One in four managers have never had management training, survey finds

This is despite figures showing those receiving regular training are happier in their roles and more likely to stay with their employer

More than a quarter of managers have never had any formal training on how to manage people, a poll has found.

The survey of 1,031 UK employees, conducted by Digits, found that 26 per cent of those who manage or supervise people at work have never had management training.

A further two in five (39 per cent) said they received management training when they first took on managerial responsibilities, and just a third (35 per cent) said they received regular management training.



Of those polled, half (52 per cent) said they had management responsibilities.

The research also found that managers who received regular training were more satisfied with their roles and more likely to stay with their employer.

Of the managers polled who did receive regular management training, three-quarters (77 per cent) said they liked or loved their current job, compared to just half (54 per cent) of managers who hadn’t received any training.


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Similarly, two in five (38 per cent) of managers who were not receiving training said they were planning to change employers or look for a new job in the next year, compared to just over a quarter (28 per cent) of those who received regular training.

Men were more likely to report having received regular management training than women (38 and 32 per cent respectively), and less likely to have never had any training (21 and 32 per cent respectively).

Women were also more likely than men to report that their workload wasn’t reduced when they first assumed management responsibilities (55 and 47 per cent respectively among full-time employees). In total, half (52 per cent) of all managers said their workload wasn’t adjusted to take into account new management responsibilities.

Overall, full-time employees were less likely to have never received management training (25 per cent and 40 per cent respectively).

Individuals leading large teams were also more likely to have received regular management training. Over two fifths (42 per cent) of those polled who managed 10 or more people said they received regular training, compared to just 25 per cent who managed one person.