Have you experienced a toxic manager?
According to the Workplace Training Report 2024 by Corndel, a significant number of employees in the UK have encountered “toxic managers” in the past five years, with 33% reporting such experiences. Disturbingly, 41% of employees have even left their jobs due to dissatisfaction with management.
Toxic manager
These findings are based on research conducted with 250 HR decision-makers at large organisations and 1,000 UK employees. The toxic manager traits identified include micromanagement, inflexibility, intimidation, gaslighting colleagues and deflecting accountability. These behaviours have had a notable impact on employees’ work experiences.
Nearly half (47%) of the employees surveyed stated that mental health support and empathy from their workplace are crucial for their job satisfaction. Additionally, 46% believe that a positive workplace culture enhances their job performance, a sentiment that increases to 55% among employees aged 18-34.
In contrast, nearly seven in ten (69%) HR leaders admit that “bad managers” are a prevalent issue within their organisations. Furthermore, only 54% of HR professionals believe that their organisation’s leaders possess the necessary skills to foster effective, high-performing teams. Nonetheless, 81% of HR decision-makers express confidence that their managers uphold the organisation’s values.
James Kelly, co-founder and CEO of Corndel, emphasised the need for employees’ lived experiences to align with their expectations for management culture. He stated that beyond superficial perks like free breakfasts and pool tables, organisations should focus on empathy, inclusion, and integrating mental health and wellbeing support into their culture.
Kelly urged HR decision-makers to prioritise finding solutions for toxic workplaces, recognising that empathy, emotional intelligence, and mental health support are critical factors in enhancing employee retention, performance, and job satisfaction.
The report suggests that the prevalence of toxic and ineffective managers may be partially attributed to the promotion of “accidental” managers into senior roles due to a lack of qualified candidates. Research by the Chartered Institute of Managers revealed that 82% of workers who enter management positions have not received any formal management and leadership training. Additionally, half of those without effective managers plan to leave their organisations within the next 12 months.
HR leaders overwhelmingly agree (99%) that leadership training is an effective approach to addressing toxic workplace culture, with 54% believing that workplace training can eliminate toxicity. Furthermore, 62% of organisations plan to increase their training budgets in 2024, up from 48% in 2023. The report also highlights that 90% of HR decision-makers recognise the significant impact of mental health on business performance, indicating a likely shift towards improved mental health and wellbeing policies being integrated into workplace culture in the future.
James Kelly concluded by emphasising the need for urgent action to prevent the detrimental effects of toxic managers on employee wellbeing, engagement, and retention. He suggested that HR teams prioritise leadership development focused on “human” management skills, emotional intelligence, and mental health support to combat toxic management cultures and build motivated and psychologically secure teams.
Would you like to know more about training & development?
Evolve Hub is our professional learning & development service that helps businesses develop their employees achieve their business goals. Our development programmes focus on enhancing leadership capabilities, fostering innovation, and cultivating a growth mindset, which equips businesses to thrive in today’s dynamic market.
https://www.tickhr.com/evolve-hub/