No one wants to be the boss: Why is Gen Z turning down promotions?

Generation Z is increasingly rejecting promotions, favoring work-life balance over greater responsibility and longer hours. According to global research, only around 6% of Gen Z want to take on senior management roles. Tomasz Szklarski, CEO of Enpulse and a workplace engagement expert, told Euronews that this is a significant problem for organizations struggling to develop their next generation of leaders.

The main driver is the growing burden of managerial responsibilities. In recent years, the average team size has doubled from about six to twelve people, putting more pressure on managers who are accountable to boards and senior executives for meeting targets while also supporting the development, motivation, and wellbeing of larger teams. Gen Z has carefully weighed work-life balance against the sacrifices required to become a boss, and they can clearly see the burden that comes with management.

This trend could hit Europe particularly hard, where demographic changes are already shrinking the workforce. If a new generation of managers is not trained to take responsibility for teams, maintaining organizational efficiency will become increasingly challenging. Although AI is making deeper inroads into business and automating many processes, Szklarski believes it will not solve the shortage of managers. It remains unclear whether employees would accept instructions from algorithms or if AI could effectively fulfill the role of a manager. Leading teams still requires skills that are difficult to replace, such as empathy, relationship-building, motivating employees, and making decisions that account for the human side of an organization.