If managers believe their efforts to better the workplace and support employees are good enough, but employees see room for improvement, can they find a middle ground?
Checkr, an employee background check platform, recently surveyed an equal number of
But when it comes to areas such as
"It comes back to opening lines of communication between managers and employees," she says. "Training and support programs for managers on how to recognize those signs is another area that employers need to put more of an investment in. Give them the tools they need to figure out how to better communicate."
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Better communication can help employers navigate contentious areas where they're not aligned with their teams: When it comes to returning to the office, the survey found that while 68% of managers would like to see remote work continue, only 48% of employees agree. Whereas managers may have figured out a good communication strategy that they believe is working, employees may feel as though they've been left to fend for themselves.
"Employees would like to get back to the office because they want to be in front of their manager," says Sam Radbil, founder of Radbil Media Strategies. "They want to showcase what they're doing every day, and they may feel they lack progression career-wise. In terms of stages of your career — manager versus employee — a disconnect might occur."
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Whether remote, hybrid or in-office, employees are disappointed in managers' efforts in areas of mental health and wellness, too. Nearly 60% of managers believe they are doing a good or very good job handling mental health issues, while almost 40% of employees classified their manager's job as poor or very poor. Forty-one percent of managers said work takes priority over employee mental health and well-being, but an equal number of both groups — almost half — acknowledged that burnout is an issue that needs more attention this year.
"If you recognize those things — burnout, struggling with work-life balance — set aside time on a regular basis to have conversations, maybe even make room for fun and connection activities throughout the week on an ongoing basis," Korolevich says. "Remind employees there may be programs they can take advantage of such as company counseling or wellness resources, and definitely encourage employees to take advantage of their time off."
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To improve any area of disconnect and create a more ideal workplace, remembering that employees should be viewed as humans first, workers second, sets a strong tone, says Radbil.
"Managers should try to be empathetic toward people's lives," he says. "Giving managers the opportunity to treat people like they need to be treated to get the best out of them and develop them, that's the most important thing. It comes back to building trust and relationships."
