Management Happiness Matters

Less than a quarter (23%) of U.S. employees strongly agree with the statement, “I trust the leadership of this organization,” according to a recent Gallup survey. This is particularly alarming because employees who strongly agree they trust the leadership of their organization are four times more likely to be engaged. Additionally, the majority (58%) of employees who trust their leadership will be less likely to be watching for or actively seeking a new job.

This post-pandemic workforce period has experienced widespread disruptions, including declines in employee engagement and wellbeing, record turnover and hiring rates, and an unprecedented increase in hybrid work, Gallup reports. In turn, managers, who are tasked with bringing stability to the company’s workforce, are feeling stressed. Most managers now are watching for or actively looking for a new job and less than a third (31%) feel engaged with their jobs. Manager satisfaction also has steadily declined since 2021, Gallup reports. This year only 16% of managers said they are “extremely satisfied” with their positions.

In the future, manager’s wellbeing will be critical as Gallup said they account for 70% of the variance in their own team’s engagement. In 2023, only 22% of employees said their performance was managed in a way that motivated them to do outstanding work. Additionally, slightly more than a quarter (27%) of employees said managers included them in goal setting, the research firm found.