British companies awash with ‘unintended’ bosses

British businesses are awash with ‘accidental’ bosses who have received no formal training, research shows.

Two-thirds of managers were given no guidance before they took on responsibilities such as leading a team, according to a survey by recruitment firm Robert Walters that has been shared with the Mail on Sunday. Failing to train staff is ‘setting them up to fail’, Robert Walters said.

It could also cause other employees to quit their jobs, as problems with a boss is one of the main reasons that people leave a company.

Many managers are keen to learn, with more than a third having repeatedly asked for formal training. But around half of these said they felt ‘overwhelmed’ or ‘under-equipped’ to handle their new role. Gerrit Bouckaert, chief executive of recruitment at Robert Walters, said the rise of the ‘accidental manager’ was a growing problem.

‘In the past a manager’s primary role was to keep employees motivated and productive,’ he said.

‘Overwhelmed’: Many managers are keen to learn, with more than a third having repeatedly asked for formal training

‘In today’s world they are required to drive the culture and inclusion in the team, lead on digital adoption, possess an innate ability to know if a member of their team is struggling mentally and also be the bearer of bad news.’ They now need to oversee teams that work from home and put more focus on looking after employees’ mental health, he added.

The survey of 2,000 workers echoes a report last year by the Chartered Management Institute that estimated that the proportion of ‘accidental managers’ could be as high as 82 per cent.

This study found that up to 31 per cent of managers and 28 per cent of workers had left a job because of a negative relationship with their manager.

But there are also concerns that the lack of proper training could mean a dearth of future company leaders.

Natalie Trice, a careers coach, said: ‘Management of people, accounts, money or clients is a skill and one that most people need training for.

‘This trend isn’t only detrimental to those being managed, but also the person in the role as well as the business, as it can lead to burnout, loss of clients and higher staff turnover.’