The stress and chaos of resignations and unstable work teams is taking a big toll on managers, who are unwittingly making matters worse, new research from education publisher Wiley asserts. The entire organization, as well as individual team members, can suffer if managers are overwhelmed with maintaining productivity, according to the firm’s survey of nearly 5,000 working professionals.
The vast majority (89%) of respondents said they have experienced at least one team shift over the past year, and the majority have experienced two or more. While managers can readily access stress management resources and the help of mental health professionals through their workplace benefits, they may be reluctant or too busy to take advantage of the assistance. Managers are taking on more work to manage the workload for the rest of the team. They may also avoid seeking help for fear of being perceived as “weak or unable to handle work-related pressure,” Wiley reports.
In a previous study, 96% of employees agreed that their manager has an impact on their well-being at work, and 42% said they have left a job in the past because of their manager.
“It’s well known that having good managers is vital to organizational success, but their role becomes even more critical to employee engagement and retention amidst the Great Resignation,” said Cherryl D’Souza, vice president of brand management at Wiley.
Wiley’s report offers three main recommendations for how companies can help managers handle the unique circumstances and additional stresses created by the Great Resignation:
- Offer managers a safe space to talk about work-related stress and listen to their needs.
- Provide recognition to managers for the work they are doing and take steps to help them feel respected, valued and appreciated.
- Offer management skills training so they are better equipped to deal with the day-to-day demands of the management role.
This research report is the second in a planned series of four reports on the impact of the Great Resignation on the workplace.
