A recent report out by the CIPD stated that almost half (49%) of middle managers say that they’re under excessive pressure either everyday or once or twice a week. Their employee outlook survey of 2,000 employees also revealed that middle managers are particularly unhappy with their work-life balance.
Here are just some of the headlines that came out of the Winter 2011/12 report: (click here to read full report)
- Young workers (18–24) have the most positive attitudes towards their immediate line managers on all measures, while ages 35–54 are the least positive.
- Commitment to the organisation and fair treatment of employees are the highest-scoring facets of management, while training, coaching and development needs remain the areas of weakness.
- There has been a slight reduction in the proportion of employees reporting their organisation has cut back on training to 24% from 27% for the previous quarter.
- Over a fifth (21%) of respondents are looking for a new job with a different employer
- Just 36% of respondents are actively engaged at work
A finding that came through strongly in this survey is the plight of the UK’s middle managers who appear to be feeling the squeeze as organisations face increasing pressure to cut costs, while boosting innovation, service quality and productivity. Compared with other categories of staff, middle managers are least satisfied with their work–life balance, most likely to say they are under excessive pressure every day, and also most likely to be looking for a new job. They also have least job security, with nearly one in three thinking it likely they could lose their job as a result of the economic downturn.
