Research suggests they approach staffing and training differently than other managers
More than half of Gen Z and millennial managers say workforce planning is a high priority for their department — and a new report indicates their already-significant influence on it will grow as they continue to ascend to higher roles.
Young managers who are Gen Z or Y members currently comprise 38 percent of the workforce; by 2028, they are expected to make up 58 percent. Nearly half have already reached the director level or higher.
Forty-two percent of younger managers feel hiring has become more difficult. In response, many have turned to freelance help to fill skills gaps, increase productivity and drive cost efficiencies within their organization.
Young managers, in fact, are 50 percent more likely to leverage freelance workers than baby boomers — and more than twice as likely to engage freelancers for ongoing, strategic partnerships, as opposed to hiring them for a one-time assignment. Overall, regular use of freelance help is expected to increase by 2028 to total 24 percent more than usage today.
Baby boomers and younger managers also have varied generational leadership styles when it comes to seeking out additional knowledge.
Gen Z and millennial managers are nearly three times more likely than baby boomer managers to say employees should be responsible for their own reskilling, instead of an employer providing reskilling opportunities.
For more on the managerial difference between baby boomers and millennials in the workplace, view this information from Upwork, which issued the report.