Research has shown that most companies do not hire strong leadership who will focus on employee development. Trends show most managers today only concentrate on their own jobs, while neglecting mentoring and developing their employees. Generation X employees have high expectations of what they expect from their managers, including immediate feedback (good or bad), assistance in furthering their skills, goal-setting and rewards based on individual achievements. Companies expect more work from fewer people, so managers today are stretched thin to try to be it all for their team. 

 

Many studies have found that management behavior is key in employee retention. Factors that often determine employee turnover include:

 

      Lack of feedback and coaching

      Lack of developmental opportunities

      Lack of reward and recognition

      Lack of perceived value to the company

 

Each of these factors should be in a manager’s control. However, building better managers must start by aligning the company’s culture with clear expectations of the manager’s role, which should be to find, retain and motivate employees. Some areas of change that must occur are:

 

Leadership – Be a role model for the rest of the company. Managers must spend time with their people, set goals and expectations, provide immediate feedback and don’t be afraid to reward great production.

 

Communication – This is one area a lot of companies undervalue. But it is a powerful vehicle that managers can use to send clear messages and enhance performance.

 

Core Competencies – Good technical skills do not equal good management skills. Not all great staff members equal good managers. When you define core competencies, companies can develop individuals to improve in specific areas.

 

Reward – Managers should be rewarded on how they retain and develop employees. Companies that reinforce good managers will build strong management capabilities over time.

 

Structure – Companies must redesign their structure to allow managers the time they need to work with their staff. Managers who can develop talent in their department will result in tenure and increased productivity.

 

Building better managers is not always a quick and inexpensive process, but one that will produce dividends over time.