Majority of managers ready to quit due to pressure, Perceptyx survey reveals
CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES — A new study from Perceptyx reveals a growing crisis in people management, with 58% of managers expressing a desire to leave leadership roles amid mounting pressure to crack down on employee performance.
According to Perceptyx’s Center for Workforce Transformation, which surveyed over 1,500 managers and 4,300 employees across the U.S. and Europe, 64% of managers report being pushed by higher-ups to adopt a tougher stance this year.
This pressure is taking a toll: managers feeling the squeeze are twice as likely to say their job is more challenging than last year, 1.8 times as likely to report that stress hampers their productivity, and 1.6 times as likely to be seeking a new role. Nearly 70% would give up managing people if given the chance.
Employees feel the strain
The impact is not limited to managers. Forty percent of employees say their bosses have become more demanding in the past year, while only 26% disagree. More than half (56%) report being expected to take on new challenges without additional support, and 40% have been warned that underperformers will be replaced.
One particular management tactic—requiring weekly progress reports—stands out as especially unpopular. Nearly three-quarters of employees with such requirements say work stress made them unproductive at least one day last week, a rate 1.4 times higher than those with more trusting managers.
“Strongman” tactics backfire
Despite the trend toward tougher management, Perceptyx’s research suggests that “strongman” tactics can backfire. While even top-rated managers are asking more of their teams, how they do so matters.
Employees with excellent managers are nearly four times as likely to believe their boss is tough out of genuine care for their success, and 2.7 times as likely to feel valued.
By contrast, three in four employees who feel “ruled with an iron fist” are actively job hunting. When fair or poorly rated managers become more demanding, their employees are 1.2 times more likely to seek other jobs.
Perceptyx estimates the cost of poor people management drains over $500 billion annually from the U.S. economy through high turnover and lost productivity.
A call for support
“Managers are really on the edge — and it’s not getting better,” said Emily Killham, Senior Director at Perceptyx.
“Ruling with an iron fist doesn’t translate to better performance from team members, and it also drives managers right out the door. Focusing on results and holding employees accountable doesn’t make you a bad manager — but that approach is best achieved through care and commitment.”
Killham urges organizations to rethink their approach: “If you want more leaders who can drive performance without driving their teams away, it’s time to seriously support your managers: define what great leadership looks like, provide time and resources to achieve the outcomes, and invest in personalized development built around their needs.”
