For the latest 15Five research study, the team dove deep into the depths of manager effectiveness and the impact managers have on employee experience and business results. Through this research, we discovered a considerable gap between employees and managers, particularly in how each group perceives the other.
Of course, that employees and managers disagree isn’t necessarily a new revelation. Bad managers have been driving good employees away since the beginning of time (probably). But our study revealed at least one critical thing for both employees and managers. are on the same page about: the importance of executive training.
Managers want more leadership training, and employees want them to get it. Could investing more in management training programs be the next benefit sought for employees? Sure, good health insurance and an extensive PTO are obvious when it comes to offering a competitive benefits package.
But imagine if you could also promise new hires that they will work with a manager who is fully capable of leading and properly trained to support them and help them succeed, or if they manage a team themselves, they will have access to robust career development opportunities and support. .
The manager-employee relationship is more influential than most managers want to admit.
More than half of employees (56%) say that having a good boss is one of the most critical factors in staying with their company. When people are being directed (or, rather, No being led) by a poorly trained or ineffective manager, they do not tend to stick around for long. And unfortunately, managers often don’t see how their leadership impacted an employee’s decision to leave.
Our research shows a significant discrepancy between how employees and managers view what drives employee burnout. Managers downplay lack of managerial support and negative workplace culture, while overemphasizing employee workload and work-life balance as the top reasons people leave.
Employees at our studio tell a different story. Their main reason for leaving a company is a negative work culture (57%). His #2 reason for leaving? Non-solidarity management (52%). (Only 37% cited workload as a primary reason.)
Employees want more trained leaders (but many still don’t)
Most strategic HR leaders know how essential manager effectiveness is to employee engagement and productivity. It is therefore more than a little surprising that only half of managers are still receiving soft skills training in key management areas.
This discrepancy may not be due to a lack of interest: managers want more training, and their employees want them to get it. It would be hard to find an employee or manager who isn’t interested in more management development opportunities for himself or the people he will report to. We even found that more than 76% of potential management candidates are more likely to accept a position when offered management training or coaching.
Many managers overestimate their leadership abilities.
While most managers acknowledge that they need more training, an astonishing 64% are “very confident” in their own leadership abilities. Unfortunately, the people who work for many of those managers aren’t as confident: Only 37% of employees are impressed with their boss’s management skills. So either these managers simply lack self-awareness, or there is a fundamental disconnect between what employees need from their managers and what managers need. think employees need.
Management development training can even the scales for employees and managers
Today’s managers have a lot to handle, and many are not prepared for success. As employee expectations and work cultures have evolved, so must the manager’s role. One-time management training seminars or annual workshops are no longer enough.
Professional development should not be treated as a box for managers to check, it should be part of their day to day. An effective management development program is multi-pronged and occurs in the workflow. It offers learning in various formats, such as instructor-led skills intensives, 1-on-1 training, and group training. And most importantly, it allows managers to put what they learn into practice.
Successful manager training includes learning and development opportunities in these critical areas:
- Create a psychologically safe workplace
- Strengths-Based Management
- Intrinsically motivate employees
- Give effective feedback
- Establishment and follow-up of objectives.
- Conduct a fair and effective performance review
Every organization and business culture is different, and there is no single template for the perfect management training program. Manager training should be tailored to the unique needs and challenges experienced by your organization’s leaders.
By upskilling managers, you can decrease turnover and improve performance. But managerial training is only useful if managers have both the knowledge and the tools to put their learning into practice.
To create a successful training program, strategic HR leaders can start by defining what a great manager looks like in their organization. From there, you can provide the right tools and leadership development opportunities to help every manager push themselves and achieve that level of success.
Learn more in the 15Five Manager Effectiveness Report
We surveyed 1,000 managers and 1,000 employees across the US on tracking productivity, manager effectiveness and training, career growth, and career development. See what our study found about how employees and managers In fact they feel about training and development and how it impacts their career decisions.
Get the report >
