With just four weeks to go in REED’s search for the Manager of the Year 2014, the recruitment specialist has partnered with YouGov to research how British workers feel about their bosses. It found that managers need to play a tough balancing act when it comes to being friends with their employees outside of work, with workers indicating there’s a fine line between being friends with their boss and their boss knowing too much about their personal life.
Work night out?
The research, which sampled more than 2,500 GB workers, found that employees are generally happy for supervisors to come along on work nights out. The majority of employees (61%) would go for a drink or socialise with their manager, with more than a third (35%) saying they already do this.
25-34 year olds and employees in London are most likely to want to socialise with their manager, with 70% agreeing in each case. But, only 54% of 18-24 year olds are happy to socialise with their boss, making them the least likely age group to go for a drink with their manager.
The financial services industry is most comfortable with socialising with their superiors, with 80% happy to go for a drink with their boss. Hospitality & leisure and retail workers feel the strongest about not socialising with their supervisor, with 43% and 42% respectively saying they would not see their manager outside of work.
Facebook friends
However, when it comes to social media it seems the majority of Brits want to keep their personal life under wraps, with 57% of workers saying they are not and would not like to be friends with their manager on Facebook. On average only 15% have accepted a friend request from their boss.
Welsh workers are the most relaxed about letting management see their latest selfies, holiday snaps and status updates, with 27% either already Facebook friends with their manager or would like to be. Those in London feel most strongly about keeping this division between professional and personal lives, with 62% not wanting to pair up with their boss on Facebook.
Workers in marketing, PR, advertising and sales are far and away the most likely to be friends with their boss on Facebook, with nearly a third (31%) already connected – more than double the national average. Manufacturing and education are the sectors where people are least in favour of befriending their manager electronically, with 65% and 64% respectively not wanting to be Facebook friends with their supervisor.
Younger workers are also more likely to be Facebook friends with their supervisor, with 34% of 18-24 year olds and 31% of 25-34 year olds happy to accept a request.
Tom Lovell, group managing director at REED, adds: “Our research shows that managers have to work hard to strike the right balance between being too friendly with their employees, and being seen as one of the team – with different workers wanting different things. Being managed in the right way can bring out the best in people and can make all the difference as to whether they love or hate their job.
“We are calling on workers who think their manager is doing a great job to nominate their boss for Manager of the Year 2014. It’s a great opportunity to recognise a manager that’s going above and beyond, making their company a successful and happy place to work for.”
Now in its third year, Manager of the Year, powered by REED, is a nationwide search that aims to recognise and reward top managers. If your manager is a cut above the rest, big-up your boss by visiting www.manageroftheyear2014.com and nominate them for the chance to win up to £1,000 to spend on their team. Nominations close 9 November 2014.
