How the C-suite can elevate the performance of the key role of manager
During the disruptions of the last few years, leaders have tried to crack the code of creating a satisfying employee experience and have likely overlooked the essential role middle managers play in shaping supportive cultures and delivering results. Managers influence every aspect of the employee experience, from defining purposeful work in everyday operations to helping employees achieve work-life balance to developing talent.
And yet managers’ holistic health is declining, according to MetLife $MET’s 21st Annual U.S. Employee Benefit Trends Study. A considerable proportion of middle management reports high rates of stress and burnout (30%), low mental health (30%), and an inability to meet the needs of both their direct reports and upper management (32%).
In our latest research, 69% of employees said having a more supportive manager allows them to be more confident in their role and more loyal to their organization. A 2023 study from The Workforce Institute shows that managers influence the mental health of individuals as much as spouses or partners and even more than doctors or therapists.
MetLife’s research clarifies just how essential managers are in the eyes of employees. That is especially true relative to demonstrating employee care, which correlates to higher employee satisfaction, loyalty, engagement, and productivity. Consider that 70% of employees see a supportive manager as a “must-have” in feeling cared for by their employers, and 65% note it makes them feel more motivated, valued, engaged, and productive.
As influential as managers are, they have struggled with the same hardships workers faced during the pandemic and now in the hybrid working era. They have been asked to wear multiple hats and take on greater responsibilities as operations moved to remote and hybrid models. By helping their workers to manage stress, managers seem to have raised their own stress levels.
Managers have unique needs for holistic health and fundamentally different work experiences. They oversee the work of direct reports and make their own contributions. They seek work-life balance for themselves even as they help others find it. Managers promote supportive cultures by recognizing outstanding effort and performance, but they also expect to be recognized. And just as they foster their team’s training and development, managers want resources for their learning and growth.
Executives can support managers by providing exemplary and inspirational leadership. As the “ultimate managers” and organizational tone-setters, C-suite leaders are responsible for promoting a positive employee experience for all workers, including middle management.
Senior leaders must demonstrate that they understand the powerful role managers play in the organization. Then, they can implement tangible initiatives that empower managers to improve the overall work environment—including their own work experience.
The bottom line: It is difficult to overestimate the importance of supportive managers in facilitating strong cultures and demonstrating care.
If senior leaders set the tone from the top, managers in the middle bring culture and purpose to life for all employees. In other words, the verbal and behavioral standards set by the C-suite determine what is accepted and valued within the culture. Managers will take their cues from C-suite leaders as they work to strengthen the cultures and deliver superior employee experiences that enable organizations to win with talent.
Brendan Lynch is SVP & chief care officer at MetLife where he leads their new Employee Care and Innovation Centre of Excellence. Before that, he was SVP of HR services for Johnson & Johnson $JNJ.
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