Whether a boss is perceived as “good” or “bad” can be the deciding factor in an employee’s decision to stay or quit, according to a new survey from GoodHire, a provider of employment and background screening services.
In fact, while 70 percent of surveyed workers across 10 industries said they enjoy working for their manager, 82 percent said they might quit their job because of a bad manager.
The biggest complaints workers had with their managers were micromanagement and requests for employees to work outside of working hours. Only 22 percent of those surveyed felt like their manager definitely trusts them to be productive and hard-working during remote working hours. Less than half (46 percent) said their manager respects their personal time.
Workers would like to have a manager who supports their career and is trustworthy. However, fewer than a third (32 percent) of those surveyed believe their manager really cares about employee career progression. Only 39 percent of respondents believe their manager is open and honest about promotion opportunities, while 44 percent believe they’re honest when it comes to conversations about salary and compensation.
“Workplace dynamics have changed drastically,” said GoodHire’s Chief Operating Officer Max Wesman. “Now, employees have more leverage, so managers need to step up and work on being better managers, and that includes showing empathy, improving transparency and keeping the lines of communication open. Our survey is telling us that when employees aren’t satisfied, they’ll quit because they see the thriving job market and other opportunities available to them.”
GoodHire surveyed 3,000 U.S. full-time workers across 10 industries: education, finance & insurance, healthcare, hospitality, human resources, legal, marketing & sales, real estate, science & tech, and software. See the full report: Horrible Bosses: A Survey of the American Workforce