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After years of pressure from the pandemic, the challenges of managing remote, hybrid, and RTO workplaces, and inconsistent organizational support, managers are on the brink of a crash. The coming manager collapse is kicking off a vicious cycle for organizations. As managers struggle, Gen Z sees the toll of the job and backs away, leaving fewer employees to rise into management roles. This puts more pressure on remaining managers. At the same time, several years of manager layoffs have left fewer people taking on these responsibilities. In 2023 alone, middle managers made up over a third of all layoffs. The remaining managers are under more pressure, with growing stress leading to higher rates of burnout. New research from my organization, meQuilibrium, shows just how deep the manager shortage could become. In addition to higher expectations for their performance, managers experience 59% higher emotional demands than their team members. They often face these elevated risks in isolation, being 12% less likely to receive support when they need it. The risks are also known precursors to burnout, disengagement, and quitting. UKG has found that almost half of middle managers would likely quit within the year due to stress. Organizations cant attain their goals for growth without resilient managers who have the skills to support their teams, says meQuilibriums Alanna Fincke, SVP Content and Head of Learning, who first identified the likelihood of a manager crash earlier this year. Employees who dont feel supported by their managers are more than four times as likely to quit their jobs, and twice as likely to report poor overall well-being. When this house of cards falls, it will impact the entire organization. On the flip side, employees who feel strongly supported are more protected from psychosocial risks at work, such as mistrust, conflict, and excessive work pace. These employees are two times as likely to perceive that conflicts are resolved fairly and 2.6 times more likely to receive help when needed. Strongly supported employees are also much more likely to feel like the pace of work moves at a sustainable rate in which they can complete their tasks. The manager role is indispensable for high workforce performance. But if todays managers crash, who will be there to pick up the pieces? Gen Z Says No Thanks Next-generation employees show little interest in the challenges of management. Despite Gen Zs greater openness to change, a recent Robert Walters survey revealed that 72% of Gen Z respondents would choose an individual route to progression over managing others. Sixty-nine percent say middle management is too high-stress and low-reward. (Its not just Gen Z. CNBC reports 42% of U.S. workers say theyd turn down a promotion.) Theres another complication, too. Even if Gen Z workers were looking for management jobs, our research shows many dont yet have the skills to handle the emotional turbulence of change, which is part and parcel of managing teams. Compared to their older colleagues, Gen Z employees experience 34% higher change anxiety and 25% lower emotional stability in the face of change. This anxiety may be spurring them to self-select out of manager roles they could excel in. To stop and reverse the draining of present and future manager talentand prevent organizational growth from stagnatingleaders have to do two things. First, they have to change how their organizations support their managers. Second, leaders need to equip younger employees with the skills to handle change. The following actions are key: Assess and address workplace psychosocial risks Psychosocial risks are characteristics of work design and management that negatively influence performance. They include high workload, poor work-life balance, workplace conflict, lack of control, lack of meaning at work, and inadequate support. These risks are often measured as environmental impacts, affecting teams, business units, and entire workforces. For example, a meQ customer recently sent a psychosocial risk survey to 34,000 employees and contractors. With a 50% response rate, the company gained significant data to identify risk factors across job functions, such as a lack of meaning for finance employees and a lack of control in the manufacturing unit. Tight deadlines are the most common psychosocial risk, according to research by the University of Washington School of Public Health, with 43% of all U.S. workers exposed. Consider an engineering team that feels like the demands on them are too high. These strains typically lead to anxiety and depression, which both endanger attention and focus on the job and put the entire team at high risk for burnout and turnover. Managers are nearly 40% more likely to cite excessive workloads compared to non-managers. Almost as many report insufficient time for tasks, and 34% are more likely to report needing to work at a very fast pace. These risks have both financial and human costs in increased absenteeism and more workers’ compensation claims. Poorly managed psychosocial risk also leads to elevated mental health risks and a range of negative physical health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disorders, and diabetes. A comprehensive psychosocial risk assessment, including mitigation strategies and support, is the clearest path to