To keep good staff, hire good managers 

Studies have shown time and again that great employees don’t leave companies - they leave managers.

Today, great managers are more important than ever. Between the aftermath of the Great Resignation, the lasting impact of the COVID pandemic, growing demand for workplace flexibility, rising mental health challenges, and ongoing economic uncertainty, employees are increasingly turning to their managers for direct support, encouragement, and stability.

Being human, approachable, and supportive has never mattered more—especially for managers who want to retain top talent. In fact, a recent poll by Salesforce revealed that while employees once viewed senior executives as their most trusted source of information and guidance, they now look to their immediate supervisors to help them understand the company and connect with its values.

For many employees, the relationship with their direct manager can determine whether they stay in a role—or begin searching for a new one. A poor manager can be the deciding factor in whether someone accepts or rejects a job opportunity.

Unfortunately, managers are not always equipped to be the supportive leaders their teams need. Many are overworked, under-supported, and expected to lead others while managing significant pressures themselves, often without the proper guidance or resources.

So how can organisations better support and retain strong managers, ensuring that this support positively impacts the teams they lead? Here are three key ways to invest in manager development.

Elevate the role of the manager

Building meaningful connections with employees is often viewed as “extra” work for managers—something secondary to their day-to-day responsibilities. As a result, people-focused leadership can easily fall to the bottom of an already overwhelming to-do list.

Organisations must make it clear that supporting and engaging team members is not optional—it is a core part of a manager’s role.

To prioritise these connections, companies should actively ask managers what they need to feel confident and effective in their leadership. By providing managers with the right support, resources, and autonomy, organisations empower them to better support their own teams.

Create ppportunities for growth

Leading through uncertainty is challenging even for experienced managers, let alone those stepping into leadership roles for the first time.

Too often, employees are promoted into management positions because they excel at their technical roles—not because they have been trained to coach, mentor, or lead others. Without the opportunity to develop these critical leadership skills, many managers are being set up to struggle.

Organisations must create intentional development pathways that help managers build confidence and competence. Importantly, these conversations should be driven by managers themselves—not solely by HR teams—to ensure training and support reflect the real challenges managers face.

When managers are given opportunities to grow, they are better prepared to lead their teams with clarity, empathy, and resilience.

Provide peer support for managers

Even the most capable managers need ongoing, structured support—especially in today’s increasingly remote and hybrid workplaces.

Managing dispersed teams requires a different set of leadership skills, and many managers are navigating these demands without adequate preparation. They are no longer leading everyone from one physical location, making communication, engagement, and oversight more complex than ever.

Creating spaces for managers to connect with peers and senior leaders can make a significant difference. Regular team check-ins, peer support groups, leadership mentoring, and one-to-one guidance from senior executives can provide managers with opportunities to share challenges, exchange ideas, and seek advice.

By giving managers multiple channels to ask questions, voice concerns, and access information, organisations can identify and resolve issues before they escalate.

Investing in managers means investing in everyone

There is no doubt that being a manager has become more challenging—but there has never been a more important time to be a great one.

Research suggests that 70% of the variance in team engagement is determined solely by the manager. That makes investing in manager support not just a leadership priority, but a business necessity.

When organisations give managers the tools, development, and support they need to build genuine connections with their teams, everyone benefits. Without that investment, businesses risk losing not only talented managers—but the employees who rely on them most.