UK organisations are failing to manage change effectively, causing an increase in stress, harassment and conflict at work, according to an annual snapshot of the workplace.
And, as people become more demanding about flexible and fulfilling jobs, staff turnover is expected to increase.
Now in its eighth year, The Management Agenda, by the education and research organisation Roffey Park, examined the challenges that managers and organisations are facing.
The survey of more than 600 mainly senior and middle managers in the UK shows that 47 per cent of managers are considering moving jobs in the coming year.
Linda Holbeche, director of research and strategy at Roffey Park, and co-author of the report, said: “Managers seem confident that they could find work elsewhere. There is a sense that their commitment to their organisations is waning. Less people seem willing to go the extra mile. Instead, they’ve become more bullish about their own worth. The feeling is that if they don’t get what they want from their organisations, they’ll walk.”
According to the survey, apart from recruiting and retaining talent, the key challenges organisations must tackle are: managing change, focusing on the core business, cutting costs, staying ahead of competitors, and complying with regulation and legislation.
Holbeche admitted that “poor old HR comes in for a kicking again” in the snapshot. Almost half of the responding managers said that HR lacks credibility in their organisation, 53 per cent claimed HR practitioners were too reactive, and 27 per cent felt HR was out of touch.
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But it is not all bad news. Organ-isations seem to be paying more attention to employment issues.
More than half of the organisations surveyed have introduced health and well-being initiatives to combat stress, such as occupational health roadshows, stress tests and stress-busting training.
