New Survey Reveals Critical Gaps in Manager Training and Support in South Africa

A recent survey of 117 South African people managers reveals that more than half feel they weren’t properly trained for their roles.

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA, July 8, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Managers play a crucial role in organisational success yet more than half of people managers in South Africa do not receive proper skills training and support. MasterStart, a leading edtech skills training provider, conducted a survey in June 2024 to better understand the state of manager training and support in the country. It revealed that 53% of managers felt underprepared and inadequately trained for their roles.

The survey exposed the numerous challenges managers are grappling with in today's work environment. These include balancing work-life and well-being, talent management and skill development, fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion, navigating change, and maintaining leadership agility and adaptability.

The shift to hybrid work environments since the COVID-19 outbreak also introduced new challenges for managers. Our survey found that while some managers felt adequately prepared, a significant number of 64.9% of our respondents did not receive sufficient training to manage remote teams effectively.

When asked about the skills training they received, many managers indicated a lack of comprehensive skills development. Diversity and inclusion, growing a team, conflict management and people management skills are vital for new and current managers. Yet through our survey, it was revealed that only a small amount of respondents reported receiving training in all of these areas. However, on the other hand, 37.6% of respondents said they’d received none of the above training.

This is especially worrying in South Africa, considering the deep socio-economic issues and the diversity within the country. Without skills training in these areas, specifically diversity and inclusion, where only 38.5% of respondents said they’d received training, managers in local organisations are not being properly prepared to deal with the unique challenges of being a people manager.

Respondents also recognised the need to develop specific skills to enhance their effectiveness. Key areas for improvement that were mentioned include communication, emotional intelligence, coaching and mentoring, adaptability, decision-making, conflict resolution, and empowerment and delegation.

“We are seeing a substantial focus across our client base to develop individuals who can build winning teams to meet the demands of a future characterised by exponential yet constant change driven by disruptive technologies, enabling them to not only be comfortable but adaptable to human and digital interaction,” said Jody Basson, Founder of MasterStart.

Having managers who aren’t equipped with the right skills can be highly detrimental to a business, as they can erode employee morale and reduce productivity. Poor management often leads to high staff turnover, which incurs additional costs for recruiting and training new employees. Moreover, ineffective managers can stifle innovation and impede team collaboration, resulting in missed opportunities and subpar performance.

Customer satisfaction may also suffer, as disengaged employees are less likely to provide excellent service. In the long run, the presence of bad managers can significantly hinder a company's growth and profitability, making it crucial for businesses to invest in strong leadership development and management training programmes.

Find out more in our report here.

Graham du Plessis
MasterStart
+27 72 270 8772
graham.duplessis@masterstart.com
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