For as long as work has existed, so have job titles; stitched onto uniforms, engraved on office doors and printed beneath names on business cards. They have long signalled rank, responsibility and progression, giving employees a clear sense of where they stand and where they can aspire to go next. But in today’s workplace, titles have multiplied into an alphabet soup of managers, directors, leads, officers, co-ordinators and specialists – creating more confusion than clarity.
Rather than signalling genuine seniority or expertise, job titles are now viewed by many as meaningless descriptors. A recent study of US workers revealed that most (92%) believe companies use inflated titles to create the illusion of career progress without offering corresponding increases in pay or responsibility. A further 34% felt “title trapped”, stuck with a flashy title but no real path forward.
In an effort to overhaul rigid workplace structures, some organisations have abandoned job titles altogether. Gusto, an HR software company, has operated without them for years. AXA Switzerland, an insurance provider, removed formal titles in 2024. Similarly, at ElevenLabs, an AI voice startup, employees are organised by department rather than by rigidly defined roles.
Generation Z value purpose over formal status
Several trends are accelerating the move from traditional job titles to more capability-based talent structures. Only 6% of generation-Z workers say their primary goal is to reach a leadership position, according to Deloitte’s 2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey. Rather than chasing titles, the younger workforce are focused on skill acquisition, personal growth and purpose, the report findings show.
“Now may be the perfect time for businesses to focus less on hierarchy and more on purpose,” says Dr Aaron Taylor, head of the department of human resources at Arden University. “Removing formal titles could help retain gen-Z employees who increasingly value growth, learning and purpose over traditional markers of success,” he explains. “Promotions often bring more stress and longer hours. It’s understandable why these opportunities are no longer seen as the ultimate prize.”
What’s more, organisations that place excessive emphasis on titles and status may struggle to retain talent. Research by Michael Page found that 64% of UK workers would turn down a promotion to protect their wellbeing and maintain a healthy work/life balance.
In Taylor’s view, when progression is no longer defined solely by climbing the corporate ladder, organisations can create lateral career paths, skill-based promotions and more fluid development opportunities.
From a recruitment perspective, Amy Speake, CEO of the executive search firm Holmes Noble, says moving away from “old-fashioned” job titles can widen the talent pool. “Many companies told us they felt they were attracting the wrong kinds of candidates when they used titles. By not having them in the first place, you can filter those people out. You may also reach candidates who never would’ve applied before because traditional titles discouraged them from taking the leap.”
A world without hierarchy
Fewer titles can help remove hierarchy, reduce status games and strengthen teamwork, according to Michael Smets, professor of management at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. Eliminating formal titles reduces what academics call ‘power distance’, he says, making it easier for people to see eye-to-eye and collaborate. “If ideas are evaluated on merit rather than on who proposed them, innovation flourishes.”
However, eliminating job titles carries its own risks. “It can be a double-edged sword,” emphasises Smets. Job titles signify recognition, career progression and professional identity. So when organisations streamline or remove them to foster collaboration and agility, the emotional impact on employees should not be underestimated.
Hierarchy continues to play a crucial role in the workplace. Formal titles signal accountability, authority and decision rights, Smets continues. Removing those signals can complicate decision-making and fuel organisational politics. “If decision rights are no longer linked to formal positions, who gets to decide? The person with the bigger network? The loudest voice? Ego?” Eliminating hierarchy, he warns, can unintentionally shift power into informal structures. “You may have more great ideas, but you may struggle to decide which one to go for.”
Now may be the perfect time for businesses to focus less on hierarchy and more on purpose
The absence of titles also makes it harder to measure and signal progress. Traditional ladders, however imperfect, offer clear milestones from junior to senior roles that help employees understand how their careers are advancing.
For Katie Winstanley, HR director at Morsens Group, a talent consultancy, a title-less workplace sounds progressive and utopian in theory but can falter in practice. “It lives or dies on design, not ideology,” she says. “Removing or rethinking titles can absolutely modernise culture, but only if you replace them with something that gives equal or greater clarity, purpose and accountability. Otherwise, it’s chaos disguised as empowerment.”
Winstanley argues for reframing titles rather than eliminating them entirely. “Titles should shift away from being labels of power to indicators of purpose. They should communicate function and contribution, not status.”
Emerging examples, such as ‘skills architect’ instead of ‘senior manager’ or ‘client partner’ instead of ‘head of’, reflects this move toward blended hierarchies. “Language matters, but structure matters more,” Winstanley says.
What it takes to lead a title-less business
A title-light model only works within a progressive, open and collaborative culture, argues Ruth Cornish, founder of the HR consultancy Amelore. “It requires full organisational buy-in and sensitivity to employees, particularly those from older generations, who may feel that losing a title diminishes their contribution.”
Clear communication and strong recognition systems are essential to ensure that people feel valued for their skills and impact. Clarity can be achieved by establishing clear pay bands based on skills and experience, promoting fairness and helping employees understand how their compensation is determined and how they can grow it. Similarly, introducing transparent career levels defined by scope, responsibilities and expected impact rather than job titles provides a tangible progression path, allowing employees to advance without relying on hierarchical labels.
Skills matrices that map technical, behavioural and leadership capabilities can reinforce this structure, Cornish adds, especially when combined with peer feedback and recognition. “Employees today want clear, unambiguous development pathways where growth and reward are explicitly mapped out.”
Cornish also recommends establishing metrics to assess the impact of removing job titles across the business, such as employee survey results, retention rates and the quality and quantity of job applications.
Removing job titles can be a transformative shift that signals a genuinely progressive mindset. But it requires strategic planning, thoughtful implementation and transparent communication to help employees understand the new structure and their place within it. Without these, chaos and confusion are likely to arise.
For as long as work has existed, so have job titles; stitched onto uniforms, engraved on office doors and printed beneath names on business cards. They have long signalled rank, responsibility and progression, giving employees a clear sense of where they stand and where they can aspire to go next. But in today’s workplace, titles have multiplied into an alphabet soup of managers, directors, leads, officers, co-ordinators and specialists – creating more confusion than clarity.
Rather than signalling genuine seniority or expertise, job titles are now viewed by many as meaningless descriptors. A recent study of US workers revealed that most (92%) believe companies use inflated titles to create the illusion of career progress without offering corresponding increases in pay or responsibility. A further 34% felt “title trapped”, stuck with a flashy title but no real path forward.
In an effort to overhaul rigid workplace structures, some organisations have abandoned job titles altogether. Gusto, an HR software company, has operated without them for years. AXA Switzerland, an insurance provider, removed formal titles in 2024. Similarly, at ElevenLabs, an AI voice startup, employees are organised by department rather than by rigidly defined roles.
