Glassdoor: 66 Percent of Employees Say Direct Managers Impact Careers

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pie chart According to a recent survey by Glassdoor, 66 percent of employees believe their direct managers have an impact of their careers — 52 percent say the impact is positive while 20 percent say it’s negative.

The Direct Manager’s Influence on Employment Brand Survey, conducted by Harris Interactive, polled 2,054 full-time and part-time workers who reported to direct managers. The results showed that more men (75%) than women (57%) felt their boss impacted their careers. Fifty-eight percent of men reported that their direct managers positively impacted their careers while just 47 percent of women said the same. At lower numbers, only 25 percent of men and 15 percent of women reported a negative impact.

Other survey findings include:

Of employees who said their boss had a positive impact on their career, top positive impacts include:

  • Supporting collaborative team work (49%)
  • Securing next pay raise (46%)
  • Providing work-life balance support (33%)

Of employees who said their boss had a negative impact on their career, top negative impacts include:

  • Stopping/slowing next pay raise/salary increase (39%)
  • Reducing or eliminating work-life balance support (27%)
  • Discouraging collaborative team work (26%)

Amanda Lachapelle, HR Director at Glassdoor, offered tips on how HR can help direct managers connect with employees:

  • Encourage direct managers to have regular 1:1 meetings with each team member. They should help managers get insight on what each individual is looking for in their career, and in turn provide the employee with a clearer picture of how their career path fits into the business trajectory.
  • Set clear expectations on company perks and benefits.
  • Have a ‘no surprises’ approach to your company’s work environment: Remind managers that anyone who interviews should have a clear picture of what the work environment is like before they accept the job.
  •  Learn more about what motivates employees: A good manager will not be afraid to ask for constructive feedback.
  •  Stay on top of how your employment brand is impacting your recruiting regularly.

By Shala Marks