Research by HR and payroll software provider Ciphr has found that while managers may like their jobs and enjoy managing their teams, that doesn’t mean they don’t feel stressed, overworked, and ready to quit.
Ciphr’s survey of 500 managers, with people management responsibilities, found that the majority like (52 per cent) or love (32 per cent) the work they do, and most (85 per cent) like being a people manager (31 per cent said they really like managing others, and 54 per cent said they mostly like it).
The average manager is confident in their capabilities to manage their team (80 per cent of those polled feel this way most or all of the time) and is confident that they have a high performing team (75 per cent feel this way most or all of the time). They are generally positive about many aspects of their role, and find their job meaningful (74 per cent) and engaging (72 per cent) most or all of the time.
But many are also overstretched by their management duties and find certain aspects, such as having to have ‘difficult’ conversations, and managing disciplinaries and grievances, challenging (32 per cent and 25 per cent respectively dislike this about being a manager).
Nearly one in three (31 per cent) managers thinks their workload is unmanageable most or all of the time, and one in four (26 per cent) feels stressed most or all of the time.
In the last six months, well over half (60 per cent) of the surveyed managers have worked out of hours during evenings or at weekends, two-fifths (40 per cent) have worked through illness instead of taking the time off to recover, and a third (33 per cent) believe that their work has negatively affected their health or wellbeing.
Based on Ciphr’s data, thousands of people managers are feeling burnt out or in need of a complete break from work. Three-quarters (74 per cent) of 25-34 year olds say they have felt burnt out in the last year, as have two-thirds (64 per cent) of those aged 35-44, over half (57 per cent) of those aged 45-54, and over two-fifths (45 per cent) of those over 55.
Some managers have already spoken to their bosses about the size of their workloads, and their stress levels and wellbeing (42 per cent and 35 per cent respectively say they have done this within the past six months). And others have already started to look for a less pressured position elsewhere.
One in four (25 per cent) surveyed managers reports thinking about leaving their jobs most or all of the time because of the pressure or stress of managing people. While one in three (31 per cent) says they intend to leave their organisation in the next 12 months (a further 15 per cent may join them but are currently undecided).
Claire Hawes, chief people and operations officer at Ciphr, says: “The message to employers is clear: They need to ensure more manageable workloads and provide further support and training for their managers, or risk losing them to other organisations that will.
“Managers are often being asked to achieve more with less budget and resources,” she adds. “They need to support their team’s development and wellbeing, while being accountable for their performance and productivity. The time and energy involved in balancing the people management side of their jobs with their other duties isn’t always acknowledged. And that can lead to increased stress too.
“Line managers have a crucial role to play in helping to ensure a great employee experience,” she continued. “If they are frequently overworking, and aren’t taking the downtime they need, then it’s going to have a knock-on impact on their team, and across the business, down the line – presenting through absence, low productivity and morale, and higher turnover. You can have the best strategy, products, or technology but if you don’t look after your people then success simply isn’t sustainable.”
