How To Fix Absenteeism Management

Absentee managers or silent killers?

As workforces continue to be dispersed and disrupted due to the Covid-19 pandemic, HR leaders need to turn their attention back toward the organization’s managers to better serve employees during these uncertain times. It is crucial that they are equipped with the right tools and training to support and empower their teams. When this process is successful, employees will be more engaged and more productive in their roles. 
 
However, HR leaders need to pay special attention to absentee managers, or managers who are psychologically absent from but physically present for their role and enjoy the privileges and rewards of their position without providing any meaningful involvement. Employees are looking to their managers for guidance and motivation due to dispersed workforces, and absentee managers will fail to retain talent.   

Absentee Managers or Silent Killers?  

When we think of poor managers, we tend to think of micromanagers or destructive types who yell and overreact. But, research shows that absentee managers are the most common incompetent leadership style with eight of the top nine complaints from staff concerned with what their managers didn’t do. Although research shows it’s incredibly common, absentee managers generally fly under the radar because they don’t cause any problems that immediately attract the attention of HR departments.  
 

The impact is also shown to last longer than other forms of incompetent management styles. Employees will experience negative effects from destructive leaders for around six months while those who have absentee leaders will experience the negative effects for around two years. The effects can include role ambiguity, health complaints, employee stress, burnout, increased intention to leave and talent drain, which will ultimately affect a company’s bottom line.  
 
Absentee managers’ ability to escape scrutiny and their negative, long-lasting impact on the employee experience can greatly decrease the level of engagement and productivity, making them the silent killers of an organization. To counteract these effects, HR departments need to provide actionable steps for current and future managers to boost leadership skills.  

Preparing Managers for Success 

Proper and frequent training can be a manager’s greatest asset when it comes to creating and improving a positive employee experience. But, research indicates that only about 15% of organizations spend more than seven hours on leadership training, so staff isn’t receiving the support they need to master crucial people management skills. Regular coaching is a must to produce engaged and present managers.  
 
Leadership training should also include tips on how to be an effective mentor. Receiving valuable and accurate feedback is critical for employees to feel respected and supported, otherwise they will become less engaged in their roles and the organization will suffer.  Managers who also use their tools and training to provide mentorship and coaching can bring incredible value to an organization. 
 
Companies should also look to avoid promoting employees to management roles based solely on their performance in a non-managerial role. Having technical proficiency doesn’t mean someone can support and empower staff. HR leaders should be on the lookout for a candidate who has the necessary people management skills to motivate and lead fellow coworkers. Hiring and promoting for manager positions needs to be intentional where candidates either have a solid set of leadership skills or have the potential and desire to learn these skills quickly.  
 
Now, more than ever, employees are looking to their managers for guidance during a second disrupted year and absentee managers can drag down the productivity and engagement of employees if left unchecked. But with the right tools and training, absentee managers can be transformed into effective and successful leaders that motivate and engage employees through these tumultuous times. HR leaders need to begin implementing mandatory actionable steps for managers to improve their leadership skills to position organizations and their employees for success post-pandemic.   

Heike Wiesner is the Director Demand Generation HCM at Unit4. Visit www.unit4.com Connect Heike Wiesner Follow @Unit4Global