Do we still need managers? Most workers say ‘no’

Are managers becoming obsolete? A surprising number of workers seem to think so. Let's delve into the reasons behind this sentiment and explore the potential implications for the future of workplace hierarchy.

The vast majority of American workers believe they can do their jobs effectively without the supervision of a manager

During the ongoing Great Resignation, employers might want to take notice.

• 83% of respondents said they could do their job without a manager, and 84% said they would consider quitting if their manager was a bad manager.

Managers are a Key Driver of Workplace Toxicity

According to a recent study conducted by CultureX, a toxic corporate culture is the number one cause of employee attrition, and is more than 10 times more likely to be the cause of an employee’s departure than compensation

• Toxic cultures are rarely spread universally across large organizations. They more frequently will show up in specific teams or pockets of the organizations, which he refers to as “microcultures.”
• Leaders are often the single greatest source of toxicity within these microcultures
• Leadership has such an important role in culture that it’s impossible to disentangle them

Tech Is Taking the Guess Work Out of Choosing Managers

Our process for selecting managers, our heightened expectations of them, and the outsized influence they can have on creating a toxic work environment might explain why so many workers feel they could do their jobs effectively without a supervisor.

• These trends are also inspiring some organizations to take a different approach to selecting and evaluating managers.

Empathetic Managers Wanted

90% of American workers equate empathy leadership with higher job satisfaction, 88% say it builds employee loyalty, and 79% agree that it reduces turnover.

• The best managers are people who genuinely care about the people they work with and who report to them.

Employees Now Turn To Colleagues, Not Managers, For Help

Over time, the responsibilities of managers-and the number of workers who report to them-have skyrocketed, making it more difficult to provide more hands-on assistance

• As a result, Kropp says employees are turning to their colleagues for the help and advice they would have traditionally sought from a manager

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