What middle managers are up against.

Managers short of time for their people

Problem-solving and administration take up a large part of managers' week. Little time is left for coaching and development.

• 13%of managers' time goes on developing their people; almost 40% goes on today's problems and administration.DeloitteNot yet checked
• 30%of managers feel they have enough time to do their job thoroughly.DDINot yet checked
• 59%of UK managers have enough time to manage their people well.CIPDNot yet checked

A caveat. In the same press release, Deloitte cites both almost 10,000 and almost 13,000 participants.

Bigger teams after management layers are cut

Organisations are cutting layers, and the managers who remain get more direct reports. Employees experience this as a lack of direction.

• 12.1direct reports per manager on average in the US in 2025, up from 10.9 in 2024.GallupNot yet checked
• 41%of employees say their organisation has cut management layers.Korn FerryNot yet checked
• 37%of employees feel directionless because there are too few managers.Korn FerryNot yet checked

Falling engagement and exhaustion among managers

Managers' engagement is falling faster than that of their staff, and stress is rising. Some are considering giving up their management role.

• 22%of managers worldwide were engaged at work in 2025, down from 27% a year earlier.GallupNot yet checked
• 71%of managers report a sharp rise in stress, up from 63% in 2022.DDINot yet checked
• 40%of stressed managers have considered giving up their management role.DDINot yet checked

A caveat. In Dutch healthcare, the IZZ Monitor 2025 finds no effect of management duties on wellbeing or exhaustion.

Middle managers worried about their own jobs

Middle managers worry more about being laid off than the people they manage, and are more likely to be looking for another job. Leaders and managers in general are also more anxious than the front line.

• 45%of US middle managers are at least moderately worried about being laid off, against 26% of employees.PerceptyxNot yet checked
• 72%of middle managers are looking for another job, against 52% of employees.PerceptyxNot yet checked
• 43%of leaders and managers fear losing their own job within ten years, against 36% on the front line.BCGNot yet checked

Rolling out AI with less confidence than the top

The day-to-day rollout of AI lands on team leaders. They are more sceptical than senior leadership and get little guidance from above.

• 58%of frontline managers are enthusiastic about AI, against 74% of CEOs.DDINot yet checked
• 3xas many frontline managers as senior leaders worry about the consequences of AI.DDINot yet checked
• 51%of frontline employees use AI regularly; among leaders and managers it is over three quarters.BCGNot yet checked

Middle managers trust the top less

Frontline managers trust senior leadership less and believe less in the strategy than the levels above them. Employees trust their direct manager more than the management team.

• 28%of frontline managers have high trust in senior leadership, against almost 40% at other levels.DDINot yet checked
• 7.5out of 10 is how Dutch employees rate their trust in their direct manager; the management team scores 6.7.IntegronNot yet checked
• 27%of frontline managers trust senior leadership to meet its strategic goals, against 37% at other levels.DDINot yet checked

Managing people without preparation or training

A sizeable share of managers feel unprepared to manage people, just as the role is changing. Organisations see that the role has to change, but few get much further.

• 36%of managers feel insufficiently prepared to lead people.DeloitteNot yet checked
• 7%of organisations are making significant progress in reinventing the manager role; 73% consider it important.DeloitteNot yet checked
• 60%of UK managers have the training and information to manage well.CIPDNot yet checked

A revolving door of managers and constant change

Teams often get a new manager and face one change after another. Appreciation of the manager and willingness to stay fall with it.

• 60%of Dutch healthcare workers had more than one manager in two years.IZZNot yet checked
• 50%of healthcare workers think their manager has a good grasp of what is happening on the front line.IZZNot yet checked
• -6is the eNPS in Dutch organisations in the middle of a change; the national figure is +3.IntegronNot yet checked