Despite being critical to company success in 2024, middle managers are struggling with overwhelming workloads and limited time for direct reports. New global research conducted by Capterra reveals that 71% of middle managers report feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or burned out at work–a figure that jumps to 76% for those under 35.
Highlighting the gravity of the situation, over 40% of managers with less than two years of managerial experience are looking for new jobs right now, compared to 20% of managers with 10 or more years of experience. This finding comes amidst recent comments from the likes of Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg who argue cutting middle management can streamline operations and reduce costs.
“Despite recent trends toward eliminating middle managers entirely, the fact is they still play a pivotal role in the organization,” says Brian Westfall, principal HR analyst at Capterra. “Unless employers can solve the issues causing such high rates of middle manager burnout soon, there won’t be enough managers to go around as older leaders retire.”
According to the middle managers surveyed, 53% admit they’re swamped with tasks, leaving 51% unable to dedicate necessary time to direct reports. With only 37% receiving managerial training upon their initial hiring or promotion and a shocking 74% rarely or never receiving ongoing training afterwards, the pathway to burnout seems inevitable. Notably, female middle managers report a lack of access to continuous training at nearly twice the rate of their male counterparts.
However, the survey also points to specific learning and development programming that could serve as promising solutions. Middle managers express a desire for more training in conflict resolution (41%) and project management (35%), areas ripe for intervention through education.
Middle managers see technology as a beacon of hope to alleviate their administrative burdens, allowing them to refocus on people management. In fact, contrary to the fear that AI will replace managers entirely, 76% of the middle managers in the survey have a positive attitude toward AI, believing it can help them make more time for their direct reports.
Westfall advises, “It’s not enough to throw more training resources at managerial development (although that is important). HR leaders need to rethink the role of the middle manager from the ground up: Who should be promoted to it, how they fit in the organization, and what they should be expected to do.”
Explore HRtech News for the latest Tech Trends in Human Resources Technology.
