Gen Z and Millenials Want Mentors, Managers Still Stuck On Admin Tasks

There’s a quiet frustration brewing in workplaces these days. Ask any Gen Z or millennial employee what they want from their managers, and you’re likely to hear the following: guidance, mentorship, help growing their skills. But here’s the problem – most managers are still stuck in the weeds of daily tasks and oversight.

Deloitte's recent Gen Z And Millenianial Survey puts numbers to this disconnect. While nearly 90% of younger workers say mentorship and on-the-job learning are crucial, managers spend less than 15% of their time developing their teams. Even more telling? Over a third of managers admit they weren’t properly prepared for leadership roles in the first place.

The impact is real. Employees who do have supportive managers – the kind who encourage learning, experimentation and boundary-setting – report dramatically better experiences. "When leaders actually invest in your growth, it changes everything," one survey respondent noted.

So how to approach this situation? It starts with recognizing that management isn’t just about hitting targets anymore. The best leaders today are:

• Coaches who develop their team’s skills
• Advocates for work-life balance
• Connectors who open doors for growth

The message is clear: today’s workforce doesn’t just need managers – they need leaders who can guide them forward.

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