We interviewed 5 general managers of major companies about their current managerial positions (employees are images).
In April this year, many companies held a face-to-face entrance ceremony for the first time in a long time.
All the faces of newcomers on TV seemed to be full of dreams and hopes as members of society.On the other hand, I am concernedA relatively large number of people do not want to become managersThing.
According to a survey conducted by Caritas Research targeting students graduating from university and graduate school in the spring of 2023 (“Survey on Career Plans and Life Plans” announced in March 2023), “How far do you want to advance in the future?” , 29.8% of men answered that they “not particularly thinking about it.” Combined with “I don’t want to get promoted” (7.0%), 36.8% are indifferent to career advancement.
20.0% of women answered “I don’t want to get ahead” and 38.4% said “I don’t think so”, indicating that nearly 60% of women are not interested in getting ahead.
It can be seen that more than 1 in 3 boys are not interested in “getting ahead”.
Reduced “Managerial Posts”
On the other hand, apart from the thoughts of such new employees,The number of people who join the company as career-track university graduates but are unable to become section chiefs is on the rise.
The author isInterviewed managers of management departments of five large companies and experienced managers (personnel, general affairs, legal affairs, etc.)However, compared to 10 years ago, the number of people promoted to managerial positions in the same period has decreased, and they all agreed.
According to a general manager of an energy-related company, 20 years ago, 80% of workers in the same period were not able to become section chiefs at the very least.
About 10% of the same period get promoted to manager. It is said that there are cases where the executive class of the division manager / general manager class above it cannot even be in the same period.
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Only “a few percent of the same period” can become a manager
A general manager of the service industry says, “The percentage of people who can become section chiefs is significantly lower than it was 10 years ago.”
Managers in the food and construction industries say the same is true.
According to the general manager of the food industry, less than 50% of the same period become the section manager, and about 20% of the general managers. The situation is such that one executive officer will appear every few years, or not.
In addition, some companies were more difficult to become managers. According to the general manager of the service industry, about 50% of the same period 10 years ago was promoted to section manager, but now it has decreased to about 30%, with about 10% of general managers and only 1% of executives. .
Although the number of samples is small,It can be said that the actual situation is that 60% of people who join the company as career-track university graduates do not become managers in general, and the majority of people reach retirement age as they are.is.
“Revision of seniority system” is one factor
One of the reasons why the number of “managers” is decreasing is the streamlining of management.
Why are there fewer managers?
In the background,Intentionally reducing the number of managers by streamlining management and promoting flattening of the organization, and changes in the personnel system have had a major impactare doing.
According to a general manager of an energy-related industry, there used to be a gradual system of titles, such as chief, assistant manager, deputy manager, section manager, deputy manager, and general manager. Currently, there are only manager and director positions.
The company manager”We have revised the seniority-based Japanese-style human resource management and tried to streamline the organization with the aim of making it flat.”says.
In addition, according to the general manager of the construction industry, the company where he works basically abolished the position between the section manager and the general manager. He puts the title of manager in charge on business cards for people in charge of external affairs such as sales, but it is not an official title within the company.
In recent years, the company has been promoting the consolidation of departments and group companies through selection and concentration.”There are some departments on the road to expansion, but we have proceeded with restructuring by liquidating departments with low productivity and group companies.”said the director of the construction industry.
“As a result of aiming to be a lean company, many of the managers in low-productivity departments were demoted to managerial positions. (Director of the construction industry)
Era of “Strict Selection” for Managers
The days when “the boss’s favourite” could get ahead may be over.
Some companies have reduced the number of managers by changing personnel systems.
According to the general manager of the food industry, the company where he works introduced a role-based ranking system 10 years ago.The conventional 4 grades were reduced to 2 grades, and positions other than general manager were abolished.Under the general manager, the section manager will be unified, and the positions under it will be abolished.bottom.
At the same time, roles and responsibilities were clarified, and appointments to section chiefs were made stricter. First of all, the prerequisites for a manager candidate are that the average of the past three terms is A or higher on the five-level evaluation rank from S to D, and that the TOEIC score is 650 or higher, and that the student has taken correspondence courses.
On top of that, the results of assessment training and evaluation by an external organization, essays, interviews, written exams and presentations are scored to determine successful applicants.
food industry manager”Even if the boss liked the subordinate, if he got a B grade, he wouldn’t even be on the HR recommendation list.”says.
Also, as a result of the introduction of a role-ranking system that does not depend on seniority, even young people can become managers, and the number of rivals is increasing.