improving managers performance and experienceand changing how the rest of the workforce views the role. Eact clear policies that support manager health and well-being Explicit policy decisions can help managers protect and promote their own mental and physical well-being. This might look like mandatory “disconnect” periods, sabbaticals, or easing access to acute mental healthcare resources. Making sure managers have consistent, supportive check-ins with their own supervisors can help reduce isolation. Leaders can also model and reinforce workplace norms that prioritize health. For example, a leader for an R&D unit might maintain consistent boundaries on work hours to sustain the high cognitive demand of the job. He or she might also begin meetings with simple well-being check-ins, modeling the normalcy of mental health discussions in day-to-day work. With these actions, companies set a positive example for the entire organization and invest in the sustainability of their management pipeline. Deploy evidence-based techniques to build resilience Comprehensive, evidence-based resilience programs equip managers with practical tools to improve team interactions, communication, and collaboration. Digital cognitive behavioral therapy tools can also help managers recognize and replace unproductive thought patterns with more effective alternatives. As managers develop these skills and model them for their teams, they become better equipped to maintain clear communication channels, inspire collaborative problem-solving, and guide teams through periods of change or uncertainty. Ultimately, investing in leader resilience translates to improved team performance, increased productivity, and a more positive work environment that drives organizational success. Focus on Gen Z The previous steps are meant to improve the experience and perception of the manager role. But organizations also need to train their young employees in the essential skills they lack. In our research, Gen Z employees score significantly lower on core capabilities such as emotion control, stress management, engagement, and positivity. At the same time, we have found the employees most skilled in handling change and challengethe realities that managers deal with dailyhave the highest levels of those very skills: emotion control, stress management, engagement, and positivity. These are the specific, actionable areas to focus Gen Z training efforts on in order to improve their ability to handle management demands. Organizations that take a systematic approach to supporting managers and Gen Z workers can end the vicious cycle. The key lies not in grand transformations, but in consistent, practical steps to embed the fundamental capabilities of resilience and support across the organization. The result will be a more stable, sustainable workforce, capable of handling change and ready to lead through it.
Category:
E-Commerce
Is LinkedIn the new TikTok? Short-form video is now the fastest-growing category on LinkedIn, growing at twice the rate of other post formats on the platform. According to LinkedIn, total video viewership surged 36% in the first quarter of 2025. Now, LinkedIn is doubling down on video with new features to boost discovery and engagement. The full-screen vertical video experience, first launched on mobile, is now coming to desktop. Users can tap a video, swipe through more, and explore a new video tab for TikTok-like scrolling. Videos are also getting front-and-center placement on the platform. Now, when you search a topic, relevant videos will appear in a swipeable carousel. A bigger follow button in the full-screen player makes it easier to keep up with creators, and viewers can check out a quick profile snapshot and other videos without leaving the player. For users looking to capitalise on the video push, LinkedIn has also launched nano-learning courses on topics including video hooks, editing, repurposing content, and LinkedIn Live. Across LinkedIn, were seeing our members have widespread success when it comes to posting short-form video, Laura Laurenzetti, executive editor of LinkedIn News tells Fast Company. From small business owners to CEOs to Gen Z creators and more, video on LinkedIn is the new frontier for professional successwhich is why were excited to be rolling out a suite of new tools that make the video creation and viewing experiences on LinkedIn even stronger. While LinkedIn might not be the first place people go to doomscroll, its quickly becoming a powerful tool for creators, entrepreneurs, and businesses. Since March 2024, LinkedIn has been pushing hard to attract video creators, launching a TikTok-style vertical feed filled with career advice, industry news, and other content. The move seems to be paying off with video uploads jumping 34% year-over-year in Q4 2024, according to LinkedIn. LinkedIn creators are also seeing the results. Top executives are jumping in, with CEO video posts rising 23% in the past year. Deeptech VC Alex Leigh recently reported two million impressions a week after just three months posting consistently three times a day on LinkedIn. Last month, content creator Piper Phillips saw 13.8 million views on a video made on her phone in 10 minutes. I missed the opportunity to be an early adopter of TikTok and Reels, she wrote in a post. I do ~not~ intend on making the same mistake for LinkedIn video.
