A high proportion of middle managers in the UK are experiencing burnout at work, survey results have suggested.
The study, by Capterra, found that 75% of middle managers admitted to always or sometimes feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or burned out in their careers. This was likely to lead to a high risk of churn, with nearly a quarter (24%) of the respondents telling researchers they were actively looking for other jobs.
According to HR tech firm Capterra the results highlighted the need for HR to prioritise training and time allocation management to combat the issue.
Excessive workload, poor time allocation, and lack of training were identified as the major triggers for stress, found the study.
Management training
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As many as 39% of managers agreed to various extents that they had more responsibilities than they could handle. For some, this was the result of spending an average of 44% of their time in meetings and devoting a significant portion of their week to administrative tasks (on average, 13% of their time) along with their individual contribution tasks (13%).
Consequently, 61% of middle managers agreed to some degree that they did not have enough time in a typical week to accomplish all their tasks. Only a quarter of respondents said they had received initial managerial training.
Most respondents (77%) reported not receiving any form of managerial training upon their hiring or promotion, and 75% rarely or never received ongoing training beyond their initial onboarding.
UK analyst at Capterra, Eduardo Garcia Rodriguez, said that to effectively “drive performance and retain this top talent, businesses must perform targeted training and oversee time allocation management to ensure middle managers feel heard, develop their skills, and work effectively.”
AI was seen by middle managers as a way of alleviating stress and enhancing their capabilities. Most (66%) agreed that AI’s ability to “analyse data” and “automate administrative tasks”, were helpful.
Capterra interviewed more than 100 middle managers in a variety of sectors.
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