Business leaders in the C-Suite can create the most compelling strategies for their business.

Equally, the operational employees can make things happen at a shop-floor level. However, it’s the duty of the middle manager to ensure that the strategy and goals of the business are fed downstream to employees, and that daily tasks are completed in pursuit of the ultimate business objectives. They are the link between thinking and doing, and should they be the weak link… then the business is in trouble.

Sources: ¹Consultancy.uk

Bad management within an organisation doesn’t just result in missed targets – it’s much worse.

68% of employees reported poor morale, and over 40% reported employee burnout, high turnover, and poor productivity due to bad bosses³. But that’s not all. Bad managers can impact the physical and mental health of employees - 77% of employees experienced physical symptoms of stress due to a bad boss, with those who had an inconsiderate or uncommunicative manager 60% more back likely to suffer heart trauma¹.

Sources: ²CIO | ³People Development Magazine | ⁴CB Screening

A good manager requires a range of skills in addition to knowledge of your business.

They need to be good at people management, leadership, accountability, emotional intelligence, communication, and judgment decisions. A failure to excel in any of these areas could see the manager lose the trust and faith of the people they are managing – a slippery slope once it begins.

Sources: ⁵Quick Reviewer

When you need a good manager to drive your business towards success, you can simply go out and recruit one, right?

No, not quite. ‘The Great Resignation’ that is currently taking place in the UK means that workers are seeking pastures new like never before. However, with a wealth of roles to choose from, the recruitment market is highly competitive… and costly. So, do you promote from within your business? This is a good idea, but not without its challenges. Let’s say you have employees that display some of the characteristics mentioned in the previous chapter. Does that make them a suitable candidate? Well, it does… if you are willing to invest in their learning and development. They will have priceless in-house knowledge, but no doubt very little experience in a managerial role. So, they need to be taught.

Sources: ⁶Signature Recruitment

A Google search of ‘Manager training courses’ generates an almost endless list of results and potential solutions for training your managers.

But, are they suitable for your needs? Do they explicitly cover the topics you need your managers to know? Do they provide real-world examples or is it all hypothetical? Will it arm your managers with usable skills that they can introduce to your workplace? And importantly, will it mean your managers spend more time out of the office than they do at their desks? These are all things that need to be considered before you choose a solution. In addition, you need to consider training methodologies and approaches. Will your participants be bored by PowerPoint presentations or will they be interacting? Does the course take into account your managers that prefer to learn by doing? Is the course book-based or is the learning done digitally?

Sources: ⁷Business in the News

An ideal way to give your potential managers the specialist training they need is with degree-level apprenticeships.

Our recognised qualifications ensure your employees are developed and educated for their specific role, before being able to take their learnings and apply them directly into the workplace. There’s very little cost to you as you can use your apprenticeship levy, and the outcome is high-quality graduates managing your business.

At Arden University, we provide your degree-level apprentices with an innovative ‘digital first’ learning experience that supports their career progression and wellbeing. All your apprentices will have 24/7 access to our virtual classroom, ilearn, where resources such as video lectures, library resources and a host of other interactive content is available – so your apprentices can study without putting their career on hold. As the employer, you will benefit from access to reports and dashboards to help you easily track the performance of your employees.

Over 70% of other businesses reported that employing apprentices or training their staff in specific skills helped increase productivity. By working in partnership with Arden University, you can improve your employee retention and productivity by providing them with high-value qualifications, helping them to advance their skills and knowledge. As well as investing in the training and development of your high performers, you will also have the opportunity to introduce new talent by addressing any skills shortages and bringing innovation and fresh perspectives to your business.

Sources: ⁸Arden University