Gen Z at Work: The Rise of Conscious Unbossing

Conscious unbossing is the latest phrase to enter the workplace lexicon. It sits somewhere between quiet quitting and bare minimum mondays in the proverbial dictionary being written by Generation Z workers on the screens of social media.

Better known as Gen Z, this generation was born between 1997 and 2012. They began entering the workforce around 2020. Having grown up amid the Great Recession and the pandemic, they are cynical and it is coloring their view of work. Perhaps, the most telling trend to date is conscious unbossing or the practice of avoiding management roles. 

More than half of Gen Z workers surveyed by Robert Walters said they don't want to be middle managers. In other words, they prefer conscious unbossing. Clearly, Gen Z workers are shunning traditional career paths and norms that society has accepted for ages.

The Rise of Conscious Unbossing

Workers from the Baby Boomer and Gen X generations might not understand conscious unbossing. Why wouldn't a professional want to be promoted and gain all the benefits of this achievement? After all, moving into management usually means a better title, higher salary, and sometimes even perks. It's puzzling to those who paid dues, shot up the ladder, and aimed for these roles as they reached for the top. 

However, the same Robert Walters survey showed that 69% of Gen Z say middle management is too high stress, low reward. While 36% of those surveyed said they expect they will have to eventually become a manager, 16% said they were adamant that they will avoid middle management all together. 

Why Avoid Promotion?

To understand why so many people responded to say they did not want to become managers, one must look at the priorities of Gen Z. As inflation rose, employees' wages remained stagnant, but the burdens of their jobs intensified. Previous surveys have indicated that young workers prize wellness and work-life balance. Many outlets have reported that more than 70% of Gen Z prioritizes work-life balance. In the last year, Forbes reported that Gen Z takes more sick days than older generations. 

The small salary increases don't seem to add up enough for Gen Z workers to take on middle management roles because they see them as disrupting their mental wellness. The additional stress is not worth the monetary reward or prestige. Instead, the Robert Walters survey showed that young workers are more interested in developing their own professional skills and carving their own path rather than traditional promotions. 

How Employers Should Rethink Their Organizations 

With conscious unbossing becoming more popular, business structures might not withstand time. 

"Mid-management has been the glue that holds the organizational book together for decades, acting as the bond between senior management and individual contributors," according to Forbes. "However, if those same senior leaders don't pay attention to Gen Z's views on leadership, there will be a talent and succession plan crisis in the years ahead." 

Some have suggested shifting to organizational structures that can be called flat or horizontal because they will not have traditional managers. Instead, people will work collaboratively. People will still lead but unencumbered by titles and supervisory duties. A few companies might already be experimenting. About 30% of cuts at Meta and Citigroup were to middle management. 

While Gen Z is pushing the envelope and forcing older generations to reconsider their preconceived beliefs about work, one in four hiring managers said graduates were unprepared for entry-level roles. They cited poor work ethic, lack of professionalism, and insufficient interview skills. Indeed, 12% of hiring managers said they intended to avoid hiring recent graduates all together in 2025. 

The truth is, however, Gen Z will be in charge eventually. Their ideas about work will likely get incorporated into the next generation workplace. Then, these social media-adapted catchphrases like conscious unbossing may become the norm.  

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