“Five or six years ago, we became the youngest section chief at the age of 33 as a result of allowing people to become section chiefs based on their abilities. There are also senior managers.People over 40 who are aiming for a managerial position will have mixed feelings.(Director of food industry)
“Fatigue” Side Effects
The current situation is that Japanese “managers” are also required to work as players (the photo is an image).
As five managers said, the reality is that management positions are being cut significantly.
However, as a result of reducing the number of managers, there are also side effects. It is the exhaustion of managers due to increased burdens and responsibilities.
It is known that many managers in Japanese companies are playing managers who also do their own work in addition to management. A playing manager manages achievements while engaging in work that produces results as a single player.
According to Sanno University Research Institute’s “6th Fact-Finding Survey on Listed Company Managers” (announced December 9, 2021),99.5% of all players are playing managersoccupy
When asked if their activities as a player interfered with their management duties, half of the respondents answered that they “have a lot of trouble” (10.9%) and “somewhat have an obstacle” (38.6%).
The top 3 worries as a section manager are “my subordinates are not growing well” (32.2%), “difficult to evaluate subordinates’ (26.2%), and “workload is too much (or my own)” (21.7%). It has become.
Even if you become a manager, you are required not only to work as a player, but also to manage the whole and train your subordinates.If you try to do well, you will naturally be overworked and exhausted.
“Section Manager” is particularly burdensome
“Managers are busy” may be the cause of young people’s “move away from managerial positions” (the photo is an image).
The manager of the energy-related industry mentioned above”As a result of aiming to flatten the organization, the role of section chief has changed to that of a playing manager, while the general manager is not.”laments.
“Is it really possible to do management, including training subordinates, while playing as a player?In my experience, less than 30% of managers can do that..
Moreover, recently, the importance of human resource development has been pointed out, and there is a trend that it is not enough to just be a player, and the work burden of section chiefs is increasing.” (Director of an energy-related company)
The distortion of the playing manager is already starting to appear. According to Learning Agency’s “Human Resource Issues” Survey (published in January 2023), the top issue that the human resources department sees as an issue for managers is the ability to develop subordinates, with 84.2 for companies with 301 or more employees. %, indicating the seriousness of the situation.
Essentially, managers should focus on management.
However, in the climate of Japanese generalistsAs a result of reducing the number of managerial positions, including assistant section chiefs and deputy chiefs, while player duties remain, the original role of management is also being hindered.
If the role of management continues to be dysfunctional, it will inevitably affect productivity, and as I introduced at the beginning, the number of employees who want to become managers will decrease.
Is the solution “job type”?
One solution to the shortage of managers and the increasing workload is to clearly define the duties and roles of managers, such as job-based personnel systems.
Major IT companies have introduced a job-based personnel system, defining managerial positions as “management roles,” while even non-managerial specialists are given the same rank as managers if they have a high level of expertise. there is
As for the reason, the company’s human resources officer”Our company absolutely lacks specialists, so after joining the company, we ask employees to acquire expertise, and those with a high level of expertise are given the same grade as managers and are paid the same salary.”explains.
Instead of joining the company as a career track and aiming for managerial positions, this company first acquires expertise and then decides whether or not to aim for managerial positions.
“As you become more specialized, you will need to manage projects and content, and you will inevitably need to manage people.If you like someone who manages people, you can aim to become a manager from there, and if you are not interested in management, you can also pursue a specialization.
Of course, when deciding whether to become a manager, the company will strictly assess whether the company is also a management professional.” (Personnel officer at a major IT company)
In the era of job-based employment, the conventional “race for success in the same generation” will disappear, and an era will come in which people will be able to choose their career more flexibly, whether to become a professional or a manager, like this company does. Maybe.
However, even if one obtains a specialized job through job-based employment, if there are many applicants, internal competition will intensify, the level of expertise will be strictly checked, and salaries will fluctuate accordingly.
And even if you want to get into a management position, if a high level of expertise is required as a prerequisite, there is a possibility that you will be subjected to more severe selection than ever before.
As we enter the job-based era, how will the “internal career race” change?
Source: BusinessInsider
Emma Warren is a well-known author and market analyst who writes for 24 news breaker. She is an expert in her field and her articles provide readers with insightful and informative analysis on the latest market trends and developments. With a keen understanding of the economy and a talent for explaining complex issues in an easy-to-understand manner, Emma’s writing is a must-read for anyone interested in staying up-to-date on the latest market news.