies dropping back to pre-pandemic levels, but the start of the year is always a time of looking ahead, whether it's progress in the role you're in or elsewhere. Globally, more than half of professionals say they're open to new opportunities, according to LinkedIn's Work Change report, and a quarter plan to learn new skills to find them.

Alongside the look ahead, the debate around returning to the office continues – with former M&S boss Stuart Rose one of the latest to make headlines with his comments that remote work isn't "proper work". As many companies – and the majority of UK CEOs – believe a full return to in-person work is on the horizon, thoughts will turn to visibility, the opportunities for progression and the risk of "proximity bias".

Do you need to be seen to be promoted?

According to data from LinkedIn's Workforce Confidence Index survey, more than half of UK professionals believe that they need to be seen in person in order to progress in their career. When we break it down by generation, it's clear that most people across age groups – bar baby boomers – feel the need to be seen to get promoted. Among the oldest respondents (aged 59-77), only 41% say they need to be seen to get promoted, in stark contrast with the youngest generation, where 60% believe in-person presence is needed to progress.

Erifili Gounari , founder of gen Z marketing agency Z Link, says the attitude could stem from a desire to build connections, particularly at the start of a career path. According to Z Link research, 70% of gen Z say they prefer a hybrid style of working, combining both remote and in-person work, and Gounari believes it could be a desire to stand out that drives this.

"Trying to stand out early in their career does tend to be a lot about things that you need to do in person, or by building interpersonal relationships," Gounari says. "I think for gen Z, being seen in person would make it easier, while perhaps older generations see progression coming as a result of their work."

Who wants to be a boss?

It's clear that 'progression' means something different to the younger generation than it does to the generation before. LinkedIn's data shows that only a third of gen Zs in the UK want to become a manager in the next few years, in stark contrast to millennials. Among millennials (aged 27 to 42), 43% of respondents said they aspired to people management.

It's something Gounari recognises from her own work. "If we look at the big picture around Gen Z and careers, they're less interested in the traditional, sort of full-time career progression as a whole. So I think people management is just sort of a part of that," she says.?

Gounari points to stats showing that younger professionals are more likely to work for themselves: "I think growing in the same job is not appealing to this generation as a first career option."?

"Almost 60% of gen Zers don't want to go in the traditional direction at all, but rather want to go in an entrepreneurial direction, freelancing or starting their own company," Gounari adds.

Career coach Vicki Marinker ACC agrees that management is a traditional path, often seen as the "reward for doing a great job". However, it can also be the path people take when there's no other route to progression.?

"People can be promoted into management positions without the desire, skillset or training to make it a success," says Marinker, adding how vital she believes company support is for people in this position.

The impact of a bad manager

Marinker also highlights that it's not just the youngest generation who may be averse to management –?something LinkedIn's data also shows: Among gen X and baby boomers, the Workforce Confidence Index shows the desire to manage people is also lower than among millennials . "Unfortunately, for some [moving into management] means being promoted out of the job they love," says Marinker. "I’ve seen a growing group of people in communications who enjoy being practitioners. Moving into a management role can mean moving away from the work they excel at. There is a perception that management is administrative and process heavy, leaving them less time to work on campaigns."

Perhaps part of the reluctance among British workers is because of the impact a bad manager can have. The vast majority of UK professionals in LinkedIn's data (70%) say they'd quit their job if they had a bad manager (rising to 77% among millennials), showing just how meaningful a manager can be to an employee's life.

"They say people don’t leave bad jobs, they leave bad managers," says Marinker. "I’ve experienced this first hand and have coached numerous clients experiencing poor behaviour from managers."

Micromanagement can be one of the common traits, particularly among less experienced managers. "This behaviour often stems from anxiety and personal insecurity," says Marinker. Handling it can be tough – Marinker suggests "taking control of the feedback process", for instance by setting regular check-ins with a micromanager and documenting the completion of tasks and tangible results.

Being a good manager can be tough – it requires emotional intelligence, adaptability and clear communication, says Marinker. "Good managers create psychological safety, by listening to their team, communicating their expectations and setting clear objectives from the outset of a project. They will welcome feedback and help their colleagues feel empowered to raise challenges."

Reporting: Siobhan Morrin

Data: Allie Lewis