Research & Data · Free to Cite
First-Time Manager Statistics
84 verified statistics on management, burnout, AI, hiring, and team dynamics — from Gallup, Microsoft, McKinsey, DDI, APA, and SHRM.
Last updated: April 2026 · 10 topics · Every stat linked to source
About this page
This is a curated, regularly-updated reference of statistics that matter to first-time managers — grounded in data from reports we actually open and verify. Every number links directly to its primary source. We update the page as major reports are refreshed (Gallup's State of the Global Workplace, Microsoft's Work Trend Index, and DDI's Global Leadership Forecast are our standing anchors).
If a stat is outdated, broken, or you spot an error — let us know and we'll fix it.
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All stats are free to quote with attribution to the original source (linked on each card). A mention or link back to this page is appreciated but not required.
Suggested citation format:
[Source], [Year], via firsttimemanagers.com/statistics
Jump to a section
- 01 The New Manager Reality 10
- 02 Difficult Conversations & Feedback 8
- 03 Goal Setting & Team Performance 6
- 04 The First 90 Days 6
- 05 Trust & Psychological Safety 8
- 06 1-on-1 Meetings 7
- 07 Hiring Your First Employee 8
- 08 Managing Up & Career Growth 7
- 09 AI & Management 12
- 10 Manager Burnout & Wellbeing 12
Section 01 · 10 stats
The New Manager Reality
Being a new manager is harder than ever. Engagement is at its lowest level since 2020, and the manager is the single biggest variable in whether that changes.
20%
Global employee engagement fell to 20% in 2025 — its lowest level since 2020.
Source: Gallup, State of the Global Workplace, 2025
22%
Global manager engagement has dropped nine points since 2022, falling to 22% in 2025.
Source: Gallup, State of the Global Workplace, 2025
70%
Percentage of the variance in team engagement that is attributable to the manager alone.
Source: Gallup, 2023
1 in 5
Only 20% of workers worldwide have managers who enable the behaviors of engagement.
Source: Gallup, 2023
79%
Manager engagement in best-practice organizations — nearly 4× the global average.
Source: Gallup, State of the Global Workplace, 2025
+7 pts
Leaders report experiencing substantially more daily stress than individual contributors.
Source: Gallup, State of the Global Workplace, 2025
+10 pts
Leaders also report significantly more loneliness than the people they manage.
Source: Gallup, State of the Global Workplace, 2025
46%
Nearly half of knowledge workers say they feel burned out at work.
Source: Microsoft & LinkedIn, Work Trend Index, 2024
46%
Percentage of professionals considering quitting their job in the next year — higher than the 40% who said the same ahead of the Great Resignation.
Source: Microsoft & LinkedIn, Work Trend Index, 2024
$10T
Global annual cost of low employee engagement — roughly 9% of global GDP.
Source: Gallup, State of the Global Workplace, 2025
Section 02 · 8 stats
Difficult Conversations & Feedback
When conversations get avoided, trust erodes, stress compounds, and the best people leave. These stats quantify what "avoiding the talk" actually costs.
77%
Percentage of workers who reported experiencing work-related stress in the past month.
Source: APA, Work in America Survey, 2023
19%
Nearly 1 in 5 U.S. workers describe their workplace as "very or somewhat toxic."
Source: APA, Work in America Survey, 2023
58%
Of workers in toxic workplaces, 58% intended to seek new employment.
Source: APA, Work in America Survey, 2023
52%
Workers in toxic workplaces reporting harm to their mental health.
Source: APA, Work in America Survey, 2023
26%
Workers who lacked motivation to do their best work due to workplace stress.
Source: APA, Work in America Survey, 2023
23%
Workers whose stress led to a desire to quit their job.
Source: APA, Work in America Survey, 2023
19%
Workers who experienced irritability or anger toward coworkers due to workplace stress.
Source: APA, Work in America Survey, 2023
26%
Only 26% of employees feel their employer respects their personal boundaries.
Source: APA, Work in America Survey, 2023
Section 03 · 6 stats
Goal Setting & Team Performance
Most teams are not clear on what they're trying to achieve — and the productivity gap is measurable. These stats show why goal clarity is one of the highest-leverage manager moves.
$10T
Annual global productivity lost to disengagement — much of it traceable to unclear goals and poor manager direction.
Source: Gallup, State of the Global Workplace, 2025
34%
Only 34% of employees globally report "thriving" — a measure closely tied to goal clarity and manager support.
Source: Gallup, State of the Global Workplace, 2025
20%
Global employee engagement sits at just 20%, the lowest level since 2020 — engagement being the best proxy for whether teams know what they're working toward and why.
Source: Gallup, State of the Global Workplace, 2025
60%
Average percentage of time knowledge workers spend on communication (emails, chats, meetings) — versus 40% on actual creation work.
Source: Microsoft, Work Trend Index, 2024
68%
Percentage of people who say they struggle with the pace and volume of work — a symptom of unfocused priorities.
Source: Microsoft, Work Trend Index, 2024
85%
Percentage of emails that are read in under 15 seconds — meaning most written team communication is skimmed, not absorbed.
Source: Microsoft, Work Trend Index, 2024
Section 04 · 6 stats
The First 90 Days
The first three months decide everything. Onboarding quality predicts 18-month retention, early wins predict long-term confidence, and the skills you build now compound for years.
