Analysts from Gartner Inc. recently estimated that as employers increase use of artificial intelligence, 20% of companies are likely to cut more than half their middle manager roles, according to Fast Company.
However, Deloitte’s annual Human Capital Trends Report—which polled nearly 10,000 leaders and compiled input from manager-specific surveys—finds managers are a crucial element of the workforce, even as many struggle to manage their workloads. According to the report, managers spend almost 40% of their time daily on administrative tasks or resolving issues. Only 15% of their time is spent on long-term strategic thinking, and 13% is spent on developing their direct reports.
More than one-third of managers reported feeling their company had not given them the tools they needed to be sufficiently prepared to handle the people management and leadership aspects of their jobs.
The report also said 40% of bosses surveyed said their mental health suffered after they took on managerial duties. And as managers burn out or leave, younger employees may not step up because surveys show Gen Z workers have little interest in becoming managers.
Although many companies are aware of challenges facing middle managers, they are not necessarily taking action to better support these employees or re-evaluate their role in the current workforce. Deloitte’s report shows nearly three-quarters of employers said they understood the importance of revamping the manager role, but only 7% said they were making meaningful progress to address the issue.
A crucial part of a manager’s job is to coach and develop direct reports, and 67% of employees said their manager knows best how to motivate them at work. It is important that companies understand the role of managers and work to help them succeed.
