Does pressure make diamonds or lead to depression in the workplace?

As middle managers across Australia continue to be squeezed in the workplace due to added pressure from organisational higher-ups, burnout and overload have become common issues, depriving mental health of flourishing.

It’s become a lose-lose situation for middle managers in Australia who have to juggle the wellbeing of their team with securing positive business outcomes for their organisation in a volatile economic climate.

HR Leader recently spoke to Kylie Green, managing director APAC at Reward Gateway, who shared some passionate insight into the situation that middle managers are in, proclaiming it as a “wake-up call” for organisations.

Recent research from Reward Gateway showed that most middle managers feel burnt out (60 per cent), stressed (57 per cent) and overwhelmed (53 per cent), while only around half as many (33 per cent) senior managers report feeling burnt out.

“Middle managers, I call it the perfect storm because what we’re seeing at the moment is employee engagement is taking a nosedive,” Green said.

“Obviously, it’s a downturn economy, so there’s a lot of pressure on business performance, and middle managers are the ones caught in the middle trying to provide personalised support to their employees who are feeling, obviously, the cost-of-living pressures and trying to deliver business performance to their organisations as well.”

“This research is a wake-up call for Australian businesses. Current strategies are not effectively addressing the root causes of disengagement and underperformance. Leaders need to bridge the gap between management and employees, prioritise employee wellbeing, and foster a culture of appreciation and support. Failure to act fast will mean organisations risk losing valuable talent once the market stabilises.”

That added pressure from upper management isn’t making middle managers; it’s breaking them. The statistics paint the picture when it comes to the high rate of stress and burnout, which ultimately leads to negative mental health repercussions.

“What we’re seeing is that middle managers are the ones very much feeling that, and over two-thirds of managers cited burnout and mental health concerns, and what they’re finding is that eight in 10 middle managers [are feeling] increased pressure from upper managers to improve business performance.

“In many cases, we’re actually looking at some of the youngest middle managers we’ve seen before, so they’ve had less experience and less training invested into them; however, they’re trying to deliver solutions in what is a very challenging [environment], both economy and also wellbeing climate, too,” Green said.

Young managers especially need to be given the proper tools from the organisation that allow them to grow and flourish in their roles. Too often, middle managers are thrown straight into the deep end without the means to stay above the water; it’s something that Green laments as an essential strategy for Aussie businesses.

“It is, unfortunately, commonplace for middle managers to be set up for failure, with just over a third receiving managerial training when they were hired or promoted, and three-quarters rarely receiving ongoing managerial training,” Green said.

“Business leaders need to prioritise engagement and upskilling. If middle managers are attentive and engaged, they will be happier and more fulfilled at work, and, in turn, employees will follow suit, having a knock-on effect throughout the business.”

“Middle managers are crucial to the success of any organisation, yet they are often caught between the demands of senior leadership and their teams. By recognising their challenges and providing the necessary support, businesses can not only reduce burnout and turnover, but they can also ensure a more engaged and productive workforce.”