The report states that while 2012 has been a more difficult year for businesses than many envisaged, managers are a lot more positive about the year to come across a range of measures, including job security, organisational performance and job market confidence.
The report found that 53% of managers are optimistic about their organisation's prospects for the coming year, up 10% from this time last year. And 66% now feel secure in the their jobs, up 6% from 2011.
The report also shows that managers have learned valuable lessons from the economic instability of the past few years and are focusing on their staff to turn their organisations around.
The findings indicate that employers are shifting to a people-focused approach to achieve success in 2013: three of their top five priorities were employee engagement, people development and performance management.
Ann Francke, CMI chief executive, said: "We could be seeing a pivotal moment, where UK employers start to look ahead with renewed optimism.
"While 2013 is expected to be another tough year, it looks like many managers are confident about their organisations' prospects."
Francke added: "The challenge is to convert this optimism into results in the months ahead, which means focusing on developing their teams to deliver results."
The report also asked managers their opinions about the best-run organisations in the UK over 2012. The John Lewis Partnership came top of CMI's poll for the second year running, praised for achieving success while keeping to its values and nurturing its staff. Other top organisations included Virgin Group, the London 2012 Games, Sainsbury's and Tesco.
Francke said: "2013 will be no walk in the park, but the organisations that get the best out of their people will be the ones that succeed."
