News

February 26, 2010

Managers choose to risk unemployment to find right jobs

An increasing number of managers chose to resign last year rather than be pushed into roles they didn’t want, research from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) has revealed.

The National Management Salary Survey found that 225,600 managers resigned between February 2009 and January 2010 – compared to 207,000 in the same period the previous year.

The CMI collected data from 43,000 managers and 200 employers. More than half of the employers surveyed cited job insecurity and restructuring within the business as the main reasons that managers resigned.

“It’s surprising that so many managers are leaving by choice during a recession,” said CMI spokesman, Mike Petrook. “It’s a worry for firms that their key staff are so uncertain about their future in the firm, and so lacking in engagement, that they are risking unemployment or taking new jobs where they have to start proving themselves again and so may be even less secure.

“It’s clear that employers aren’t communicating enough with their managers about their importance to the firm,” he added.

The CMI also found that fewer managers were willing to take on a different role in the same business – with only 3.6 per cent asking for a transfer as an alternative to leaving, compared to 5.8 per cent the previous year.

“Whereas previously people would consider changing teams within the business, they are now choosing to leave altogether,” said Petrook. “Employers need to tell their key staff where the business is going, how they can help it to progress and ensure they know that their contribution can really make a difference.”

Forum of Private Business (FPB) spokesman, Phil McCabe, said he would be surprised if as many managers were resigning from small firms as big businesses. “In a small firm, every manager can play an important part in the firm’s survival and in driving the business forward,” he said.

“However, small firms face the problem that after training staff up and developing them as far as they can, they then see them leave to join a bigger firm that has more opportunities,” added McCabe. “On the other hand, many employees have a greater loyalty to a small firm and can develop their careers by getting more involved.”