According to the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), an overwhelming majority (93%) of those questioned in its latest Economic Outlook research suggest employee morale has declined in the past six months, with 62% also claiming they are pessimistic about the future and 53% fearful of the impact of skills shortages on leadership capability.
Almost half (47%) have also admitted to leaving their job because of a bad manager, with many claiming their boss is authoritarian (21%), bureaucratic (16%) or secretive (13%).
Narinder Uppal, head of the awarding body at CMI, says: "We may be living through a tough economic climate, but that is no excuse for creating a pressure-cooker atmosphere in the workplace. It is the responsibility of employers to create an environment in which their employees are able to express their views without fear of reprisal. Yet too many managers seem to have fallen into their leadership role by accident and too few are doing something about it."
CMI’s data goes on to reveal 68% of managers admit to getting into their role ‘by accident’, with 63% claiming they have had no management training while 30% admit to being scared of looking incompetent if they ask for help.
Against this backdrop CMI is, today, unveiling a suite of qualifications designed to build managers’ confidence and inspire better leadership in public-sector organisations across the UK. Ranging from Level 3 (equivalent to A levels) through to Level 7 (comparable to post-graduate degrees), the new qualifications focus on project management skills, public service leadership and ‘neighbourhood management’.
Designed to meet the needs of individuals with limited experience of management through to those in senior positions, the new qualifications will cover a wide variety of issues. These range from identifying anti-social behaviour and understanding how to work collaboratively through to contributing to financial efficiency and driving equality and diversity. Individuals undertaking the qualifications will not have to hold previous qualifications, though they will be expected to have sufficient experience to match the qualification level they register to undertake.
Employee morale has plummeted in the public sector in the past six months
Staff confidence in business leaders and employers across the public sector has hit an all- time low.
