Managers are struggling to effectively connect and guide employees, but it's not their fault. Business leaders have continued to place people in managerial positions with little to no training, and shocks to the American labor market are only worsening this systemic issue.
In 2022, a record 50.6 million US workers quit. This was the highest ever recorded since 2001 and the trend continued on a smaller scale in 2023, with the annual US quit rate at 2.5%. That means 3.5 million people quit in July and bad managerial practices will make it rise. If you want your company to thrive despite the market's status, you must provide managers with the education, training, and support they need to effectively handle the responsibility of these roles.
To make these systems a reality, companies need to address the elephant in the room. America's workforce is not the same as it used to be and that is a trait common amongst all age groups. Companies must adapt to younger generations entering the workforce to weather these challenging conditions.
Despite the growing culture of younger workers not tolerating unsupportive workplaces, untrained employees are still being promoted to managerial positions with little or no training. It makes little sense that executives and leaders are still making this grave mistake when they could implement training programs and improve work culture to reap a bigger profit in the end. Unfortunately, this behavior has become extremely common because the pandemic was the catalyst for a worker shortage.
A few years after the world returned to normal, business has forever changed. Employees are fed up with a poor work-life balance and can find jobs easier than before. As a result, turnover has spiked and many companies have been forced to close their doors. Yet, companies may be confused or reluctant about the key practices necessary for equipping managers effectively.
After working in human resources for over 25 years, Wendy Sellers "The HR Lady®" has several suggestions for struggling companies. She offers hands-on management training online or in-person, employee surveys, personality assessments, and other consulting services to truly fix fragmented workplaces.
Wendy has seen many changes in the HR world in recent years and wants to empower businesses to adapt. "Before the pandemic, businesses were already struggling with management training and support," she says. "Since COVID though, businesses are now facing another onslaught of problems in the form of worker shortages and high turnover rates. These challenges are damaging what companies can offer the market and their employees, which is why business leaders desperately need to start training managers better. If these people on the front lines have better knowledge, resources, and mentorship, they can reduce turnover and give employees a truly fulfilling place to work."
According to Wendy, a good manager doesn't blame others, listens actively, and takes accountability for their mistakes. These traits are difficult to find among managers nowadays due to the poor training they've been given. However, Wendy argues that things can change quickly if businesses are willing to invest in their biggest asset. By educating managers thoroughly, these leaders can cultivate authentic relationships with employees. Employees and managers will then be able to build connections based on trust, respect, and clarity. If a company's staff doesn't exhibit these traits, things can fall apart quickly.
Wendy helps managers understand their missed opportunities and utilize innovative solutions by keeping her training simple. She pairs managers together in small groups with different real-life scenarios. In these settings, managers can pinpoint what they're doing wrong, and practice using new approaches. Some of the skills managers can learn in Wendy's training include how to give feedback, improve communication, and clarify job expectations. As she conducts this training on a company-wide scale, Wendy separately addresses managers, employees, and business executives, ensuring that they all have a space to learn, reflect, and grow.
Wendy also suggests managers should learn to see 'outside of the box'. Whether it be generational, gender, or societal differences, she says that managers must become comfortable dealing with different people. "Gen Z and millennials are steadily entering the workforce, women are gaining access to leadership roles, and workers with disabilities are also taking up more space. As all these groups begin interacting with one another in the workplace, today's managers must adapt, and learn how to bond and support their teams. Without this camaraderie, company culture slowly degrades and larger problems emerge."
The fundamental factors that drive employees to leave companies cannot all be solved by training managers. However, a manager is in a unique position to bridge the desires of employees and stakeholders to make a company more profitable and sustainable. Having a robust training, onboarding, and feedback system for managers brings financial benefits to companies and the economy. To avoid the problem of increasing turnover and low engagement, management training should not be forgotten unless companies want their biggest asset to feel overworked and overlooked.
Media Contact:
Name: Wendy Sellers
Email: wendy@thehrlady.com
