Gallup Just Confirmed What Many of Us Have Witnessed Firsthand

Every year, Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report gives us a snapshot of what’s really going on inside organizations. This year’s 2024 report? It didn’t just contain data—it told the truth many of us have been living.

The Big Headline: Manager engagement is falling fast. Globally, engagement dropped 5 points. For female managers, it dropped 7.

If you’ve spent any time in manufacturing or service environments, you’re probably not surprised. You’re nodding, maybe even sighing. This isn’t news—it’s validation. We’ve seen the warning signs for years. Our managers are running on fumes, thrown into leadership roles without support, and handed a laptop and a title like that’s enough.

It’s not.

The Training Gap That’s Costing Us

Here’s the kicker: less than half of managers worldwide have received formal leadership training. Let that sink in. We take our best technical performers and expect them to magically lead people—without support, training, or tools.

But Gallup didn’t just highlight the problem—it showed the path forward.

Managers who received leadership training saw their thriving scores rise from 28% to 34%. Add ongoing encouragement? That number jumps to nearly 50%.

This isn’t complicated—it’s just rarely prioritized.

I’ve watched productivity stall at a plant for six straight quarters. Not a single front-line supervisor had formal leadership training. Within 120 days of starting a structured program, quality improved, safety incidents declined, and production efficiency jumped 12%. Same people, same jobs—just better leaders.

I’ve never seen a successful turnaround without investing in supervisor development. Not once. It’s not optional—it’s oxygen.

Bad Hires Are Breaking Good Managers

Gallup hinted at something else that deserves more attention: the impact of poor hiring decisions on manager engagement.

Training isn’t the only missing piece. We’re also asking managers to lead people who don’t fit the role in the first place.

And this isn’t about blaming the worker. It’s about recognizing that when someone’s wiring—how they think, solve problems, or make decisions—doesn’t align with the job, it becomes a daily grind for everyone involved.

One client of mine had 65% turnover in their hourly workforce. Supervisors weren’t leading—they were reacting. Disciplinary issues, absenteeism, retraining, morale in the basement. Sound familiar?

We implemented a structured hiring process that focused on behavioral and cognitive fit. Retention skyrocketed. Within two years, plant turnover dropped by 61%. In fact, our initial pace suggested we could’ve reduced annual turnover to just 10%—a number we never thought was possible. Why we didn’t is another story.

The impact was massive—not just on paper, but on people. Supervisors finally had stable teams with the space to lead instead of constantly putting out fires.

“No one can build an engaged workforce on top of disengaged leadership.”

A Practical Framework That Works

If we want managers to thrive—not just survive—we have to stop treating leadership like a reward and start treating it like a responsibility that demands preparation.

After decades in the trenches, I’ve distilled a simple four-step framework that consistently gets results:

1. Assess Before You Promote
Before handing someone a management title, use validated behavioral assessments. Can they handle conflict well? Can they adapt? Can they communicate clearly and equally important, can they hold employees accountable?  Don’t guess—know.

2. Start Training Before Promotion
Provide training to high-potential employees who want to grow professionally. Don’t wait until they have the title—prepare them in advance. Include assistant supervisors and group leaders in your development plans.

3. Train with Intent
Leadership is more than task delegation. Build training around emotional intelligence, difficult conversations, coaching with accountability, and leading with both grace and truth. Make it ongoing. Monthly or bi-weekly touchpoints are ideal.

4. Build Support Systems
Assign mentors. Create peer groups. Host leadership labs where managers can workshop real-life scenarios in a safe space. That’s how confidence—and competence—gets built.

One global packaging company put this model into play. A year later, manager engagement rose 22%. Employee satisfaction jumped 17%. Customer complaints dropped by a third. That’s what happens when leaders are equipped to lead.

Let’s Stop Hoping—And Start Building Better Managers

Gallup’s data isn’t just interesting—it’s a wake-up call.

You wouldn’t send someone to fix a machine without tools. Why send someone to manage people without training?

You can’t solve burnout with bonuses, extra pressure, or pizza parties. Perks might feel good in the moment—but they don’t fix systemic issues.

And you can’t build a great culture if your hiring process is a coin flip. Fit matters. Always.

So, if you’re serious about improving engagement, start here:

• Invest in manager development. Allocate 40 hours a year—minimum. It’s not fluff. It’s foundational. Provide training for managers, supervisors, assistant supervisors, and high-potential employees.

• Hire for fit, not just background. Use structured interviews and behavioral assessments. The Predictive Index has worked miracles in places I never thought possible.

• Support leaders long after training ends. Monthly coaching. Weekly supervisor meetings—like focus groups—just to listen to their challenges. Sometimes that alone shows more support than any policy ever could.

The Final Word

Let’s stop expecting miracles from untrained managers trying to lead misaligned teams. Let’s give them a fighting chance.

Better yet—let’s reignite their passion for leadership.

Because when your managers thrive, your people follow.  And when your people follow, performance soars.

Let’s Talk About It

If any of this hit close to home—if you're navigating disengagement, turnover, or feeling the pressure to do more with less—let’s talk.

Whether you need a second set of eyes on your hiring process, want to explore supervisor training options, or just need a sounding board—we’re here.

Reach out anytime. This is our passion and our purpose—helping leaders build the kind of workplaces where people actually want to show up and do their best work.