Dive Brief:
- A new survey from Betterworks reveals that managers' self-assessments on the quality of their coaching and feedback abilities differ from HR's evaluation of their skills. In the 2018 State of Continuous Performance Management Survey, fewer than one-third of HR managers surveyed said they thought their managers do a good job coaching and developing their teams or know how to best coach their teams. Betterworks, an HR software performance management enterprise, said it polled 800 HR specialists and managers on people managers' roles in motivating employees and how HR professionals can increase their impact across organizations.
- Almost 90% of managers surveyed said they believe their bosses would say they're good coaches and mentors. Three-fourths said they know best how to coach their team and 87% agreed with the statement, "I am a good coach."
- While managers rated themselves highly, they also said they wanted to improve their skills. Almost two-thirds said they wished they had a better way to collect feedback from their team and their peers. Most managers cited a lack of support from HR; only 35% of managers said they think HR supports them well.
Dive Insight:
The Betterworks study demonstrates a disconnect between managers and HR and how differently each views the other. However, it's a disconnect that's reparable if managers receive honest feedback about their abilities, HR shows more support for managers and HR sees that managers get the training needed to lead their teams. In fact, managers' duties and accountability are greater and more expansive today than they've ever been. Managers must not only be effective coaches and mentors. They also must have measurable goals when it comes to employee engagement and retention. And they must also be ready to lead a changing labor force; some reports have predicted that 60% of the workforce will be independent by 2027, which will redefine the role of a manager.
A surprising outcome of the Betterworks study is how highly managers rated their abilities while admitting a desire to improve. Managers clearly recognize some shortcomings in their leadership skills and see value in additional training. Almost half of managers in a West Monroe Partner study released in April said they received no formal training, with 42% saying they developed their managerial style by mimicking that of other leaders. HR can make sure that managers get the training today's leaders need to motivate and develop employees, moving their organizations forward.
