Employee Appreciation Day

Career Climbers / 1st March 2019

The latest CMI research shows the most effective managers are those who keep employees informed and who involve them in decision-making. Junior and middle managers say the majority (55%) of senior managers are good at keeping employees informed – but only 2 in 5 (40%) are good at involving employees in business decisions.

On Employee Appreciation Day, CMI is highlighting the need for managers to value employees by giving them a voice in the workplace and acting on feedback.

Senior managers who are good at informing employees about important business decisions and involving employees or employee representatives in decision making are twice as likely to be rated by junior and middle managers as effective managers (89% are effective), compared with those who are poor at informing and involving employees (44% are effective).

CMI’s survey of 940 UK managers has shown that junior and middle managers rate senior managers as more effective when they inform and give a voice to their staff.

• 89% of junior and middle managers who rate their senior managers as good at informing employees of changes and involving them in decisions, rate those managers as effective
• Only 40% of junior and middle managers currently feel that managers in their workplace are good at involving employees or employee representatives in business decisions, and just over half (55%) rate their more senior managers as good at informing employees about important changes which affect the organisation.

Senior managers with more open management styles are also likely to be rated more effective by their staff.

Ninety per cent of junior and middle managers who think their senior managers have innovative, entrepreneurial and empowering management styles rate those managers as effective. Only 27% of senior managers who have secretive or suspicious management styles are rated as effective by their staff.

CMI CEO, Ann Francke, said:

“This research confirms what the best businesses already know: leaders who empower their staff by involving them in decisions and informing them of key business changes are more effective.

“At CMI we know that open and honest communication is what managers most want from their leaders, yet the findings from our latest survey suggest that many leaders still don’t get this.

“Past CMI research highlighted that the worst, secretive management styles create four times more stress than the best. Sharing your thinking with those you manage creates happier more productive work environments.”