It’s not you, it’s me: Correcting bad management

Can you fix a bad manager? Companies around the world spend ample amounts of time and resources hosting training sessions, sending management to conferences and hiring consultants to boost the productivity of their workplace in an effort to address this problem. While many of these methods may help certain managers who are willing to grow, the only true way to ensure good management is to hire the right person for the job.

How rare is authentic talent?
While most employers want to only hire naturally talented leaders for their management team, Gallup research shows that only around one in 10 managers possess outstanding leadership abilities. The other nine managers are most likely underestimating their skills, not invested in their work or simply not cut out for management. Two in 10 have the ability to learn or possess some of the needed traits that make a qualified leader.

A 2015 Gallup poll, the State of the American Manager, is a comprehensive study into what is characterized as good management. Analyzing over 2.5 million management teams in 195 countries, researchers examined the intricate links between productivity, profitability and high-quality managers. Through their findings, they discovered that many organizations choose the wrong person for the job around 82 percent of the time. Only 18 percent of those current managers stated that they are highly talented and the right fit for their job. This means that most companies are suffering because they failed to appoint the most talented person for the role.

Are your managers empowering, engaging and enhancing the lives of the employees in your workplace?

Unengaged, underperforming management phenomenon
This study also researched the correlations between engagement and performance. Of those managers classified as having high levels of managerial talent, 37 percent are not engaged at work. Neither are 58 percent of those with limited managerial talent. What these figures show is that managers who are highly qualified for their job are less frequently disengaged from their work or staff, causing fewer problems than less talented managers who are more likely to mentally or literally “check out” during the day.

While a small drop in company morale or slight loss in productivity may seem like an insignificant price to pay, the Gallup research shows differently. Though the losses vary by industry or business size, Gallup reports that managers who are not engaged or actively disengaged from their work cost the U.S. economy anywhere from $319 to $398 billion each year. This cost is calculated through low productivity levels, high turnover, poor-quality work and less profitability accompanying poor management.

So, can you actually fix bad management?
The research shows that the vast majority of companies cannot afford to lose time and resources on bad management. Leaving unqualified bosses in their current positions without providing any training opportunities or performance reviews is the wrong choice for companies looking to gain profitability in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

Employees and employers alike should come together to make the workplace more encouraging and efficient. Only when employees feel comfortable in their positions and with their managers will they be more likely to stay at their company for an extended period of time. To retain employees, companies must evaluate how those individuals feel about their management.

“Employees and bosses should aim to develop a strong relationship rooted in mutual trust and respect,” Sandy Mazur, Spherion division president, told Business Daily News. “If there’s a concerted effort from both parties to invest in and nurture the relationship, then both employees and bosses are more likely to be engaged and in sync with each other’s goals, objectives and expectations. A solid relationship between boss and employee also pays long-term dividends for the employer. Happy employees tend to be more engaged, motivated and productive.”

One of the most effective ways to avoid bad management is to never hire unqualified candidates in the first place. With EmployTest’s pre-employment testing, hiring managers no longer have to worry if their applicants have the talent needed to perform their job well. Contact us today to learn more!