Bosses often get a bad rap, whether they earn it or not. Simply introduce the topic of bad bosses and watch as workers who are very eager to share their experiences advance the frontiers of civil discourse.

Reported in the lead-up to National Boss Day, new survey findings by Adecco Group North America's American Workplace Insights Survey indicated that 53 percent of workers who have a boss sometimes question their boss's honesty and only 14 percent of workers reported that they have more respect for what their boss does since the recession began in December 2007. (See Don't Trust Your Boss? Join the Club)

A separate report this year, from Belgium-based training company Krauthammer International, indicated that European managers' behavior doesn't measure up to employee expectations for at least 33 percent of working professionals, and that the disconnect between what employees want from their supervisors and what they're getting is growing wider.

Based on 27 behavioral areas that Krauthammer surveyed, there was clearly a major gap between what is expected of managers and what is provided:

• While 95 percent of employees would like their manager to analyze their task problems together, 52 percent experience this.
• While 80 percent want their manager to admit their mistakes spontaneously, only 43 percent of managers do this.
• While 83 percent want their manager to give them autonomy when delegating, 35 percent experience this.
• While 81 percent expect their manager to consider their personal development when delegating, 32 percent experience this.
• While 80 percent expect their manager to let them finish sharing their ideas and encourage them to go on, 35 percent experience this.
• While 80 percent would like their manager to involve them in dilemmas and problem solving, this happens in 39 percent of the cases.
• While 79 percent would like their manager to involve them when defining their development objectives, only 44 percent of the managers do that.
• While 75 percent would like their managers to praise their good results and efforts, only 39 percent experience this.

On the specific issue of communication, OfficeTeam recently found a significant disconnect between employer/employee perception: while 69 percent of managers polled said messages to employees have become more frequent and 56 percent believe communication is of higher quality, only 37 percent of workers polled agree there's been a boost in the rate of corporate updates and only 38 percent feel information has improved.

Since before the economic downturn began, communication (or lack thereof) has been a quality often lacking from leadership.

For this reason, Adecco Group North America urges bosses to "start or continue an open forum with employees where they can bring issues to the table and have an honest discussion about their concerns," and to "communicate how the company can continue to help employees grow through special assignments, projects or learning opportunities."

"Good or bad economy, how employees feel about their work-life is very much dependent on their relationship with their boss," Bernadette Kenny, chief career officer at Adecco Group North America, said.

In fact, according to the Adecco survey, nearly all workers (90 percent) think their relationship with their boss is at least as important (if not more important) to their job satisfaction now as it was before the recession began.

Yet reports suggest that employers' actions for dealing with the economic crisis have contributed to a sharp decline in the morale and commitment of their workers, especially top performers. More than a quarter of Krauthammer's respondents (27 percent) reported that their commitment to their organization over the next 12 months will be low. These findings are in line with Watson Wyatt's last month.

"Are some managers — perhaps unconsciously — allowing their standards to slip, relying on the belief that their staff are 'hanging on to their jobs no matter what?'" the Krauthammer report asks. "This could be a harmful misconception. More than ever, the 2009 survey sees the need for managers to strive for exemplarity — employees are as alert as ever." (See Making Disengaged Employees Feel Valued)

Laura Sejen, global director of strategic rewards consulting at Watson Wyatt, agreed, saying in a statement:

The fallout from the actions employers have taken in response to the recession is now coming to light, and it is significant. Having less engaged and committed workers is a major concern for employers [and] could have a long-lasting and detrimental impact on productivity, quality and customer service, as well as an increase in the risk of companies losing their best employees.

Interestingly, despite the proliferation of boss bashing, the majority of workers are thankful not to be walking in their boss's shoes.

According to Adecco's findings, 61 percent of workers today would not take their boss's job if offered it, suggesting that employees recognize the increasingly challenging conditions managers and supervisors face today, due in large part to heightened on-the-job pressures resulting from economic and business turmoil.

Related

Are Managers Communicating Enough?

Employees Tell Managers to Shut Up and Listen

Don't Trust Your Boss? Join the Club

Traits of a Bad Boss

24 Questions to Ask Employees

Making Disengaged Employees Feel Valued

8 Things We Want from Work

5 Ideas for Maintaining Morale after Layoffs

Think Your Boss is Lousy? It Could be Worse

Resources

No Boss Envy in the Office...Majority of Workers Thankful Not To Be Walking in Their Boss' Shoes
Adecco Group North America, Oct. 15, 2009

Krauthammer Observatory 2009: What Behaviours Do European Employees Seek from Managers?
Krauthammer International, August 2009

Message to Managers: Take Care of Your Talent or it May Walk Out - No Matter How Stormy the Weather
Krauthammer International, August 2009

Economic Downturn Leading to Decline in Employee Commitment, Morale
Watson Wyatt/WorldatWork, Sept. 21, 2009

Didn't You Get the Memo? Managers and Employees Differ on Frequency and Quality of Workplace Communication
OfficeTeam, Sept. 15, 2009