Managers are facing increasing pressure in the workplace, with 67% saying they struggle with heavy workloads and 35% saying they’re experiencing burnout — the highest rate across all job grades, according to a new report from Top Workplaces sent to HR Dive.
Managers cited the pressure of juggling workloads and managing larger teams as key stressors. More than half of employers also said they’ve seen burnout among their managers.
“These research findings reveal more than just individual challenges — they highlight a bigger organizational risk,” Kinsey Smith, senior data analyst at Top Workplaces, said in a statement. “Managers are the backbone of any company, and their well-being directly affects productivity, employee satisfaction and overall business success.”
In the survey, the most common arrangement was managers leading teams of 10 subordinates, with 1 in 3 managers saying they struggled to manage competing needs from senior leaders and their direct reports.
Meetings also created a burden. Managers said they felt stress around the expectations of scheduling in-person one-to-one meetings with each employee due to the sheer volume.
For a team of 10, Top Workplaces estimated that managers could be responsible for scheduling 260 meetings per year if expected to hold two one-on-one meetings per employee per month and two career discussions per year. This number only accounts for one-on-one meetings and doesn’t include other meetings or tasks such as motivating teams, managing performance or achieving company goals, the report said.
In addition, although managers received high ratings for people skills, they often received lower ratings for employee development and performance management, according to the survey. Respondents recognized the importance of both skills, particularly for retaining employees and fostering a positive work environment. This could highlight an area where managers need support.
“Organizations should provide managers with comprehensive training and development programs that cover a range of skills, including employee development, leadership and emotional intelligence,” Smith said. “Given that managing performance and offering constructive feedback are significant challenges for managers, it’s crucial to offer ample training and practice in these areas to help them excel in their roles.”
Managers have reported increased pressure this year, with 40% saying pressure from leadership has increased and 37% saying pressure from direct reports has increased, according to a Perceptyx survey. Coaching can have “cascading benefits,” the firm said, with managers who receive coaching being more likely to be engaged and report manageable stress levels.
Manager well-being has been “dangerously low,” according to another Perceptyx report, with managers scoring lower than both senior leaders and direct reports. Managers reported feeling “squeezed” between satisfying senior leaders and taking on the stress of their direct reports. Career development and inclusion can help, Perceptyx said, as managers said they were twice as likely to stay with a company when they felt a sense of belonging and 2.2 times more likely to stay when they had career opportunities.
Manager well-being and efficacy have organization-wide effects as well. While 8 in 10 workers with highly effective managers say they feel valued, only 35% with ineffective managers say the same, according to a report from the Society for Human Resource Management. Effective managers also boosted employee morale and retention, with workers being more than twice as likely to feel commitment to their employer, SHRM reported.