Switzerland has Europe’s most popular bosses
A survey of several European countries shows employees in Switzerland are the most satisfied with their managers. Six in ten appreciate the trust their bosses place in them, and nearly half feel valued – top scores. On the flip side, one in five people are annoyed by their manager’s poor communication. Here’s the lowdown from a representative survey commissioned by Galaxus.
Boss-bashing seems to be a universal human phenomenon (linked article in German). But just how satisfied – or dissatisfied – are workers with their managers? On behalf of online retailer Galaxus, market research firm YouGov surveyed 5,227 people from Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy and France on the topic.
Switzerland values managers
Of the countries surveyed, workers in Switzerland are the most satisfied with their direct managers, giving them 3.8 out of 5 points. 27% in Switzerland said they were «very satisfied» with their manager. At the other end of the ranking is Italy (3.3 out of 5 points), where only 15% chose the most positive answer.
There’s little difference in satisfaction levels across demographic groups when it comes to age and sex.
Communication is a point of criticism
Before we get to the praise, let’s look at where managers fall short. In Germany, France and Switzerland, employees most commonly complained about their manager’s poor communication, with just over 20% stating this as a pain point. Italians, on the other hand, were most bothered by their managers’ unpredictable mood, while Austrians said they didn’t like unclear decision-making. In Germany and France, an above-average number of people also took issue with a lack of recognition from management.
In Germany, Austria and Switzerland (DACH region), around 33% had no complaints about their manager, while the number was just over 25% in France and Italy.
Happy to grieve, unlikely to leave
These shortcomings rarely push employees to hand in their notice. In Germany, Austria and Switzerland, just 16% have changed jobs because of their manager.
In Italy – the country with the lowest satisfaction scores – even fewer people quit because of their manager (11%). The same goes for France. For the majority of those surveyed, opting for a new professional challenge as a result of being unhappy with their manager simply isn’t on the cards.
What managers get right
60% of people in Switzerland said they appreciate that their boss trusts them. This was also the most commonly cited positive quality in Germany and Austria (46%) as well as in France (39%). Across the surveyed countries, good communication was praised by just over 35%. In Italy, that number dropped to just 23%.
If you want to feel appreciated at work, Switzerland is the place to be. Nearly 50% in Switzerland said they feel appreciated by their manager – the highest figure in the survey.
In Italy, employees stated they particularly value their managers’ approachability and professional competence. In contrast, Italian employees are by a wide margin the least likely to praise their manager for making them feel valued (13%).
Does your boss tick any of these positive boxes? If so, today might be a good day to pay them a compliment. After all, day-to-day work as a manager can be lonely (linked article in German). And if your manager ticks more of the negative boxes, it’s worth giving them some feedback, too, as the numbers show you’re unlikely to quit either way.
How satisfied are you currently with your boss? What sets them apart? Where do you think they could do better? Let us know in the comments.
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