Latest news with #RobertWalters
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Robert Walters Shares Dive as Hiring Markets Remain Weak Amid Economic Uncertainty, ETHRWorld
Advt Join the community of 2M+ industry professionals. Subscribe to Newsletter to get latest insights & analysis in your inbox. All about ETHRWorld industry right on your smartphone! Download the ETHRWorld App and get the Realtime updates and Save your favourite articles. British recruiter Robert Walters does not expect hiring markets to improve in the near term, it said on Tuesday, after "more pronounced" macroeconomic uncertainty led to a 13% decline in the income it earns from fees in the second company's update reflects a continuing downturn across the recruitment industry as concerns over U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs have made people across Europe reluctant to switch jobs and firms are wary of hiring."With the external environment continuing to constrain client and candidate confidence, our planning assumption remains that there will be no material improvement in hiring markets in the near term," CEO Toby Fowlston said in a statement. Fowlston in April cited tariffs as a slight deterioration in activity levels and trading in Continental Walters reported net fee income of 72.7 million pounds ($97.70 million) for the quarter ended June 30, down from 84.8 million pounds a year company also said it had shut down its operations in Brazil to cut costs. Brazil made up less than 1% of the company's fee income last year.($1 = 0.7441 pounds) (Reporting by Nithyashree R B in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane Venkatraman and Barbara Lewis)
Khaleej Times
14-07-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
From FOMO to FOFB: Over 50% of UAE employees check work emails during leave, says survey
More than half of the professionals in the UAE and Middle East said they check their work emails during annual leave, while only 2 out of 10 feel refreshed after a long holiday due to back-to-work anxiety. According to a survey released by global recruitment firm Robert Walters, more than half – 54 per cent – of employees also find it challenging to reduce the backlog of work when they return after the annual leave, hence implementing firefighting tactics. Around 54 per cent of employees said they check their work emails during annual leave to reduce the backlog they'll face upon returning. While 41 per cent do so to stay on top of urgent matters. Nearly two-thirds – 65 per cent – of employees in the UAE and Middle East feel nervous and anxious when they return to work after annual leave. The study comes at a time when a large number of UAE professionals take annual leave during the summer break. The majority of them take breaks for less than – or around – a month as they travel to their home countries or cooler climes. 'Professionals suffering with 'annual leave anxiety' not only threaten to lower already historically low engagement rates, but it could have major implications for productivity rates for workplaces across the region,' said Jason Grundy, managing director of Robert Walters Middle East. Grundy suggested that apps like Slack and MS Teams are useful, but they can result in professionals feeling obligated to 'check in' during their holidays. FOMO to FOFB The study by Robert Walters revealed that approximately only two out of 10 –22 per cent- of employees in the region feel refreshed and ready to work after a long holiday due to back-to-work anxiety. 'Returning to work can trigger many anxieties for professionals, falling behind on important projects, missing major updates, or even being handed much heavier workloads. Annual leave should provide professionals respite and a chance to reset – it shouldn't cause them to become more stressed than before they went away,' said Grundy. The study found that a new phenomenon FOFB, the fear of falling behind, seems to be rife in workplaces as nearly two-thirds, 63 per cent – of professionals across the Middle East state that it's much easier to relax on annual leave when their teams are also off. 'Not only are professionals resorting to inbox-watching during annual leave, but some are even putting off booking it altogether due to fears of how it may make them look at work,' said Grundy.
The Sun
10-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Gen Z reshapes leadership by rejecting old management models
RECENTLY, I came across a headline on that made me pause: 'Executives are drowning. Blame the vanishing middle management layer.' It is obviously referring to the 'unbossing' trend among the Gen Z of the workforce and it stopped me in my tracks because it is the kind of line that stirs up intergenerational debates, with older leaders questioning the younger generation's sense of responsibility and younger workers feeling misunderstood or unfairly judged. As someone who works with both industry players and fresh graduates, I can see where the tension lies. But let's be clear: pointing fingers will not solve what is ultimately a deeper, more structural challenge. The truth is more complex than blaming Gen Z for opting out of middle management. Yes, the 'unbossing' trend is real but so is the burnout among executives. The solution, however, lies not in forcing Gen Z to adapt to old models but in rethinking how we define leadership itself. We have known for some time that Gen Z is reimagining what careers look like. Many of them are not aspiring for traditional middle management roles, not because they do not want responsibility but because they do not see these roles as meaningful or sustainable. Research conducted by talent solutions firm Robert Walters found that more than half of Gen Z professionals have no interest in becoming middle managers. Their reasons are straightforward: high stress, low autonomy and limited personal growth. Add to this is the rising expectation for purpose-driven work and it is clear why the conventional ladder is losing its appeal. At the same time, we are seeing increasing strain on senior leadership. Reports indicate that nearly two-thirds of executives feel burned out and this is not surprising. As the middle layer shrinks, the workload often trickles upward. Tasks that used to be filtered or managed by middle managers now land directly on C-suites and VPs, many of whom are juggling more decisions, more people and more pressure than ever