Managers stuck in the middle

Soft skills are important to develop to ensure your career progresses. Pic Getty.

With flatter structures and fewer resources, middle managers are increasingly being asked to do more with less.

Yet many say they are not receiving the mentoring or training they need to progress or to succeed at their current level.

That was the feedback when recruitment experts Hays surveyed 346 New Zealanders and 1170 Australians in professional services, construction, property, financial services, IT&T and the public sector.

Budgets have been tight in recent years, says Jason Walker, managing director of Hays in New Zealand.

"In some departments, headcounts have been stretched, so it's a challenge for middle managers to achieve what's expected of them and their team.

Of those surveyed in November and December last year, 48 per cent said training and development had decreased. Only 18 per cent said it had increased by the time they reached mid-management level and the final 34 per cent said it remained the same.

Yet employees say training and development is the second most important factor at work (selected by 78 per cent), behind only work-life balance (85 per cent) and ahead of a manager who cares about their staff (76 per cent).

Walker says most middle managers are ambitious, and training is important for the job being done now, plus the job they aspire to next. But, because they are often focused on delivery and outcomes, there can be little time to set aside for training and development unless they proactively make it happen.

"I think it's a case of a lack of time, budgetary constraints and perhaps a genuine lack of awareness about the need to ensure staff can continuously upskill," says Walker. "Given the rapid rate of technological advancements, which impact almost all job functions these days, upskilling needs to be ongoing throughout your career."

However, training doesn't have to mean formal external courses.

"Look for stretch opportunities, volunteer to be involvement in projects, watch a high-performer complete a task you want to become better at," he says. "Learn a new software package or technology, identify someone who would make a good mentor and approach them, or practise skills within your normal duties that you need to improve.

"Soft skills are also important to develop. Whereas most people tend to focus on the technical or hard skills required for their current role or future career aspirations, the soft skills components of a job can be just as important in your overall success.

"Business acumen, the ability to communicate with others, the ability to listen to problems and then come up with solutions and open-mindedness are all important. This can cover anything from being able to work efficiently as part of a team and build relationships, to the manner in which phone calls and emails are handled, to giving presentations in front of clients and management and being able to motivate a group of people to achieve a business goal."

Organisational skills are also commonly cited by employers as a soft skill they value and look for. "Also important are strategic abilities - the ability to see how businesses can be impacted by broader business trends," says Walker.

"Another way to upskill in your existing job and meet goals needed to progress is to develop some expertise in the use of new technology or systems that are becoming popular in your industry or sector. It may even be possible to create a job for yourself that hasn't existed previously."

Walker believes having ongoing training for staff at all levels shows that an employer cares about employees' career development. "Also, if an employee can see a clear path of progression, has talked about this with their manager and knows what they need to learn and achieve in order to take each step forward, they are committed to the organisation's success as well as their own.

"This also makes sense from a succession planning perspective, particularly since middle managers are the people who will one day lead the organisation.

"At the very least, employers can support the upskilling of their staff by providing mentorships, on-the-job learning and stretch opportunities. For example, include middle managers in more senior level business discussions and invite them to share their ideas or give them more senior-level projects to manage and make yourself available for regular catch-ups so you can support them through the project lifecycle.

And advice for employees: "Map your career path. Know where you want to be in the next one, two, five and 10 years. Know what skills you need to reach these goals so that your career development remains on track. And talk to your employer about your career progression.

"Finally, don't be afraid to move on if your manager isn't supportive."