Category:
E-Commerce
Global leaders recently gathered at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, under the theme of Collaboration for the Intelligent Age. What exactly is the Intelligent Age and, more importantly, how can we ensure that everyone can participate in this new age? WEF defines the Intelligent Age as a transition away from the Industrial Age to a new phase of human civilization. Its a clear and compelling definition. But what is much less clear is the conversation about the importance of equity and how to approach it. There are many ways leaders can consider equity as they build and adopt AI and other frontier technologies: clear global policies, reaching new markets, financial incentives and disincentives, and the moral imperative. At UNICEF USA, we believe that the relatively simple ingredients of collaboration and information can drive better solutions for everyone in Intelligent Age. Deepening collaboration across business, government, and civil society can usher in more equitable approaches. The benefits of this type of collaboration will reach a wider range of people and create a more powerful and sustainable Fourth Industrial Revolution. Here are several ways that UNICEF is approaching these collaborations. Responsible tech development Companies play an essential role in responsible innovation. And many are already successfully embracing that role. For example, UNICEF cofounded the Responsible Innovation in Technology for Children (RITEC) project with the LEGO Group, supported by the LEGO Foundation. RITEC aims to make child rights and well-being a primary consideration in the design and development of digital technology. The project is delivered in partnership with university and child-focused organizations such as the Joan Ganz Cooney Center, the University of Sheffield, and the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child. We need to include childrens views on decisions that directly affect them; children disproportionately face opportunities and risks from emerging technologies. Think about it: Companies that cater to children and families need to consider their users. We know that consumers are paying attention as safety and inclusivity matter to them: 78% of consumers and 86% of teens believe digital experiences have a positive impact on their lives, but 64% said they would consider switching technology providers if an incident breached their trust. As part of the RITEC project, there is a free toolbox for the gaming industry to advise them on how to design digital play experiences with childrens well-being in mind. The toolbox builds on research with children in 18 countries and collaboration with designers from 35 online gaming companies of different sizes, and from 15 countries. Job-relevant skills Many of todays youth are not able to keep up with skills, hindering social and economic progress. Passport to Earning, a global program developed by UNICEFs Generation Unlimited, includes support from cross-sector partners and founding members including consulting companies like Accenture and PwC, but also government and philanthropic organizations including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands and Al Ghurair Foundation (supporting Arab and Emirati youth. The program runs on Microsofts Community Training, a cloud-based learning platform, so young people aged 15-24 can access content local to their communities, even in low-bandwidth areas. The next phase will partially focus on integrating an AI-skills curriculum onto the programs offerings, to help ensure young people have the right skills to thrive in an AI-powered economy. It sounds simple but this is revolutionary because it means that young peopleeven those who are not in school, in any type of skills training programs, or cant always access the internetcan still gain free and relevant skills that will position them for quality jobs. By 2027, Passport to Earning aims to train and certify 8 million youth in AI and digital skilling. AI has the potential to contribute $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030 and be a driver in finding new and innovative solutions to issues that have long prevented children from equitable access to resources. Other initiatives In education, we are working with philanthropic and finance partners to convene disability and AI experts to fast-track accessible digital textbooks development, bridging barriers to learning by including sign language, narration, interactivity, and translation for people with disabilities. We and our partners also work hard to make sure that technologys benefits of dont come at the expense of human rights, like privacy and equality. Sharing best practices on how to empower and protect children is critical to preventing harm today that would have life-long negative impacts. There is not only a responsibility for companies to ensure their policies and products respect childrens rights, but there also is an opportunity for more innovative collaboration between the private and public sectors. As the world navigates quickly evolving technologies, I encourage companies to collaborate with the public sector and civil society to ensure equity. At the same time, open the door to opportunities that foster innovation and collaboration, enhancing a competitive edge through global workforce development, and improving childrens lives and their futures. Michele Walsh is executive vice president and chief philanthropy officer of UNICEF USA.
Category:
E-Commerce
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