Happy Tuesday from everyone at HR Brain Pickings 👋

Today we’re discussing a phrase that I’m sure many of you will have seen a lot of recently: “unbossing”.

In this edition

• 🚀 Conscious Unbossing: Why It Matters for HR Pros & how gen Z is reshaping leadership dynamics.

• ☕ The Break Room: What's Your Take? // Gen Z's shift towards expertise-driven roles.

• 📚 Human Readsources

  • 🏢 First Amazon, now the Washington Post is RTO.

  • 🥤 Intel reinstates free beverages: A small perk with big impact

  • 📈 Fed interest rates impact HR strategies

So what: middle managers aren’t cool anymore?

With Gen Z stepping into the workforce, there's a seismic shift happening.

They're ditching the stress of middle management for roles that prioritize personal growth and skill development.

Could this shift could redefine leadership as we know it, and is it time we start thinking about what that means for us in HR?

Let's dive in!

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Conscious Unbossing & Why It Matters?

Does it “slap”? Do you “stan”? Or is it “cap”?*

It's a shift towards expertise-driven roles and flat structures, thanks in part to our ever-evolving tech landscape.

Middle management is associated with stress, limited autonomy and poor work-life balance.

This isn’t new in tech with ICs (individual contributors) and the career paths that are mapped out there. But it’s not an easy transition from the traditional middle management structure for many other sectors.

The upside? More collaboration and innovation. The downside? Potential leadership gaps if we don’t adapt.

So, what's your take? How will your org adapt to this unbossing trend? Share your thoughts in the poll and let's keep the convo going!

👀TLDR

Gen Z is ditching traditional management for growth-focused roles. Adapt with flat structures, solid training, and flexible work to keep up!

⚡Takeaway & Try

1. 🎯 Redefine Roles: This week, brainstorm with your team on creating expertise-driven roles that focus on project leadership rather than traditional management. See how this could work in your current structure.

2. 📚 Boost Training: Kickstart a new initiative to enhance both soft and technical skills training. Consider hosting a workshop or bringing in a speaker to inspire your team.

3. 🤝 Flex it Up: Experiment with a flexible work structure. Maybe try a project-based team setup for a month and see how it impacts productivity and engagement.

4. 💬 Start the Conversation: Ask your colleagues, "How can we better align our leadership roles with the values and expectations of Gen Z?" and see where the discussion leads.

*We sincerely apologise to any of our readers born after 1996.

☕ The Break Room: What's Your Take?

Top 3 Human Readsources 📚

• 🏢 First Amazon, now the WP. Bezos-owned Washington Post faces office return push.

• ☕Intel productivity increase 80%! Probably. Intel reinstates free coffee after cost-cutting move.

• 📈 Fed interest rates impact HR strategies. Did the hiring market just get a little more competitive as a knock on effect?

Thank you for reading to the end and we hope you found today’s edition useful.

We know you’re super busy and really appreciate the little corner of your inbox you let us into 3 times a week. 😀