What attributes make the ideal boss?
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October 25, 2017
Most adults have a good idea of the qualities and skills most employers look for in prospective new staff member.
However, new research has turned the tables and has revealed the attributes that workers believe make up the ideal boss, and how UK managers match up to them.
Research published by workplace incentives and rewards provider, One4all Rewards, in the UK Management Review Whitepaper, polled 1,024 UK employees on the qualities they would value the most in bosses and how their own bosses match up to the perfect picture.
The research revealed that being honest was the highest valued quality for UK workers (41%) – something many would expect from their bosses.
The second most important quality for 35% of British workers is being approachable.
An ideal boss would also be fair for 24% workers and understandably, a similar number (23%) preferred their manager or boss to be organised.
Another interpersonal quality which was highly coveted in UK bosses was sincerity as 21% felt strongly about this.
The data also revealed how strong an impact a positive boss-employee relationship can have. 25% of workers said that having a good working relationship with their boss would mean they would be more likely to stay at a company for the long term (e.g. 5 years or more).
Female workers are the most likely to value a boss who is approachable (44%), while male workers covet honesty above anything else (45%).
Alan Smith, UK Managing Director at One4all Rewards, said: “Bosses should take note – as our research has shown, the relationship an employee has with their boss can be really key. Maintaining these relationships and being a good manager is about more than just the finished product, or numbers on a spreadsheet.
“A good leader inspires workers to want to work hard and has the kind of relationship that means if an employee is having a problem or is unhappy, they will feel comfortable approaching them to discuss it. Similarly, people also need to be able to be able to place a degree of trust in their boss. Without trust and sincerity, feedback – both good and bad – is unlikely to be believed or taken seriously.”
