New Wiley research suggests work-related
stress caused by staffing instability has managers feeling overwhelmed
HOBOKEN, N.J.—Managers are feeling stressed and overwhelmed by the
impact of the Great Resignation, according to The Great Resignation: When the Unflappable Manager…Flaps,
a new study by Wiley(NYSE: JW-A), a global leader in research and
education.
The report, based on a survey of nearly 5,000
working professionals conducted by Wiley’s Professional Learning research team, suggests the record number of
resignations across the country over the past several months have led to increased instability of work teams,
making workplaces stressful and even chaotic.
The vast majority (89%) of respondents said
they have experienced at least one team shift over the past year, which can include the loss or transfer of a
team member or a change in manager, and the majority have experienced two or more team shifts. This is
particularly problematic for managers, who are tasked with maintaining productivity during these times of team
instability.
When managers are stressed, the impact on
staff retention can make matters even worse, as managers play a critical role in employee satisfaction. In a
previous report in this Wiley series of studies on the Great
Resignation, nearly all employees surveyed (96%) agreed that their manager has an impact on their well-being at
work, and 42% said they have left a job in
the past because of their manager.
“It's well known that having good managers is
vital to organizational success, but their role becomes even more critical to employee engagement and retention
amidst the Great Resignation,” said Cherryl D'Souza, Vice President of Brand Management at Wiley. “In order to
ensure managers get their unique needs met throughout this time of instability, Wiley is working hard to help
companies understand how to better support leaders to reduce work-related stress.”
Managers Less Likely to Benefit from
Stress Management Resources
Managers and individual contributors appear
to have roughly equal access to stress management resources offered by their employers, such as virtual
counseling and support and greater flexibility in work location and hours. However, the findings suggest
managers are less likely than individual contributors to benefit from those resources, possibly because of the
complexity and workload of the managerial role.
The report suggests that because managers
face additional responsibilities, they have less time to take advantage of such resources. They may be required
to take on additional work to make up for the loss of team members or focused on helping remaining employees
manage their own workloads.
Managers may also be actively avoiding stress
management resources for fear of being perceived as weak or unable to handle work-related pressure.
Recommendations
Wiley’s report offers three main
recommendations for how companies can help managers handle the unique circumstances and additional stresses
created by Great Resignation.
- Offer managers a safe space to talk about
work-related stress and listen to their needs.
- Provide recognition to managers for the work they
are doing and take steps to help them feel respected, valued, and appreciated.
- Offer management skills training so they are
better equipped to deal with the day-to-day demands of the management role.
This research report is the second in a
planned series of four reports on the impact of the Great Resignation on the workplace.
Wiley offers professional learning solutions
such as Everything DiSC, CrossKnowledge, The Leadership Challenge, The Five Behaviors, and PXT Select designed
to help companies, managers, and individual employees assess and improve workplace skills, perform better, and
become more successful.
Methodology
The Great Resignation: When the
Unflappable Manager…Flaps is based
on a sample of 4,937 working professionals from across a variety of industries, primarily in the US, who
responded to and completed Wiley’s survey.
About Wiley
Wiley is a global
leader in research and education, unlocking human potential by enabling discovery, powering education, and
shaping workforces. For over 200 years, Wiley has fueled the world’s knowledge ecosystem. Today, our high-impact
content, platforms, and services help researchers, learners, institutions, and corporations achieve their goals
in an ever-changing world. Visit us at Wiley.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Contact:
Ed Colby / edcolby@wiley.com