Less than half (43%) of middle managers working in frontline businesses in the UK have had an improvement idea implemented in their workplace, according to YouGov research. That is despite around nine in ten managers (88%) having ideas that could improve their organisation.
The fifth annual Feedback from the Field report, commissioned by workplace operations platform SafetyCulture, found that where managers’ ideas are taken forward around one in ten (11%) result in a safer workplace.
Of the five sectors studied, manufacturing stands to benefit most from health and safety (H&S) improvements (14%), followed by hospitality (13%), transport (11%), construction (9%), and retail (3%).
Manager-led initiatives were also found to result in more efficient operations (57%) and improved product and service quality (42%).
Much of the problem lies in leaders’ approach to H&S improvement programmes, according to the study. One of the leading reasons for ideas being rejected is that “senior leadership aren’t receptive to ideas from managers” (37%). Instead, managers say top-down improvement programmes in their organisation are “driven by people who don’t understand how the work is done” and “feel like a senior-level tick-box exercise”.
Alex Brooks-Sykes, SafetyCulture’s UK and Ireland Site Lead, said: “Managers have a unique vantage point – they know the strategic plans of senior leadership and the realities on the production line. This makes them a hugely valuable source of business insight, but one that’s often overlooked.
“Managers are full of ideas for improvement, but they need the right systems and tools to identify issues and make recommendations based on the data.”
The study also found that those in middle management roles spend, on average, an estimated 7.3* weeks every year picking up low-value or unnecessary tasks that distract them from more important duties.
Attending unnecessary meetings, dealing with email overload and correcting others’ mistakes are the top three tasks managers say take up most of their time.
This unproductive time equates to an estimated £13.2bn, taking into account managers’ wages and the size of the UK frontline workforce.
Brooks-Sykes added: “Most middle managers in frontline businesses aren’t set up for success. Too many are stuck firefighting daily issues or buried in admin instead of driving safety improvements on the factory floor.
“Real improvement starts with clear insights. What’s happening, why, and what can be done about it? With these insights, managers can go beyond fixing the symptoms to solve the root cause.”
Read SafetyCulture’s Feedback from the Field report, The $90 Billion Opportunity.
Photo by Tanya Paquet on Unsplash
