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Job title inflation ; say hello to our entry-level head of ?
Whether it ’ s Gen Z wanting to fast track progression , or cashstrapped employers trying to save on money but keep staff engaged , job title inflation – the process of giving an employee a more important-sounding job title – has caused an influx of new , more senior-sounding job titles to enter the market without the experience , skills or salaries to match .
Positions featuring ‘ Lead ’ or ‘ Manager ’ in the job title , with a maximum of two years ’ experience were up a combined + 53 % in the UK and Ireland over the last year .
However , according to Data People , job listings that use the title of ‘ Senior ’ incorrectly can see a – 39 % decrease in applicants .
In 2022 , accounting firm , EY , appointed over 1,000 new partners , however the latest cohort will not have access to the traditional share of equity that comes with the title – bringing to question what relevance the title holds today .
Janine Blacksley , Director of Walters People , said : “ It used to be the case that titles like Lead , Principle , Partner and VP took years of experience and hard work – however , that now seems to be changing , with professionals being awarded such titles , despite only being in the primary stages of their career .
“ Employers must be aware that the pendulum swings both ways – attaching senior titles to junior positions can deter suitable candidates as much as it attracts them – making them feel too underqualified to apply .”
Are Gen Zs asking for too much , too fast ?
According to a poll by staffing firm , Walters People , over half of Gen Zs expect to be promoted every 12 – 18 months , and if they don ’ t receive this they start looking elsewhere .
Blacksley added : “ Young workers have cottoned on to how candidate-short the market is , particularly at the junior end where we are still contending with the bottleneck caused by grad schemes being paused at the height of the pandemic .
“ With that , young workers hold most of the cards and so if they do not get the promotion , aka fancy job title , from their current employer , they know that this will be on offer elsewhere for them .”
Are Gen Zs worthy of the title ?
When asking Gen Zs what qualities they feel they bring to the table , 40 % stated that their ideas and creative thinking were their best asset , followed by a third claiming digital know-how and a quarter stating that they aren ’ t afraid to stand up for what they feel is right and push the company forward in a different direction .
Managers , on the other hand , stated that what Gen Z lack in experience , they make up for in perseverance ( 33 %) and entrepreneurial mindset ( 27 %) – with two-thirds of employers expressing how impressed they are with the level of autonomy this generation is able to handle .
The drawback to this is that social skills have taken a hit . An overwhelming 70 % of hiring managers state that soft skills such as communication , relationship management , rapport building and collaborative working are all lacking in this generation . x
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