Managers, how many hours a day do you spend on admin tasks?

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In a US-based survey of 500 managers, it was found a majority of them (36%) spend in the range of 3-4 hours per day on administrative tasks, such as responding to emails and submitting expense claims.

Conducted by West Monroe, a close second was the range of 1-2 hours per day, cited by 34% of managers. More than one in five (23%) said they spend 5+ hours a day on admin tasks such as time tracking, while a small 7% said they spend an hour or less per day on these.

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The survey analysed that one of the most overlooked areas for business efficiency is managers. "Specifically, managers having the training and tools they need to streamline tasks and help the organisation reach its potential," it stated.

With a majority of managers claiming they are too bogged down with administrative tasks to provide adequate feedback and direction to their team, 44% frequently feel overwhelmed at work.

Gaps in managerial training 

Another area studied was the lack of managerial training provided in organisations, where a majority (59%) of managers overseeing one to two people received no managerial training at all, along with a significant 41% of those who oversee three to five people.

With no formal training in place, new managers turn to mimicking their previous bosses. 42% of new managers developed their management style by observing a previous manager, rather than through formalised training.

Typically, managers are being trained on the job - nearly half of respondents with 10 or more years of managerial experience have received a nine or more hours of training. However, another 43% of those who have been managers for less than a year have received no training at all.

Other interesting statistics from the report include:

1. 35% of managers overseeing one to two people feel that the expectations of their role are not clearly defined and communicated.
2. Over 55% of manager find driving team and company success the most rewarding part of their job.
3. 44% of managers believe a more appropriately sized workload would allow them to spend more time managing people.

Lead photo / StockUnlimited Graphics / West Monroe