before. But to attribute all this to Gen Z's reluctance to be part of middle management is to miss the bigger picture. Executive fatigue is not just a generational issue; it is the result of wider shifts – rapid technological change, the rise of hybrid work, the demand for constant innovation and post-pandemic organisational rewiring. What is happening is not a collapse; it is a recalibration. And this moment calls for something deeper than complaint; it calls for reinvention. If Gen Z is rejecting middle management as it stands today, perhaps the smarter move is to redesign what leadership means in this new era. Instead of insisting they take on outdated roles, why not create roles they would be proud to grow into? Imagine more fluid leadership structures, where influence does not require hierarchy and where impact is not tied to a title. Instead of gatekeeping, middle managers could function as facilitators, mentors and cross-functional connectors. These are roles that align better with Gen Z's preference for collaboration, autonomy and continuous learning. Companies can rethink job scopes, introduce project-based leadership or rotate leadership responsibilities, for example, all without compromising accountability. The value of middle management has not disappeared. If anything, it is needed more than ever, just not in its traditional form. Gen Z may not want to 'manage' in the way we once did but that does not mean they are not ready to lead. What they want is a version of leadership that reflects today's realities, which are fast-moving, tech-enabled and people-first. And organisations that understand this shift and respond to it will be the ones that retain not just talent but also energy and innovation. To get there, we need a mindset shift across the board. Executives, too, must be part of the redesign. Rather than waiting for the next generation to conform, they can take the lead in redefining what good leadership looks like. That means clearer mentorship pathways, more inclusive decision-making and a stronger focus on building resilient teams, not just reporting lines. The challenge is not that the next generation refuses to lead; it is that the pathways we offer no longer make sense to them. If leadership continues to be packaged as stress-heavy, impact-light and overly hierarchical, people will continue to hesitate to step up. What is needed is not persuasion but a redesign, and that starts with listening – not to flatter but to understand what leadership can look like when built with – not just for – the people expected to carry it forward. In the end, it is not about Gen Z picking up the slack; it is about all of us picking up the tools to build something better.
Focus Malaysia
01-07-2025
- Business
- Focus Malaysia
When Gen Z opts out, who picks up the slack?
RECENTLY, I came across a headline on that made me pause: 'Executives are drowning. Blame the vanishing middle management layer.' It's obviously referring to the 'unbossing' trend among the Gen Z of the workforce, and it stopped me in my tracks because it's the kind of line that stirs up inter-generational debates with older leaders questioning the younger generation's sense of responsibility, and younger workers feeling misunderstood or unfairly judged. As someone who works with both industry players and fresh graduates, I can see where the tension lies. But let's be clear: pointing fingers won't solve what is ultimately a deeper, more structural challenge. The truth is more complex than blaming Gen Z for opting out of middle management. Yes, the 'unbossing' trend is real but so is the burnout among executives. The solution, however, lies not in forcing Gen Z to adapt to old models, but in rethinking how we define leadership itself. We've known for some time that Gen Z is reimagining what a career looks like. Many of them are not aspiring to traditional middle management roles not because they don't want responsibility, but because they don't see those roles as meaningful or sustainable. Research conducted by the talent solutions firm Robert Walters found that more than half of Gen Z professionals have no interest in becoming middle managers. Their reasons are straightforward: high stress, low autonomy, and limited personal growth. Add to that the rising expectation for purpose-driven work, and it's clear why the conventional ladder is losing its appeal. At the same time, we're seeing increasing strain on senior leadership. Reports indicate that nearly two-thirds of executives feel burned out and it's no wonder. As the middle layer shrinks, the workload often trickles upward. Tasks that used to be filtered or managed by middle managers now land directly on C-suites and VPs, many of whom are juggling more decisions, more people, and more pressure than ever before. But to attribute all this to Gen Z's reluctance to be part of middle management is to miss the bigger picture. Executive fatigue is not just a generational issue—it's the result of wider shifts: rapid technological change, the rise of hybrid work, the demand for constant innovation, and post-pandemic organisational rewiring. What's happening isn't a collapse — it's a re-calibration. This moment calls for something deeper than complaint. It calls for reinvention. If Gen Z is rejecting middle management as it stands today, perhaps the smarter move is to redesign what leadership means in this new era. Instead of insisting they take on outdated roles, why not create roles they'd be proud to grow into? Imagine leadership structures that are more fluid, where influence doesn't require hierarchy, and where impact isn't tied to a title. Instead of gatekeeping, middle managers could function as facilitators, mentors, and cross-functional connectors. These are roles that align better with Gen Z's preference for collaboration, autonomy, and continuous learning. Companies can rethink job scopes, introduce project-based leadership, or rotate leadership responsibilities, for example—all without compromising accountability. The value of middle management hasn't disappeared. If anything, it's needed more than ever—just not in its traditional form. Gen Z may not want to 'manage' in the way we once did, but that doesn't mean they aren't ready to lead. What they want is a version of leadership that reflects today's realities: fast-moving, tech-enabled, people-first. And organisations that understand this shift—and respond