Want to Be Engaged At Work? Get a Female Manager
New research suggests that when it comes to choosing their managers, workers don’t know what’s good for them. One-third of Americans say they’d rather have a male boss, 20% say they’d rather have a female boss, and 46% say it makes no difference—but female managers may be more effective.
According to Gallup’s State of the American Manager report, employees with female bosses are more likely to be engaged in their work than those with male bosses. In fact, the most engaged workers in the study were women reporting to women (35% of whom were engaged). The lowest levels of engagement were found among male workers reporting to male managers—in such cases, only 25% of workers reported feeling engaged. The study also found that female managers themselves are more likely to be engaged at work than their male counterparts.
The study authors concluded with a clear directive for businesses: “U.S. organizations should emphasize hiring and promoting more female managers.” It’s a helpful and necessary reminder, given that only one-third of Americans currently have a female boss.
About the Author
TAKE THE LEAD prepares, develops, inspires and propels women to take their fair and equal share of leadership positions across all sectors by 2025. It’s today’s women’s movement — a unique catalyst for women to embrace power and reach leadership parity.