Employees who feel supported by their line managers are 3.4 times more engaged at work compared to those who don’t, according to the latest research*.

Data collected from approximately 50,000 employees across various UK-based organisations emphasises how multifaceted the line manager role is, and the broad range of skills required to facilitate high levels of engagement.

The survey results showed that out of nine different elements of the line manager role, trusting employees to do their jobs and providing support have the greatest impact on how engaged people are at work.

For instance, employees who feel their line manager trusts them to get on the job have an Engagement Index Score of 81% whereas employees who do not feel trusted have an Engagement Index Score of just 28%. Coming in very close behind, employees who feel supported by their line managers achieve an Engagement Index Score of 74% versus just 22% for those who do not feel supported.

Jodie Harrison, Insights Consultant at Inpulse, explains: “Line managers are unquestionably influential in shaping our experience at work and how we feel about our jobs. We have all heard the saying that ‘people leave managers not companies’ and the importance of finding, retaining and developing the right talent to carry out this pivotal role is only increasing.

“Staggeringly, the survey shows that lack of any given skill can cause engagement scores to plummet by up to 53% points. As the way we work continues to evolve, the ‘line manager’ role follows suit and now requires more time and attention if we wish to support people to be their best and thrive.’

“The juxtaposition of trust and support, the two factors with the greatest impact on engagement, indicates that there is a delicate balance to strike between being available to offer help and support and taking a step back to empower people to get on with their work. Ultimately, this enables higher productivity, engagement and wellbeing at work.”

Listening to employees’ ideas and caring about employee wellbeing were also two top skills highlighted by the survey that scored over 80% on the Engagement Index.

“Line managers’ true purpose is to inspire and to enable others to grow and develop, and the outcomes are to increase productivity, innovation and engagement in the workplace culture. To achieve the latter, it is not enough to focus solely on line manager skills and behaviours. We need aligned input from the organisation and senior leaders to have the greatest impact and bring about change,” concludes Harrison.

*research from Inpulse