In a recent survey by OnePoll and Motivosity, two-thirds of employees reported that the pandemic has negatively affected their relationship with their boss. Indeed, this damage is so significant that 52% report they are actively looking or plan to begin searching for a new job because of their manager. Already facing global disruption, few companies can afford losses from employee dissatisfaction, absenteeism, turnover or damage to company culture. As some might guess, many workers want more money and a higher title, but most of their top 10 desires share a different theme: communication. Workers most wanted more feedback on their role (53%), followed by more honest communication (48%), more appreciation and recognition (tied at 41%), more frequent one-on-one meetings (40%), more responsibilities (38%), more transparency on company direction (38%) and more willingness to listen to feedback and concerns (21%).
Top qualities respondents appreciated in a boss were a positive attitude and communication skills (tied at 46%). “Managers are key to great company cultures—they impact how people feel about showing up to work every day,” said Logan Mallory, vice president of marketing at Motivosity. “That requires an intentional approach and the right tools, but it doesn’t take massive budgets or years of training.”