New research from specialist recruitment consultant REED shows that despite the challenges of the recession, UK workers are being led by cool, calm and collected managers, with 65% of workers saying that they would describe their manager as ‘good’.
The research, conducted by YouGov as part of REED’s quest to recognise the nation’s best managers, asked British workers about their current managers. The findings paint a positive picture of managers in the UK, who don’t micro-manage, with 47% of respondents saying they are given the freedom to get on with their work uninterrupted. They also make their workers feel comfortable (47%), give proper constructive criticism (36%) and are calm under pressure (33%).
Ultimately, workers want a manager who is fair (30%), relaxed (20%) and inspirational (19%), with Sir Richard Branson topping the poll (26%) for the famous person that workers would choose as a manager based on his management style. The least popular style of management overall was a dominant manger, with 4% preferring this kind and only 1% of people choosing Gordon Ramsay, famous for his domineering style, as their ideal manager.
Tom Lovell, group managing director, added: “With a good manager often making the difference of whether someone loves or hates a job, our research showed that many of the UK’s managers do display the qualities that are most desired by workers, such as calmness under pressure and freedom to work without micro-management. We understand how exceptional managers can make a huge difference to the performance of any organisation, both through their own actions and the positive impact they can have on the teams around them. So, with nearly half (44%) of workers saying their manager deserves more recognition, we are urging them to nominate their boss for REED Manager of the Year 2012.”
