Survey: 80% of workers say managers superfluous

Eighty percent of employees think managers are “unnecessary,” according to a survey on manager-employee relationships from a Florida company that specializes in human-resources software.

Approachability is the most important quality in an effective manager, said 75 percent of more than 2,000 employees surveyed — but just half say they have an approachable manager.

For 93 percent of employees, trust in their direct boss is essential to staying satisfied at work, and over half of employees surveyed say if they aren’t satisfied at work, they can’t put forth their best effort.

Ultimate Software says the employee-manager relationship “matters a great deal when it comes to job satisfaction and retention.”

The survey is “a wake-up call for companies of all sizes to get serious about better training, coaching, and guidance for managers, so these relationships remain strong,” said Adam Rogers, chief technology officer at the firm.

“There’s a major disconnect between employees and managers,” he said, pointing to the survey’s results.

The Center for Generational Kinetics, a research organization in Austin, Texas, partnered with Ultimate to conduct the survey.

Center president Jason Dorsey said the results “highlight the longstanding belief that people don’t leave companies, they leave managers.”

He said the issue is a “serious concern that affects everyone in the workforce and it’s something all companies should focus on fixing before they end up losing great leaders and valuable talent.”

Ultimate’s survey points to a significant gap in managers’ and employees’ perceptions: 80 percent of managers surveyed think they’re transparent with their direct staff — yet only 55 percent of employees agree that their managers are transparent.

And, while the bulk of employees say they feel comfortable communicating, 57 percent of managers wish their staff would be more open with what’s on their minds.

One problem, according to the survey, is that less than half of managers report having a mentor who gives them guidance on how to be a better leader, and 45 percent have never received formal management training.

The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percent.