written by According to Gallup’s report “State of the Global Workplace: 2025,” manager engagement has dropped by 3 percentage points from 30% in 2024. Engagement among younger managers (under 35 years old) decreased by five percentage points, while engagement among female managers declined by seven points.
What’s the real issue?
Most managers haven’t been trained to lead a team—they’ve been promoted for their performance, not for their leadership skills. As a result, when faced with the responsibilities of managing others, they often struggle under the pressure of employee expectations and leadership demands.
Why Do Employee Perceptions of Management Matter?
Managers are feeling the strain—both from their responsibilities and from leading teams that are currently impacted by low engagement, poor well-being, and high employee turnover.
A good manager should guide people toward success. They are the ones who communicate clearly, support employees, and cultivate a work environment that fosters innovation and collaboration.
Recent research from Gallup and Workhuman identified four key practices that enable organizations to put people at the heart of their success:
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Strategic recognition
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Meaningful feedback
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Well-being support
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Skills development
When Is Feedback Considered Relevant?
While managers are improving some performance management practices, they fall short when it comes to boosting performance through frequent and meaningful feedback. Gallup researchers studied the most common traits of relevant and less relevant conversations. These are the top five characteristics of meaningful conversations, ranked by importance:
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Recognition or appreciation for recent work
Gallup and Workhuman found that only 10% of employees are asked how they prefer to be recognized and appreciated. And only 23% strongly agree that they receive the right recognition for their work. Those who do are four times more likely to be engaged. -
Collaboration and relationships
In a hybrid work environment, collaboration and relationships are at risk, and managers play a key role in connecting the right team members. -
Current work goals and priorities
Clarity of expectations has declined, especially among younger employees (under 35). -
Length of the conversation
A 15- to 30-minute conversation is enough—as long as it happens frequently. In fact, conversations of this length have more impact than 30- to 60-minute ones when held regularly. -
Employee strengths or things they do well
Managers can have much more productive conversations about individual performance when they focus on what employees do best.
MyStaff Platform – Support for Key HR Processes, for Managers and Teams
In a context where manager engagement is declining and teams need clarity, support, and recognition, technology becomes an indispensable ally for HR teams. This is where MyStaff comes in—a complete HR management suite designed to meet the fundamental needs of human resources and to support both managers and employees in the key processes that influence performance and engagement.
MyStaff integrates a full suite of HR software modules—from personnel administration and payroll to time tracking, recruitment, evaluation, and training. Through this platform, managers can gain a clear view of their teams, track goals, and support employees consistently and in a personalized manner—exactly as Gallup and Workhuman’s research suggests.
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Frequent and meaningful feedback becomes easier to manage with MyStaff, thanks to performance evaluation tools that enable goal setting and tracking, as well as documentation of ongoing conversations with employees.
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Recognition and appreciation can be integrated into a continuous HR process, visible to both employees and teams, contributing to the organizational culture.
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Collaboration and team connection are supported through data transparency and real-time access to key information on availability, timekeeping, responsibilities, or professional development.
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Clarity in goals and priorities is reflected in career plans, performance reports, and dashboards that are easily accessible by any manager or HR professional.
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When it comes to employee strengths, MyStaff helps centralize feedback, certifications, and skills, making it easier to have relevant conversations and make well-informed decisions about promotions or training.
With MyStaff, Smartree doesn’t just offer digitalization—we provide an intuitive platform that supports a true transformation of leadership and engagement culture. Where managers need real support, MyStaff offers the ideal framework for structure, transparency, and performance.
We are Smartree, pioneers in outsourcing and personnel administration services, active for 25 years in the Romanian HR market. We deliver innovative, strategic, and automated solutions for your HR challenges. Beyond payroll and HR specialists, legislative consultants, and creators of the MyStaff platform, we most of all aim to be your trusted partner. Contact us for a conversation!