to it—will be the ones that retain not just talent, but energy and innovation. To get there, we need a mindset shift across the board. Executives, too, must be part of the redesign. Rather than waiting for the next generation to conform, they can take the lead in redefining what good leadership looks like. That means clearer mentorship pathways, more inclusive decision-making, and a stronger focus on building resilient teams, not just reporting lines. The challenge isn't that the next generation refuses to lead; rather, it's that the pathways we offer no longer make sense to them. If leadership continues to be packaged as stress-heavy, impact-light, and overly hierarchical, it's no wonder people hesitate to step up. What's needed isn't persuasion, but redesign. That work starts with listening—not to flatter, but to understand what leadership could look like when built with, not just for, the people expected to carry it forward. In the end, it's not about Gen Z picking up the slack. It's about all of us picking up the tools to build something better. ‒ July 1, 2025 Ts. Elman Mustafa El Bakri is CEO and Founder of HESA Healthcare Recruitment Agency and serves on the Industrial Advisory Panel for the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Universiti Malaya. The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia. Main image: Free Malaysia Today
Malay Mail
01-07-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
When Gen Z opts out, who picks up the slack? — Elman Mustafa El Bakri
JULY 1 — Recently, I came across a headline on that made me pause: 'Executives are drowning. Blame the vanishing middle management layer.' It's obviously referring to the 'unbossing' trend among the Gen Z of the workforce, and it stopped me in my tracks because it's the kind of line that stirs up intergenerational debates — with older leaders questioning the younger generation's sense of responsibility, and younger workers feeling misunderstood or unfairly judged. As someone who works with both industry players and fresh graduates, I can see where the tension lies. But let's be clear: pointing fingers won't solve what is ultimately a deeper, more structural challenge. The truth is more complex than blaming Gen Z for opting out of middle management. Yes, the 'unbossing' trend is real — but so is the burnout among executives. The solution, however, lies not in forcing Gen Z to adapt to old models, but in rethinking how we define leadership itself. We've known for some time that Gen Z is reimagining what a career looks like. Many of them are not aspiring to traditional middle management roles — not because they don't want responsibility, but because they don't see those roles as meaningful or sustainable. Research conducted by the talent solutions firm Robert Walters found that more than half of Gen Z professionals have no interest in becoming middle managers. Their reasons are straightforward: high stress, low autonomy, and limited personal growth. Add to that the rising expectation for purpose-driven work, and it's clear why the conventional ladder is losing its appeal. At the same time, we're seeing increasing strain on senior leadership. Reports indicate that nearly two-thirds of executives feel burned out — and it's no wonder. As the middle layer shrinks, the workload often trickles upward. Tasks that used to be filtered or managed by middle managers now land directly on C-suites and VPs, many of whom are juggling more decisions, more people, and more pressure than ever before. But to attribute all this to Gen Z's reluctance to be part of middle management is to miss the bigger picture. Executive fatigue is not just a generational issue — it's the result of wider shifts: rapid technological change, the rise of hybrid work, the demand for constant innovation, and post-pandemic organisational rewiring. What's happening isn't a collapse — it's a recalibration. The challenge isn't that the next generation refuses to lead — it's that the pathways we offer no longer make sense to them. — Picture by Choo Choy May This moment calls for something deeper than complaint. It calls for reinvention. If Gen Z is rejecting middle management as it stands today, perhaps the smarter move is to redesign what leadership means in this new era. Instead of insisting they take on outdated roles, why not create roles they'd be proud to grow into? Imagine leadership structures that are more fluid — where influence doesn't require hierarchy, and where impact isn't tied to a title. Instead of gatekeeping, middle managers could function as facilitators, mentors, and cross-functional connectors. These are roles that align better with Gen Z's preference for collaboration, autonomy, and continuous learning. Companies can rethink job scopes, introduce project-based leadership, or rotate leadership responsibilities, for example — all without compromising accountability. The value of middle management hasn't disappeared. If anything, it's needed more than ever — just not in its traditional form. Gen Z may not want to 'manage' in the way we once did, but that doesn't mean they aren't ready to lead. What they want is a version of leadership that reflects today's realities: fast-moving, tech-enabled, people-first. And organisations that understand this shift — and respond to it — will be the ones that retain not just talent, but energy and innovation. To get there, we need a mindset shift across the board. Executives, too, must be part of the redesign. Rather than waiting for the next generation to conform, they can take the lead in redefining what good leadership looks like. That means clearer mentorship pathways, more inclusive decision-making, and a stronger focus on building resilient teams — not just reporting lines. The challenge isn't that the next generation refuses to lead — it's that the pathways we offer no longer make sense to them. If leadership continues to be packaged as stress-heavy, impact-light, and overly hierarchical, it's no wonder people hesitate to step up. What's needed isn't persuasion, but redesign. That work starts with listening — not to flatter, but to understand what leadership could look like when built with, not just for, the people expected to carry it forward. In the end, it's not about Gen Z picking up the slack. It's about all of us picking up the tools to build something better. * This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
