25+ Things You Need to Know About Middle Managers

The Ultimate List of Middle Manager Statistics and The Business Case for Professional Development

What is a Middle Manager?

Middle-level managers are responsible for executing organizational plans which comply with the company's policies. They are responsible for acting as the go-between for top-level C-Suite and VPs and employees on their team otherwise known as independent contributors (ICs). Middle managers also focus on the execution of tasks and deliverables and serve as role models for the employees they supervise.

“An employees’ immediate manager shapes 70 percent of their experience of work. ”
— (Jostle, 2020)

What are the Unique Needs of Middle Managers?

Middle managers are in a unique position, they feel constant pressure from the top to execute on the organization's vision, goals and targets while also managing the limited capacity, stress and conflict of their team members.

They want to move up, yet most aren't given a roadmap or metrics to evaluate their performance on. 

Most middle managers have never been onboarded or trained to serve in this role - to manage people or projects, yet they're expected to act as a coach in many of these situations.

This population was already stretched thin before 2020 and when you add on reduced resources from the people who have left during The Great Recession, dwindling headcount, and slashed budgets, mixed with increasing expectations to pivot and perform; who's left shouldering the weight and picking up the slack?

You guessed it, it's the middle. 

 
 

Current Situation By the Numbers

Retention

  • Employees are 23% more likely to stay if their manager clearly explains their roles and responsibilities. (TinyPulse, 2022)

  • Three in four workers (74%) who plan to stay with their firms for longer than two years are those who have undergone career development training. (ManPower Group)

Turnover

  • 79% of people who quit their jobs cite “lack of appreciation” as their reason for leaving. (TinyPulse, 2022)

  • A recent Gallup analysis showed that nearly half of U.S. workers (48%) are actively job searching or watching for job opportunities. You might assume this loss is inevitable, but it's not: 52% of voluntarily exiting employees say their manager or organization could have done something to prevent them from leaving their job. (Gallop, 2021)

Mental Health/Burnout

  • Two-thirds of American managers and 61% of their UK peers say they are experiencing burnout. (The Mind Gym, 2022)

Engagement

  • 70% of employees lack of engagement is caused by poor managers. (Align 5)

  • Only 35% of middle managers are engaged with their job, 69% are uncomfortable communicating with subordinates, 37% are afraid to give negative feedback. (Align 5)

  • 47% of managers state that they have experienced problems giving feedback and providing coaching to their team members. (YayPay, 2022)

  • 91% of managers are having trouble working remotely, compared to individuals and executives. (HR Morning, 2022)

  • A very significant 87% of middle managers "wish they had received more management training when they first became a manager." (Forbes, 2016)

  • 98% of managers believe managers at their company need more training to deal effectively with "important issues such as professional development, conflict resolution, employee turnover, time management and project management." (Forbes, 2016)

  • Companies pick the wrong person to put in middle management roles 82% of the time. (Align 5)



Benefits of Coaching and Professional Development for Middle Managers

  • In one study, executive coaching had a 788% ROI thanks to increases in areas like productivity and employee satisfaction. (MetrixGlobal)

  • 77% of respondents said that coaching had a significant impact on at least one of nine business measurements. (MetrixGlobal)

  • A reliable ROI for executive coaching has been reported as 500%-700%. (iPEC)

  • A survey of 100 executives showed that the average ROI of executive coaching was almost 6x the cost of coaching. (International Coach Federation)

  • 51% of organizations with strong coaching cultures report a higher revenue than similar companies. 62% of employees in those organizations rate themselves as highly engaged. (Human Capital Institute)

  • A study showed that individual coaching and group coaching helped to reduce procrastination and facilitate goal attainment. (Frontiers in Psychology)

  • Compared to non-mentored employees, employees who receive mentoring receive higher compensation, a greater number of promotions, feel more satisfied with their career, feel more committed to their career, and are more likely to believe that they will advance in their career. (The Journal of Applied Psychology)

  • A case study on women leaders who participated in coaching shows that leadership coaching can improve: self-awareness, self-confidence, self-leadership, leadership style, as well as their relationship to power, conflict, and personal life. (International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring)

  • 75% say that the value of executive and leadership coaching is “considerably greater” or “far greater” than the money and time invested. (International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring)

  • 89% of workers who have received coaching say that it has improved their job satisfaction and contentment at work. (ManPower Group)

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