1 in 5 managers are not encouraged to learn new skills

• 19% said their organisation doesn’t expect them to learn new things regularly. This rises to 25% of deskless workers in retail, hospitality and leisure and healthcare

• 31% said they weren’t supported in developing their skills

• Insights from a YouGov survey of 2,001 managers across 12 industries

One-fifth of UK managers (19%) reveal they aren’t expected to learn new things regularly, despite the major skills gap facing many organisations. This issue is even more pronounced in industries with a large percentage of deskless workers, where the figure rises to 25%.

Mind Tools’ ‘Building Better Managers’ report, conducted in partnership with YouGov, uncovered significant challenges in management development across 12 key industries. It highlighted that half of managers struggle to grow professionally due to too many competing priorities.

Additionally, 31% of managers report receiving little to no support from their organisation or direct managers in developing the skills they need to excel. Moreover, half of managers (50%) received no support from their organisations when they first stepped into their roles.

Shabnam Shahani, CEO at Mind Tools, said: “These findings underscore the critical gap in leadership development, particularly as organisations increasingly rely on managers to drive performance and retention. Organisations risk losing talent and productivity without a clear focus on managerial development. Our findings illustrate the pressing need for managers to have both the time and the resources to grow their skills effectively.”

When asked about further barriers to their professional development, 13% of managers said they didn’t know what skills they needed to be more effective. The issue is exacerbated by a lack of appropriate tools and resources – 13% of managers state the learning content they have access to is not relevant, while 12% can’t even find the resources they need to learn.

“Our report highlights a key irony in modern leadership: while managers are expected to champion learning within their teams, they are often deprived of the necessary support from their own leaders”, Shabnam continued. “They also often know they need to improve, but many don’t know where to begin. With our assessment tools, we provide a structured approach to learning that empowers managers to take ownership of their development.

“With nearly two-thirds of managers willing to leave a company due to inadequate learning opportunities, businesses must invest in their leaders to stay competitive. After all, supported managers become better leaders, which translates to higher employee engagement and improved business outcomes.”

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