At esphr, we talk with HR professionals and employers across the UK every day who recognise the demands of being a line manager and the critical role they play in today’s complex and rapidly changing workplace. They face significant challenges, including moving from mate to manager, supporting hybrid teams and managing dispersed and diverse team members. They have to deal with a growing range of employee relations challenges, and support team targets, all whilst juggling their own projects and workload.

In the face of radical changes in the working landscape over the past few years, a pressing concern emerges: Are organisations providing middle managers with the support they need to thrive?

Through our conversations with HR professionals and employers alike, it has become evident that equipping middle managers with the confidence in their capability to deal with employee relations issues is essential. Not only does it enable them to forge stronger connections with their teams, but it also empowers them to proactively address potential issues before they escalate into more significant problems. Middle managers are the vital linchpin to an organisation’s ultimate success.

At esphr, we share a passion for guiding and supporting UK businesses. That is why, earlier this year, we commissioned national research into the employee relations challenges faced by line managers and their confidence to deal with a wide range of people issues in the workplace. Our primary goal was to uncover the real cost of underinvestment in line managers and its impact on an organisation’s employee brand and wider organisational success.

The results of our comprehensive research and analysis have been illuminating. We’ve identified the main line manager capability concerns that are shared by both HR professionals and line managers themselves and have unearthed from fascinating findings – particularly about the correlation between age and seniority demographics and possessing the confidence to have difficult conversations and provide support to team members through challenging life events.

It’s an essential read. You can download a copy of the whitepaper “Middle Managers Matter:Why Investing in Your Line Managers is Critical to Effective Employee Relations” here.