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Global HR

Managers falling short of HR expectations, research finds

Employees are not receiving the level of support HR teams expect managers to provide, with gaps identified in performance management, wellbeing and communication, according to new research from Reward Gateway | Edenred.

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A split-scene editorial illustration showing a corporate workplace environment with a visual divide between two contrasting scenarios: on one side, a group of HR professionals gathered around a whiteboard with charts and checklists representing performance management, wellbeing support, and career development responsibilities; on the other side, isolated employees sitting at their desks looking disengaged, with empty chairs where managers should be, subtle visual cues of unfulfilled checkboxes and disconnected communication bubbles floating in the air between them. The overall mood is professional yet somber, rendered in a clean, modern flat illustration style with a muted corporate color palette of blues, grays, and soft oranges, conveying organizational disconnect and unmet expectations in a contemporary office setting.
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Managers are falling short of the expectations placed on them by HR teams, with many employees reporting they are not receiving regular support on performance, wellbeing or career development, according to new research from Reward Gateway | Edenred.

The company’s Bridging the ROI Gap report found a significant gap between the responsibilities HR professionals expect managers to take on and employees’ day-to-day experiences.

“While 43% of HR professionals said managers should own performance management and reviews, 34% of employees said their manager does not regularly review their progression and 38% said goals and targets are not set on a regular basis.

The research also identified shortcomings in wellbeing and workload management. Nearly two in five HR professionals expect managers to support staff through personal and professional challenges, while 29% said managers should direct employees towards wellbeing resources.

However, 40% of employees said their manager does not regularly check on their wellbeing, 37% said workload and capacity are not routinely discussed, and 34% said managers do not listen to concerns or take action to address them.

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Communication around employee benefits also emerged as a weakness. Although one-third of HR professionals expect managers to communicate available benefits and workplace initiatives, only 37% of employees said they were fully aware of the benefits and initiatives available to them.

Chris Britton, director of people experience at Reward Gateway | Edenred, said: “Without effective lines of communication, trust and respect between people managers and their employees, central engagement initiatives all too often fail to translate to behavioural change.

“A lack of managerial engagement and follow-through is one of the most notable killers of impact and ROI, causing people initiatives and programmes to fall at the last hurdle.”

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