Are early promotions compromising Australian businesses?

A new report is pointing the finger at early promotions as a key enabler for the downfall of Aussie businesses.

According to Capterra, the skills gap forces middle managers to take on bigger responsibilities without the technical expertise needed to sufficiently complete this role. Middle managers who are promoted internally can sometimes advance with a lack of training and support, which has led the report to state that internal promotion must be done through careful consideration.

New leadership roles in any context can make or break an employee’s experience and, in some cases, result in burnout and eventually compromise their performance in the company due to limited managerial training and support.

Laura Burgess, content analyst from Capterra, stated: “Premature promotions are typically coupled with significant gaps in training and support and can contribute to leaving the central management funnel in the dark, overwhelmed and burnt out.”

Leaders and middle managers, especially, often juggle multiple responsibilities, including managing direct reports, completing their assigned work, and reporting to senior team members. Over time, the report stated that middle managers may feel stressed and overwhelmed at work, leading to burnout, as expressed by 73 per cent who have had this experience.

The behind-the-scenes nature of a middle manager role can sweep under the rug those issues that a lot of them face, in terms of burnout and stress. Of those who have experienced burnout, 13 per cent always feel it, while 60 per cent said they do so sometimes. However, using effective training programs for middle managers can reduce the negative impact of workplace burnout.

It’s, therefore, imperative that the proper training and education is given to these middle managers before they are offered to the promotion rather then being thrown straight in the deep end with no floatie.

An adequate amount of training for all management roles is crucial for employees not to feel stressed or overwhelmed. Many middle managers (80 per cent) have rarely or never received managerial training after being hired or promoted. On top of that, 55 per cent have not experienced any form of mentorship from their colleagues, including leaders and managers.

According to the report, middle managers have expressed interest in receiving training on specific topics, including conflict resolution (43 per cent), delegation (41 per cent), communication (30 per cent), time management (29 per cent) and project management (28 per cent). Honing their skills based on these aspects can help them manage their role effectively.

This burnout that a number of middle managers have been facing is forcing them to look elsewhere, with many looking to switch jobs in the near future, indicating burnout, career progression and work/life balance as the main factors in their decision.

“The middle manager role can experience a lack of training, hence why many feel stressed and overwhelmed. With regular training and AI solutions, there can be a more harmonious environment in the workplace, especially for employees in their position,” concluded Burgess.