Employee
Business software company Capterra surveyed 340 middle managers, revealing that 71% feel overwhelmed, stressed or burned out at work, and over 40% of managers with less than two years of experience are looking for new jobs. It's clear many of these leaders are reaching their breaking point, and while companies like Meta may believe technology can replace
"Artificial intelligence and technology have come a long way, but that doesn't mean middle managers can be replaced," says Brian Westfall, principal HR analyst at Capterra. "Middle managers play more of a role in an employee's day-to-day experience than anyone else. If you have a great manager, then people will stick around."
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Westfall emphasizes the core role middle managers play in an organization's ecosystem: They take strategy finalized by top leaders within an organization and apply it to their teams, refining how these strategies can actually work in practice. It's not an easy job, and yet, according to Capterra, only 37% of middle managers received training after they were hired or promoted. Another 74% report that they never or rarely received ongoing training as managers. In other words, middle managers are left to figure it out themselves.
"They're not getting the training or resources they need, and it's leading to higher burnout," says Westfall. "So for a lot of middle managers that are promoted to this role, it's a trial by fire."
Westfall points out that many middle managers were previously individual contributors who scored high on their performance reviews, further revealing why new managers may feel at a loss in their new role. In fact, Capterra found that middle managers were just as likely to be promoted based on their success as individual contributors as they were based on their potential as people managers. And while individual contributors can make great leaders, employers shouldn't assume they automatically have the skills to take on their new responsibilities without a hitch.
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"Our obsession with performance metrics funnels individual contributors into managerial roles," says Westfall. "And your skills as an individual contributor are not often the same skills that translate into being a good manager."
The lack of training means it's hard for managers to adjust to their increased responsibilities and still have energy to spare for their team. According to Capterra, 53% of middle managers report being swamped with tasks, with 51% admitting they're unable to dedicate enough time on direct reports.
"The number one thing that managers spend their time on during the week is not people management, but individual contributor tasks," says Westfall. "That just points to a lack of training again, not being able to delegate to your direct reports, so you can spend more time actually managing people."
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Westfall advises employers to add formal training sessions to managerial onboarding and opportunities to build leadership skills while on the job, like mentorship programs and workshops. He also suggests employers look beyond performance reviews when it comes time for promotions and judge whether the candidate has budding soft skills that align more with what managers need in their day-to-day. Lastly, employers should invest in tech tools that take some of the administrative burdens off of their managers so they can focus on what's important: their team.
"Even though companies are in cost-cutting efficiency mode right now, they shouldn't take resources off middle management development," says Westfall. "If anything, this is the year to really support middle managers so that companies can sustain success for the future."
