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If there is one thing that has revolutionized the working world this past year, it’s the surging popularity of generative artificial intelligence. 

Technology like ChatGPT and Microsoft’s CoPilot can take notes for you, draft emails, summarize meetings, write performance reviews, provide tips for tough conversations, and even write you an introduction for your podcast. 

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One of the most common ways workers can find support and camaraderie is through a union. But what if your role doesn’t allow you to be a part of a union?

That’s the case for middle managers. 

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A therapy session and a one-on-one with your manager can be eerily similar.

In fact, managers often have to navigate tough conversations with team members. Those conversations range from figuring out a flexible work schedule so that your team member feels comfortable picking up their child from school instead of attending a 4 p.m. meeting to telling a team member they’re being laid off and will need to turn over their laptop ASAP.

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What does it look like when an organization doesn’t have any middle managers at all?

In our last episode, we spoke to Cary Cooper, a professor of organizational psychology and health at the University of Manchester, about the pitfalls of promoting an “accidental manager.” He doubled down on why the best player doesn’t always make the best coach, why proper management training is crucial, and how the younger generations are changing management. 

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In the sports world, the best players don’t always make the best coaches. 

Wayne Gretsky is called hockey’s “Great One” for a reason. As a player, he won 4 Stanley Cups and 9 MVP awards. But what some people may not know is that he also coached in the NHL. In his four seasons coaching the Phoenix Coyotes, they didn’t make the playoffs once.

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Middle managers have been underwater since the 70s.

The biggest challenges, frustrations and reasons for discontent among this middle layer of the workforce, were prolifically documented by news outlets through the following decades. Fast forward 50 years, and woefully little has changed.

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WorkLife is proud to present season three of The Return, a podcast about the modern workforce, with this limited six-episode series focused on middle management. 

Last season, we heard what it’s like for Gen Z to enter the workforce for the first time in a post-pandemic world. We highlighted themes like why values are so important to Gen Zers, whether or not they are loyal to their employers, how they use TikTok for career advice, what it means to be a young professional who is a boss to older workers, and so much more. 

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Since we first started reporting for season two of The Return in January, a lot has changed. Our guests have continued to face uncertain workforce conditions that include, for some, layoffs or difficulty finding a job, while others have talked about how they have experienced new jobs or being promoted.

Throughout the year, we’ve seen artificial intelligence continue to boom while people worry how it’ll impact their jobs, return to office mandates plaguing the country forcing people to change their schedules and ongoing challenges around employee experience. And Gen Zers are experiencing all of that for the first time, without any sort of existing playbook. But Gen Zers aren’t shy to change, which we’ve covered throughout this season.

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Gen Zers are thinking about their identities and how they want to show up at work. This generation is all about authenticity, but for non-binary or transgender persons, that might mean jeopardizing your job, which is a lot to consider.

Corporate America has stepped up its support of LGBTQ+ rights. It is more widely accepted to be out in terms of sexual identity in the workplace. However, there is still a long road ahead to foster a truly inclusive environment, especially when it comes to gender identity. That said, Gen Z young adults are much more likely to identify as either trans or nonbinary than other generations. A Gallup survey found that the number of Gen Z people identifying as transgender is twice that of millennials.

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WorkTok, or CareerTok, is in full force.

Combined, those hashtags on TikTok have over 4 billion views. There are sneak peaks into “a day in my life” from the perspective of everyone from McDonald’s employees to top executives at Fortune 500s. You can hear people vent about how they struggle to nail a work-life balance and there are those who share their 9 to 5 routines and how they find time for fun things to do after work. And there are salary transparency videos and even tips from career experts on how to land a job.

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Our whole lives we’re told to look up to older people, learn from them and take their guidance. But what happens when a Gen Zer ends up in a leadership position managing people older than them?

We spoke to Gen Z bosses about the realities they face as they work with older generations. They’re bringing fresh perspectives that might be misunderstood by more seasoned workers. In this episode, we check back in with Jerah Reeves, who we spoke to earlier in the series, to see how he handles these dynamics. Reeves is the coordinator of the transformational leaders program at Binghamton University of New York, where he helps students – many of whom are older than him.

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The days of working for one employer for the majority of your life are long gone.

Our relationship with work has slowly evolved over time. Millennials – people aged between 27 and 42 years old – were the first generation to normalize staying at one employer for a shorter period of time. In 2022, 22% of workers aged over 20 years old spent a year or less at their jobs – the highest percentage with a tenure that short since 2006, according to data from the Employee Benefit Research Institute. About 33% spent two years or less in their jobs over the same period.

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Figuring out what organizations a company donates to, who it supports and how it tackles corporate social responsibility is at the top of some Gen Zers checklists when it comes to finding their first job. 

That mindset has impacted their job search, to the point they even say no to the highest paying positions to work at a company that closely aligns with their values instead.

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Navigating the ups and downs of workplaces is challenging at any given time. Now, imagine graduating into a workforce that looks unrecognizable thanks to a global pandemic that drove people to work from home en masse. Gen Zers have experienced that first hand.

So where are Gen Zers supposed to turn for guidance? That’s where mentors make a difference. Most Gen Zers have not had a traditional office experience, which means they’re being more intentional about finding mentorships. And not having any prolonged office experience makes mentorship even more vital.

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