Few workers seek to manage people: report

With Canada having an aging workforce, few workers are preparing to take over leadership roles that involve managing people, according to a recent Robert Half report.

Overall, just 28 per cent of workers prefer more senior roles with people management responsibilities if promoted.

Gen Z workers are the most likely to desire such promotions, with nearly four in 10 (39 per cent) selecting this option as their top choice. Interest declines steadily across generations: 34 per cent of millennials, 22 per cent of Gen Xers, and only 15 per cent of baby boomers prefer this type of advancement.

Meanwhile, more than four in 10 professionals favour promotions into senior roles that do not involve managing others.

Half (50 per cent) of Gen Z workers would opt for this type of promotion, compared to 42 per cent of millennials, 44 per cent of Gen Xers, and 19 per cent of baby boomers. 

Canada’s managers have a high level of stress, according to a previous report.

What drives workers’ desire to be people managers?

Employees motivated to pursue people management roles are primarily driven by mentoring and leadership opportunities, with 55 per cent citing this as the top reason, according to Robert Half’s survey of 835 professionals.

Other key motivators include:

• wanting to advance the business through directly impacting their department’s work (46 per cent) 
• the association of people management with greater career growth (45 per cent) 
• wanting to help others develop their careers (45 per cent) 
• feeling it’s the best way to make more money: (32 per cent)

On the other hand, those who prefer to remain individual contributors often cite work-life balance and satisfaction in hands-on work as deciding factors.

Just over half (51 per cent) say they can maintain work-life balance in their current role and fear that taking on people management responsibilities would compromise this.

An equal proportion say they derive more satisfaction from doing the work themselves rather than overseeing others. Fewer than 20 per cent say they lack the necessary leadership skills or dislike being accountable for others’ success.

How do you prepare for a management role?

Managers can play a significant role in building engagement in the workplace, according to Randstad.

"Managers have direct contact with workers on a near-daily basis and they often serve as a liaison between upper management and lower-level employees. These connections give managers an incredible amount of influence over their workers."

However, many business leaders are failing to ensure smooth leadership succession within their company, according to a previous Robert Half report.

The key strategies to develop and empower individuals for leadership include the following, according to Riyaz Khan, head of operations at Quantamise Code.

1. Structured training programs
2. Mentorship and coaching
3. Succession planning
4. Cross-functional exposure
5. Encourage continuous learning
6. Feedback mechanisms
7. Challenging assignments
8. Leadership workshops and seminars
9. Soft skills development