24% of employees are working for the 'worst boss ever'

Managers are vital to how employees feel about their workplace, with a bad boss often pushing people to look for work elsewhere. But how common are bad bosses to begin with?

Sixty-four percent of employees believe they are currently working for the worst manager they've ever had, while 24% say they are working for their worst boss ever, according to data from business management consultant Perceptyx. The company pulled from four different studies they conducted in the last year, focusing on management and the employee experience. Notably, two studies surveyed over 1,500 employees and over 1,500 people managers, respectively, to gain a better insight into manager behavior. 

While it does seem that there are more good bosses than bad, to have nearly one-quarter of employees feeling frustrated with their current boss spells big trouble for their organizations, explains Emily Killham, director of research and insights at Perceptyx.

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"Those with the worst management say workplace stress frequently impacts their productivity at work," says Killham. "They are also more likely to behave poorly outside of work with their friends and family due to this stress."

Perceptyx found that employees working for their worst managers are two times more likely to report unhealthy coping behaviors such as substance use, overeating and treating their family poorly than those working with their best managers. Meanwhile, employees who love their managers are 2.5 times more likely to report being fully engaged in the workplace, and six times more likely to say they fully belong in their organizations. 

"Having a great boss changes the work environment and people's personal lives as a byproduct," says Killham. "They are more likely to stay with the organization, more likely to be advocates for their organization's brand, and more likely to exert that extra effort."

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On top of that, employees with good managers are more likely to have the right tools to handle stressful projects and get the job done. "These employees are more resilient, even in times of stress, as they report that they can manage that stress and are much more likely to work together across departments to complete work," says Killham. 

Killham notes that this is rooted in good managers not only being described as trustworthy and caring, but responsive, too. In fact, four in 10 employees marked responsiveness as one of the most important management behaviors, and employees with responsive managers are five times more likely to report that this manager is the best they've ever had. And yet, managers themselves slightly undervalue responsiveness, with only three in 10 managers marking it as important. 

Employees also stressed a manager's ability to recognize employees for their accomplishments and provide positive feedback as an essential part of being a good boss. However, managers may have an inflated sense of this ability, with more than four times as many employees rating their managers as "fair" or "poor" at recognition than the managers rated themselves. 

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Still, Killham points out that most managers are likely trying their best but do not have access to the coaching or data regarding their employees' experiences they would need to improve. 

"Most people don't want to be a bad manager — they are doing the best they can with the tools they have," says Killham. "Managers are in a tough position right now. Many are doing a lot more with a lot less — people, money, resources — and 40% say pressures from above and below are increasing.

Many employees don't sympathize with these challenges, with two-thirds saying they would sign up for their manager's position and 48% believing they would do a better job. Despite this, Killham encourages managers to not give up and advises employers to bring leadership coaches into the picture. 

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"In [some] cases, managers don't have the ongoing support they need to be successful in the role," she says. The support they need isn't training. Only 10% want more. Instead, more than two in three want ongoing coaching to improve the behaviors that impact their people."

Kilim emphasizes the importance of investing in company leaders at every level. At the end of the day, management influences the overall performance of the entire company, so it pays not to have what employees would describe as the "worst manager ever," underlines Killham. 

"With all these outcomes on the line, organizations prioritizing the development of effective managers will reap the rewards," she says. "By investing in developing management skills, organizations can cultivate a positive work culture, drive productivity, and retain top talent, all while staving off burnout and negative health effects on their employees."