Why Climbing The Corporate Ladder Isn’t Attractive To Younger Workers

Why don’t more younger workers want to move up the ranks? To them, the rest of life is more important.

Climbing the corporate ladder is no longer the dearest ambition of the most junior members of the workforce. In fact, Generation Z is not really interested in taking a leadership role at work—and if they stick to that, eventually there won’t be enough leaders to go around.

So what’s fueling younger workers’ aversion to moving up the ranks?

“Leadership over the past few years has gotten significantly harder, making many leadership roles less attractive to pursue,” says Stephanie Neal, Director of DDI’s Center for Analytics and Behavioral Research (CABER). “Leaders have faced mounting pressures, including navigating an uncertain economy, rising political polarization, managing hybrid and remote teams and doing more with fewer resources—all while often receiving limited support from the top.

“This has created an environment where leadership feels overwhelming and unsustainable.”

Gen Z, arriving on the scene in time to witness all of this, is taking note. Coupled with their perspective that their personal lives and hobbies are more meaningful than their work lives, it’s little wonder that taking on a leadership role just doesn’t sound appealing.

“Many have grown to see management as a stressful career path that lacks purpose and isn’t worth the added responsibility or salary bump,” says Neal. “Instead, they’re opting for individual contributor roles where they can focus on their work without any added burdens.”

In their calculus, the ROI of becoming a leader just isn’t worth it.

3 Reasons Leadership Is Unappealing

Gen Z’s disenchantment with climbing the corporate ladder stems from three big reasons:

• Younger leaders are more stressed. “Burnout is particularly high among younger leaders, with over 70% of leaders aged 35 and under reporting feeling symptoms of burnout,” says Neal. Young people already deal with higher-than-average levels of anxiety and mental health challenges, so why would they want to add to that?
• The extra work isn’t worth it. Gen Z values work-life balance even more than higher pay as an incentive for career moves. “Gen Z workers expect organizations to respect their boundaries by adhering to manageable workloads, limiting unnecessary meetings and discouraging after-hours communication,” says Neal. If they don’t see these safeguards in place to protect their managers, many will nix a leadership role in favor of more time for their personal life.
• Younger workers often feel unequipped in core leadership skills. “Gen Z workers often feel least equipped in areas like conflict management, where only 12% of manager candidates are highly proficient,” says Neal. “First-time managers, in particular, often face the added challenge of making the shift from individual contributor to team leader, which can be tricky if they don’t receive the right support and guidance.”

The Cost Of No Leaders

I’ve written before about the coming leadership deficit. DDI’s research has found that only 12% of companies report confidence in the strength of their leadership bench.

“With fewer emerging leaders prepared to step into management, companies risk prolonged leadership vacancies,” says Neal. “This results in gaps in execution, team engagement, cross-functional partnerships and, of course, bottom-line results. Additionally, the pressure to fill leadership roles quickly may lead to premature promotions, wasted time and resources, and higher executive failure rates.”

Neal cites the Glassdoor Worklife Trends 2025 Report, which found that 65% of employees are feeling stagnant in their current roles. “For Gen Z, who values opportunities for growth and meaningful work, this disengagement often results in quiet quitting or reduced productivity,” she says. “In the long-term, these unmet expectations will drive higher turnover and attrition.

“High-potential Gen Z workers are especially likely to seek out roles in organizations that better align with their values, such as flexibility, career development and recognition. This creates the perfect storm for organizations that are ill-prepared to fulfill critical leadership roles,” says Neal.

Even if employees aren’t planning to quit immediately, Neal believes that organizations that fail to take action risk damaging their employer brand, making it harder to attract and retain future talent. “Conversely, those that invest in coaching, career development and succession planning can turn this challenge into an opportunity to build a resilient and engaged workforce,” she says.

Developing Young Leaders

Though many Gen Z workers are not yet interested in a formal leadership role, they’re still focused on leveling up their skills. And many of them are doing it on their own, apart from any work-sponsored training. “Gen Z is bridging learning and development gaps by pursuing mentorship, engaging in self-directed learning and seeking regular feedback,” says Neal.

The opportunity for organizations is to invest in their professional development early on. “Many companies focus on developing leaders only at the senior levels instead of expanding efforts to include younger employees and early-career professionals, where most high-potential leaders begin,” says Neal. “Starting at the bottom of the pipeline is critical.”

Soft skills (or professional skills, as I call them) should be the top priority for emerging leaders. “Development in key competencies, such as giving and receiving feedback, influencing teams and handling difficult conversations should be prioritized as these skills are essential for building confidence and fostering strong team dynamics,” says Neal.

Managers should implement regular coaching discussions with their Gen Z workers to prevent performance issues from escalating and provide timely feedback.

Finally, Gen Z workers need the opportunity for their skills to shine. “Accelerate their growth by giving them purposeful roles that have real impact,” says Neal. “Pull young workers into strategic, high-visibility projects that enable them to contribute meaningfully to the organization’s initiatives.”

When they buy into the vision of the company—and their own role in making it happen—Gen Z may warm up to the idea of leading. Today’s leaders do their best work in creating a work culture where future leaders are supported, developed and valued.