British Managers Feel Bosses Care More About Profits Than People

Research from Perkbox Vivup reveals a disconnect between managers and business leaders on the need to prioritise employee challenges, needs, and engagement.

By Maggie Mancini

Research from Perkbox Vivup Group, the global benefits, well-being, and engagement platform, has revealed a big rift between managers and business leaders, with 60% of managers agreeing that there is a growing disconnect between managers and those leading the business. This presents a challenge for business leaders, as they attempt to navigate an economy in which business growth is difficult to achieve.  

Frustratingly for business leaders, there appears to be a perception that they are placing a disproportionate focus on the bottom line and not prioritising employee challenges, needs, and engagement. In fact, most of Britain’s managers (66%) believe their leaders care more about profit than their people and 59% of manager respondents say business leaders are shirking their responsibilities when it comes to supporting team members.  

As a result, it’s unsurprising that nearly three in five (58%) agree that their engagement with the business will be negatively impacted if further pressure is placed on them. Managers feel forced to perform beyond their capacity, with 59% saying business leaders expect them to deliver what they view as the impossible.  

Business leaders need to make time to listen to their managers’ experiences. Less than a third of managers (30%) feel they work at a business that encourages open conversation about the challenges they are experiencing, and this is impacting their ability to help themselves and support their teams.  

Meanwhile, 68% of managers believe business leaders are too far removed from the day-to-day work and are failing to acknowledge increasing stress levels. Further, over half of managers don’t believe their leaders listen to their feedback or make necessary changes that could make an impact.  

The research highlights where managers believe there is a specific shortfall in support. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of managers claim that business leaders expect them to provide meaningful support to their teams, yet do not provide the necessary tools. Meanwhile, a similar number (66%) say that their team members want greater access to personalised perks and benefits, another indication that businesses aren’t perceived to be providing adequate support.  

There remains, however, a bridge of understanding across these groups as over half (52%) of managers agree that their business leaders are doing all they can to help managers provide the best support possible to team members. Moreover, this rises to 60% of managers who already have access to perks and benefits offerings.