The plight of the manager: Supervisors are the ‘linchpin’ to fixing employee engagement but they’re struggling with their own burnout

A man dressed in business casual attire sits at a messy desk and looks distraught, with his head in his hands. There is a group of workers surrounding him holding up various papers or items, trying to get his attention. (Credit: AaronAmat—Getty Images)

Managers are going through it. They’re dealing with more responsibilities than ever, including making sure that employees comply with hybrid work, handling the aftermath of layoffs, and balancing demands from both workers and company leadership.

But when managers are going through it, that means their staff is as well. A manager’s experience has a significant impact on their subordinates’ engagement, according to Gallup’s 2024 State of the Global Workplace report published today.