Study Finds Lack of Qualified Managers and Employees Who Aspire To Be Managers

Study Finds Lack of Qualified Managers and Employees Who Aspire To Be Managers

WorldatWorkNewsline

Study Finds Lack of Qualified Managers and Employees Who Aspire To Be Managers >
July 30, 2009 —

Just over half of employees believe there are not enough qualified managers in their organizations, according to an annual survey. >

The 10th annual World of Work survey from Randstad found that 45% of respondents believe there is going to be a shortage of qualified managers in the future; and that finding and preparing the next generation of managers is emerging as one of the most critical issues companies will face in the near future.>

The survey examined the causes of the potential lack of managers and found:>

- 49% of those with the experience to become managers don’t want any part of it
- 50% of Baby Boomers (age 45-63) and nearly 70% of Matures (age 64+) said no to the prospect of becoming managers. - Increased stress is the No. 1 reason for 82% of employees surveyed.
- Generation Y (age 18-29) cited handling disgruntled employees as their No. 1 reason.
- Other reasons why employees of all ages don’t want to become managers include having to deal with increasing paperwork (63%) and having to terminate or layoff employees (63%). >

“To retain managers and head off a potential shortage, organizations need to rethink how they define and communicate managerial roles,” said Eileen Habelow, Randstad senior vice president of organizational development. “Especially in periods of economic recessions, companies rely on managers to problem solve, drive productivity and innovation, motivate and provide opportunities for workers to learn new skills and achieve new successes. It’s not just doom and gloom that managers are focusing on today. Companies need to be sure they are consistently reiterating managers’ valuable contributions, not only to the company, but to the broader workforce.” >

The survey also found that more than half of employees surveyed believe the roles of managers need to change; 52% see a difference between the managers of today and what’s needed in the future. >
The survey asked employees what they think would be the attractive elements of management positions:>

- 89% of employees reported they would want to be a manager if they were able to share their knowledge and experience with others.
- 85% of surveyed employees cited both being responsible for the success of an organization and being able to influence decisions as other positives.
- being responsible for a budget (47%) and working in a high pressure environment (37%) ranked much lower. >

“The survey findings demonstrate that workers understand the importance of effective managers to the success of the organization given the new realities of the workplace. The world of work has changed, and employees are not only looking for a new standard of manager, but our survey indicates that they are actually looking for a new sort of role model as well,” Habelow said. >

In fact, according to the survey, only 29% of employees have a role model for their working life, but 99% rate role models with some degree of importance. Interestingly, survey results show only 25% think the importance of workplace role models has increased in the past few years. >

Abbreviated Survey Methodology This survey was conducted online within the United States from March 23 to April 15, 2009, among 2,199 employees and 833 managers. Harris Interactive panel members reflected the U.S. population of adults age 18+, employed full-time or self employed, and employers involved in decision making on strategic HR issues for at least six months. Data is weighted using propensity score weighting, a proprietary weighting technique that balances all of the characteristics (e.g., demographic, attitudinal, and behavioral) of online respondents in order to project the U.S. general population. >

Contents © 2009 WorldatWork. No part of this article may be reproduced, excerpted or redistributed in any form without express written permission from WorldatWork.>

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This posting was made my Jim Jacobs, President & CEO of Jacobs Executive Advisors. Jim also serves as Leader of Jacobs Advisors' Insurance Practice.