Top five behaviours employees desire in their managers

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Four out of the top five behaviours desired are human-centred and emotional in nature, with the most popular option being recognition for an employee's work done.

Recognition, trust, genuine care, empowerment, and clear direction — these are among the most desired behaviours employees would like to see in their managers, according to a new survey by ACESENCE Agile Leadership. 

In particular, out of 462 respondents across 16 countries, just over half said they desired a manager who recognises them for their work (52.5%), followed by 40.1% wanting a manager who trusts them to do their best, and 35.6% looking for a manager who cares about them as a person.

Rounding up the top five were: a manager who empowers the employee (34.2%), and a manager who provides clarity & direction (32.5%). Further behaviours listed include:

• 'Challenges and enables me to grow' (27.7%)
• 'Considers my views, even when they're opposing' (24.3%)
• 'Develops my career' (22.6%)
• 'Helps me see the bigger picture' (11%)
• 'Removes barriers' (9.9%)
• Others (0.6%)

Commenting on the above, Yeo Chuen Chuen, managing director of ACESENCE Agile Leadership, said: "Four of the top five desired behaviours are related to emotion and empathy. This shows soft skills are increasingly important as workers appreciate not just the cognitive value of work but also its emotional value."

The report then broke down the desirable behaviours by management level and by generation:

By management level

By generation:

Top five least desirable behaviours in a manager

While the above was noted, conversely, micromanagement, lack of clarity, disregard for work-life boundaries, transactional communication, and insufficient expertise were identified as the most undesirable managerial traits, further emphasising the crucial role of effective leadership in fostering a conducive work culture that enables staff to reach their fullest potential.

• 'Micromanages & dictates' (48.8%)
• 'Lacks clarity & direction' (46.3%)
• 'Disrespects work-life boundaries' (29.3%)
• 'Rude/transactional communication' (28.1%)
• 'Lacks expertise' (23.2%)

Other behaviours on the list include:

• 'Neglects my development' (21.9%)
• 'Unreasonable expectations' (20.7%)
• 'Gives me vague feedback' (15.8%)
• 'Resists the change I want to bring' (14.6%)

By management level and generation, the results were as follows:

By management level:

By generation:

The link between managerial effectiveness and employee happiness

In line with the above, the survey also took a look at just how much a manager's leadership effectiveness could impact their employees' happiness and job satisfaction. Overall, 72.8% of the respondents said their happiness at work is 'highly dependent' on their manager's leadership effectiveness, it was found.

By generation, Gen X seem to be the most affected by their managers' effectiveness (74.7%), with the highest percentage of Gen X rating the impact as 'extremely high', followed by Millennials (73.8%).

On the other hand, Boomers and Gen Z seem less affected (66.7% and 64.9% respectively), indicating that other factors could be playing a bigger part.

A snapshot of some of the further findings showed:

• Looking at happiness levels by management level, senior management seem to be the happiest, with 26% saying they are 'very happy' at work.
• Meanwhile, middle managers came out the least happy, with 25.3% indicating they were 'unhappy'
• A high proportion of junior managers (73.7%) and middle managers (73.3%) say leadership has a significant impact on their happiness.

About the survey

This Leaders People Love Global Survey spanned 16 countries and across four generations (Baby Boomers to Gen Z), with interviewees in 13 job categories, and at different levels of managerial seniority. The survey looked into the changing values and expectations of the workforce, what factors affect their happiness at work, and their perspective on effective management.

A total 462 people took part in the survey, spanning four levels of management across different industries, generations, and organisational hierarchies:

• Senior management (31.8%)
• Middle management (31.4%)
• Individual contributors (24%)
• Junior management (12.8%)

Photo: Provided in the Leaders People Love Global Survey