New National Study Conducted by Ultimate Software Reveals Need for Greater Focus on Manager-Employee Relationships
December 04 2017 - 8:00AM
Business Wire
Data confirms that the employee-manager
relationship is the #1 driver of satisfaction at work today
Ultimate Software (Nasdaq: ULTI), a leading provider of human
capital management (HCM) solutions in the cloud, announced today
the results of a new national study revealing the complex
differences in perception and experience between managers and the
people they manage. Designed collaboratively between Ultimate
Software and The Center for Generational Kinetics, the survey of
more than 2,000 U.S. employees revealed that managers and employees
aren’t always on the same page when it comes to their relationship.
Manager relationships matter a great deal when it comes to job
satisfaction and retention, and as modern employees begin to
redefine expectations of an effective manager, with
approachability, transparency, and honesty proving paramount.
For 93% 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. A good manager-employee relationship can play a significant
role in retention, too: more than half of employees say they’d turn
down a 10% pay increase to stay with a great boss.
So what makes a good manager, and where are managers falling
short? The survey findings shed some light:
- Communication breakdown: There’s
a significant gap in managers’ and employees’ perceptions: 80% of
managers think they’re transparent with their direct reports, yet
only 55% of employees agree their managers are transparent. And,
while the bulk of employees say they feel comfortable
communicating, 57% of managers wish their reports would be more
open with what’s on their mind.
- Managers—overconfident, yet
under-trained: Less than half of managers report having a
mentor that gives them guidance on how to be a better leader, and
45% have never received formal management training. Despite this
lack of training, managers remain confident: only 16% agree they
frequently make mistakes, and fewer than a third admit they don’t
know what to do in personnel situations. What’s more, 71% of
managers say they know how to motivate their team, but only 44% of
employees agree that their manager knows how to motivate them.
- The end of “the manager” as we know
it: The overwhelming majority—a shocking 80%—of employees
surveyed think they could do their job without managers and deem
them unnecessary. The survey found that 75% of employees say that
approachability is the most important quality in an effective
manager today, but only 5 out of 10 employees say they have an
approachable manager. The role and expectations for managers are
changing and managers aren’t receiving the training, coaching, and
data they need to know what to change or how to improve.
“We’re witnessing a fundamental shift in how employees view
their managers. Manager relationships aren’t just about someone
telling you how to do your job, it’s a relationship that has a
major impact on employee retention and happiness,” said Adam
Rogers, chief technology officer at Ultimate. “It’s 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. Leaders should look at the ways they can leverage human
resources and technology to get ahead of communication and trust
breakdowns, and work closely with employees to redefine what it
means to be a manager in the 21st century.”
“These results really highlight that longstanding belief: people
don’t leave companies, they leave managers,” said Jason Dorsey,
president and co-founder of The Center for Generational Kinetics.
“It’s 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. The good news is
organizations of all sizes can start taking steps today to close
this growing divide and ultimately improve the manager-employee
relationship.”
Adam Rogers and Jason Dorsey will be hosting a live webcast on
Tuesday, January 23, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time to speak in detail
about the study’s results and actions leaders can take now. To join
the live webcast or to learn more, visit
https://www.ultimatesoftware.com/Contact/surprising-drivers-of-employee-experience-webcast.
About Ultimate Software
Ultimate is a leading provider of cloud-based human capital
management solutions, with more than 35 million people records in
the cloud. Ultimate’s award-winning UltiPro delivers HR, payroll,
talent, and time and labor management solutions that connect people
with the information they need to work more effectively. Founded in
1990, Ultimate is headquartered in Weston, Florida, and employs
more than 4,000 professionals. In 2017, Fortune ranked Ultimate #7
on its prestigious 100 Best Companies to Work For list; #1 on its
10 Best Large Workplaces in Technology; and #2 on its 100 Best
Workplaces for Women. Also in 2017, Ultimate ranked #7 on Forbes’
100 Most Innovative Growth Companies and #2 on People’s 50
Companies That Care; the National Customer Service Association
named Ultimate the top Service Organization of the Year in the
Large-Business category; Gartner positioned Ultimate a “Leader” in
its Magic Quadrant for Cloud HCM Suites for Midmarket and Large
Enterprises; and Nucleus Research named Ultimate a “Leader” in its
HCM Technology Value Matrix. Ultimate has more than 4,000 customers
with employees in 160 countries, including Bloomin’ Brands,
Culligan International, Feeding America, Major League Baseball, Red
Roof Inn, SUBWAY, Texas Roadhouse, and Yamaha Corporation of
America. More information on Ultimate’s products and services for
people management can be found at
www.ultimatesoftware.com.
UltiPro is a registered trademark of The Ultimate Software
Group, Inc. All other trademarks referenced are the property of
their respective owners.
Follow Ultimate Software on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/UltimateHCM and on LinkedIn:
http://linkd.in/UltimateHCM
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171204005134/en/
Ultimate Software Contact:Heather Geronemus,
954-331-8653heather_geronemus@ultimatesoftware.comorFor Sales
Information:Ultimate SoftwarePhone: 800-432-1729Website:
www.ultimatesoftware.com
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