Three in 10 Australian workers dislike their boss - report

Hate your boss? Apparently, you’re not the only one because a recent study found that three in 10 (29%) Australian workers (equivalent to 3.4 million people) said they dislike their managers.

Conducted by YouGov on behalf of the Australian College of Applied Professions (ACAP) in October 2021, the survey of 1,000 Australian workers found that more than eight in 10 (83%) Australian workers (equivalent to 9.8 million people) have been working from home in some capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown period – with half of these workers (53%) having concerns about physically interacting with their boss when they return to the workplace.

Among the finance and insurance workers surveyed, one-third (37%) said they dislike their managers. Meanwhile, one in two (50%) claimed their tolerance for bad behaviour, rudeness, work politics, and drama has reduced compared to pre-pandemic.

“The pandemic and its consequences have created challenges for workers, managers, and business leaders alike,” said ACAP CEO George Garrop. “The ongoing shifts around remote and flexible working, employee burnout, mental health struggles, isolation, financial worries, and many other factors have taken a toll on workplaces – and also, evidently, on the relationships between workers and their managers.”

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According to the survey, the characteristics that workers dislike in their bosses are: lack of emotional intelligence (39%), ineffective communication (34%), tendency to micro-manage (32%), struggle to work flexibly and to adapt to change (32%), failure to apply active listening (32%), lack of empathy about life outside of work (31%), and refusal to apply work-life balance (28%).

It showed significant differences in values and perceptions among generational groups, especially between Gen Z or millennials and baby boomers:

• Gen Z (74%), millennial (70%), and Gen X (65%) workers were significantly more likely than baby boomer workers (49%) to say their manager or boss struggles with soft skills. They are also much more likely to indicate they dislike their manager - Gen Z (33%), Millennials (33%), Gen X (32%) compared to baby boomers (13%); and
• Gen Z (58%), millennials (60%), and Gen X (50%) were more likely than baby boomers (41%) to say they have concerns about having to interact physically with their manager or boss when they return to the workplace.

“As an organisation steeped in applied psychology, we understand that the ‘Great Realignment’ of workers’ expectations is natural given that many people have searched for new meaning in a changed world,” Garrop said. “Yet, it is interesting to see that younger generations, in particular, are expecting more from their workplaces, especially in terms of the people skills they want their managers and leaders to have. The adage ‘people leave managers, not companies’ is ringing truer than ever.”

The finance and insurance workers surveyed said the top skills and qualities their “dream manager or boss” would have are flexibility (56%), effective listening skills (51%), good manners or respect (47%), empathy (46%), and ability to provide clear and constructive feedback on areas for improvement (42%).

Therefore, ACAP concluded that managers and leaders with strong people skills will be increasingly significant for organisations looking to attract and retain emerging talents and get the best out of their employees.

“Traditional workplace cultures and management practices that have emphasised technical skills – without giving due weight to people skills – are no longer meeting the expectations of workers from younger generations, especially millennials and Gen Z,” Garrop said.

“Through programs such as ACAP’s recently launched MBA, managers and leaders can develop the fully rounded mix of technical and people skills they need to get the best out of themselves and others in the new age of work.”