Employees connecting with their managers is one of the most important, yet intangible, aspects of employee retention and productivity. With more and more employees and managers working remotely, a gap is forming within employee-manager relationships . When a manager is disconnected from their employees they are much more likely to not notice that their employees are dissatisfied, uninspired, or even experiencing burnout. While it may be hard to feel if a manager has a true connection, the effects the connection has can be seen throughout a team. A good relationship between employees and their manager may seem like more of a courtesy on the company's part but a poor connection could be costly.
Whenever an employee interacts with their manager they are evaluating not just how the manager views and treats them but also how their company views their position. Positive or productive interactions with a manager shows an employee their value within a company as well as that employees can trust their supervisor. Currently, 65% of employees are looking for new work (PWC.com). Not only is this number lower for companies with better employee relations, but they also have more of a head start on knowing employees are going to vacate a position. While this is sometimes due to employees giving more notice that they will be leaving, it can also be attributed to management having garnered more trust to discuss future opportunities.
Aside from turnover, a positive employee-management relationship can greatly affect an employee's mental state for the better. As it stands, only 42% of U.S. employees look forward to coming to work (greatplacestowork.com) and 60% report being stressed most or all of the time they are at work (udemy.com). These numbers represent mostly poor relationships between employees and management resulting in faulty communication and needs not being met. When managers and employees have interactions that build positive relationships it makes employees feel as though their environment is more hospitable. Having this positive association with their workplace and managers allows employees to be more productive and to better communicate any problems and possible solutions.
While many companies understand that having a well fostered relationship between employees and managers is very important, they still struggle to achieve it. Some companies fail to grasp what employees are actually looking for; employee recognition programs tend to fall short, and you are left with a room full of foosball tables with no one that wants to use them. Employees tend to respond poorly to the fake pep feeling of offices that have games in their break rooms, saying it does little to keep them in positions or increase what they are willing to do for a company. Whereas having management being able to have open communication, ask questions and share concerns, in a safe environment is not only more cost effective but also more likely to actually keep employees happy and positions full. Employees also frequently look for companies or managers that try to uphold work life balance; this can show the employee that their manager values them beyond their work product and wants them to have a fulfilling home life as well. Another survey found that 86% of millennials would stay with their current employer if they offered career development training (Udemy.com). Showing your employees that raises or promotions are attainable increases their willingness to co-mingle with their managers.
Employers are always looking for ways to improve productivity and to slow turnover. These tasks are usually ambiguous and largely difficult to find the true cause of; leading down rabbit holes to try to find solutions. While difficult, fostering connections between management and employees can help increase productivity while alleviating turnover by creating a more open working environment. This allows employees to feel more comfortable at work and destress while management is around, enabling more productive work days and an improved team dynamic. This synergy can lead the employee to an increased investment in the company with hopes of furthered career opportunities internally.
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