Too Young to Manage? Then Why Are So Many Already Doing It
“McDonald’s claims that one in three of its managers are under 25. So why do we still assume young people can’t manage?”
The assumption is familiar: too immature, not enough experience, still too focused on social life, not ready for responsibility. It sounds reasonable—until you look at what is actually happening in the labour market.
The average age of a first management role in the UK sits in the late 20s, according to ONS labour market data, but that average masks a split reality. In sectors such as retail, hospitality and logistics, it is common for first-line managers to be appointed in their early 20s. In some cases, even younger.
So what are employers actually looking for?
Evidence from CIPD research into frontline management suggests capability is driven far more by training, support and role clarity than age or length of service. Communication, resilience, judgement and the ability to motivate others consistently outrank tenure or “time served” when selecting first-line managers.
In other words, potential matters more than chronology.
Yet the myth persists that younger managers will struggle to be accepted by older colleagues.
There is little evidence for this. What employees tend to resist is not youth, but poor management. A 23-year-old who is fair, consistent and listens will usually be accepted far more quickly than an experienced manager who does not. Competence, not age, determines credibility.
One HR director recently admitted that their best-performing store manager was 22—but they only discovered it after reluctantly promoting them during a staffing shortage. The assumption had always been that “they weren’t ready yet”.
This is where McDonald’s becomes interesting.
McDonald’s doesn’t wait for readiness—it builds it. Structured training, early responsibility, and a clearly defined management pipeline are embedded into the system. First-line management is treated as a capability to be developed, not a reward for time served.
Many organisations still take the opposite approach. They delay responsibility, equate readiness with years of experience, and overlook capable young employees—while simultaneously worrying about a “lack of leadership pipeline”.
The result is predictable: graduates in entry-level roles they are overqualified for, such as retail support or warehouse packing, not because they lack potential, but because organisations are hesitant to trust them with more.
So should young people bypass university and go straight into work to reach management faster?
That is the wrong question.
The real issue is not the route young people take into work. It is the assumptions employers make once they arrive.
Because if you assume young people can’t manage, you won’t give them responsibility. If you don’t give them responsibility, they won’t gain experience. And if they don’t gain experience, the assumption is “confirmed”.
A self-fulfilling loop of caution.
McDonald’s broke that loop.
Perhaps the problem is not that young people aren’t ready to manage—but that too many organisations aren’t ready to trust them.
Blair McPherson former Director author and blogger blairmcpherson.co.uk
