Coronavirus: Managers overrate their success with employees

Managers have misread their success in engaging with employees and recognising their value in Covid, research reveals.

A study of managers and employees across Australia found managers estimated that employee engagement, recognition and job satisfaction levels of workers was two to three times higher than the levels expressed by employees.

Managers consistently overrated their success in engaging with employees and recognising their value during the pandemic, resulting in a significant disconnect between the attitudes of managers and workers.

A study of managers and employees at 755 companies across Australia found managers estimated that employee engagement, recognition and job satisfaction levels of workers was two to three times higher than the levels expressed by employees.

While only 14 per cent of employees strongly agreed they felt engaged at work, managers thought the proportion was 26 per cent. Just 12 per cent of employees believed they were appropriately recognised at work, significantly lower than the 22 per cent estimated by managers.

More than twice as many Australian employees as management – 25 per cent to 12 per cent – said they were dissatisfied with their workplace, according to the survey in April 2021 by Achievers, a provider of employee recognition software.

The findings suggest that management focus on employee engagement and satisfaction may have taken a back seat as com­panies focused on ensuring business continuity and stemming the financial impact of the pandemic.

Asked about working remotely, management was more likely to rate working from home as a positive for engagement and recognition. The study found 38 per cent of managers felt more engaged compared to 24 per cent of employees.

“Managers are misreading engagement levels across organisations by some pretty significant multipliers,” said Matt Seadon, managing director APAC at Achievers.

“As a manager, you may think you’re doing a good job, but our research is demonstrating that there’s a disconnect between what you think and what your employees are feeling.

“When employees are disengaged, it saps their motivation, productivity and job satisfaction.

“They aren’t as committed to the corporate culture and its goals. This is reflected in the quality of their work, and acts as a handbrake to business performance and growth.”

Over time, the disconnect between management and employees can result in absenteeism and turnover.

One quarter of employees surveyed said they did not feel engaged during team meetings, more than double the 9 per cent estimated by management. Half as many employees as managers think employees emerge from meetings believing they were suitably engaged.

Managers at manufacturing firms considerably overstated their ability to inspire new hires during their company’s onboarding processes – as much as seven times greater than what employees leave the process thinking.

Team meetings were similarly ineffective, with employees feeling two and half times less engaged than managers believed.

Managers in information, media and telecommunications sector also “grossly over-estimate” their impact on employees and their ability to make employees feel valued.

They believed their performance was two to five times higher than employees actually rated it.