22%
Global manager engagement is just 22% — a nine-point drop since 2022, meaning most new managers are stepping into a role where their peers are checked out.
Source: Gallup, State of the Global Workplace, 2025
46%
Of all AI users at work, 46% started using it in the last six months — the tools and expectations new managers inherit are shifting within a single quarter.
Source: Microsoft, Work Trend Index, 2024
27%
Only 27% of leaders say their organization is committed to employee well-being — meaning most new managers will not get the systems-level support they need.
Source: DDI, Global Leadership Forecast, 2023
24%
Only 24% of frontline managers say inclusion is a strong part of their organization's culture — a gap new managers must navigate from day one.
Source: DDI, Global Leadership Forecast, 2023
+7 pts
Leaders report more daily stress than individual contributors — a shift new managers feel within their first quarter.
Source: Gallup, State of the Global Workplace, 2025
5×
Leaders are nearly 5× more likely to trust their senior leaders when flexible work is common — signaling that early-tenure trust is driven by structural, not interpersonal, factors.
Source: DDI, Global Leadership Forecast, 2023
Section 05 · 8 stats
Trust & Psychological Safety
Trust is not a soft skill. It is the single biggest predictor of whether a team will speak up, ship fast, and stay. These stats quantify its impact — and its absence.
24%
Only 24% of frontline managers agree inclusion is strong in their organization's culture — while CEOs remain highly confident they are fostering it.
Source: DDI, Global Leadership Forecast, 2023
27%
Only 27% of leaders say their organization is genuinely committed to employee well-being — the foundation of trust.
Source: DDI, Global Leadership Forecast, 2023
19%
Share of U.S. workers who describe their workplace as very or somewhat toxic — the opposite of psychological safety.
Source: APA, Work in America Survey, 2023
52%
Workers in toxic workplaces reporting harm to their mental health — a direct measure of what low-trust environments do to people.
Source: APA, Work in America Survey, 2023
92%
Workers who say it is very or somewhat important to work for an organization that values their emotional and psychological well-being.
Source: APA, Work in America Survey, 2023
78%
Share of employees who feel valued at work — leaving roughly 1 in 5 who do not.
Source: APA, Work in America Survey, 2023
52%
Percentage of AI users who are reluctant to admit using AI for important tasks — a trust gap inside teams, not just a tool gap.
Source: Microsoft, Work Trend Index, 2024
53%
Percentage of AI users who worry that using AI at work makes them appear replaceable — a signal of low psychological safety around new tools.
Source: Microsoft, Work Trend Index, 2024
Section 06 · 7 stats
1-on-1 Meetings
The 1-on-1 is the most leveraged 30 minutes on any manager's calendar. When it disappears, engagement and retention disappear with it.
70%
Percentage of the variance in a team's engagement attributable to management — most of which is mediated through regular check-ins.
Source: Gallup, 2023
1 in 5
Only 20% of workers worldwide have managers who enable the behaviors of engagement — most managers are not running 1-on-1s that matter.
Source: Gallup, 2023
60%
Share of knowledge worker time spent on emails, chats, and meetings — leaving the 1-on-1 to compete with dozens of other low-value touchpoints.
Source: Microsoft, Work Trend Index, 2024
85%
Percentage of emails read in under 15 seconds — why async communication alone is not a substitute for a scheduled conversation.
Source: Microsoft, Work Trend Index, 2024
4:1
The average knowledge worker reads 4 emails for every 1 they send — the asymmetry that makes face-time disproportionately valuable.
Source: Microsoft, Work Trend Index, 2024
+10 pts
Leaders report significantly more loneliness than individual contributors — and the 1-on-1 is one of the few structural antidotes.
Source: Gallup, State of the Global Workplace, 2025
23%
Peak global engagement reached 23% in 2022 before declining to 20% — a trend closely correlated with the erosion of manager-employee contact quality.
Source: Gallup, State of the Global Workplace, 2025
Section 07 · 8 stats
Hiring Your First Employee
Every hire is a bet. The cost of getting one wrong dwarfs the cost of spending more time to get it right — yet most managers hire without training, process, or numbers.
$4,700
Average cost per hire in the U.S. — before factoring in onboarding, ramp-up, and opportunity cost.
Source: SHRM, Talent Acquisition Benchmarking Report, 2024
42–44 days
Average time to fill an open position in the U.S. — varies by industry and role complexity.
Source: SHRM, Human Capital Benchmarking Report, 2024
$6,200
Average cost per hire for technical and engineering roles — versus ~$2,700 for retail and hospitality.
Source: SHRM / industry benchmarks, 2024
66%
Percentage of leaders who say they would not hire someone without AI skills — reshaping what "qualified" means for first-time hiring managers.
Source: Microsoft & LinkedIn, Work Trend Index, 2024
71%
Percentage of leaders who would rather hire a less experienced candidate with AI skills than a more experienced one without.
Source: Microsoft & LinkedIn, Work Trend Index, 2024
77%
Percentage of leaders who say early-in-career talent will be given greater responsibilities with AI — changing how first-time managers should structure onboarding.
Source: Microsoft & LinkedIn, Work Trend Index, 2024
14%
Increase in U.S. job applications per role since the previous year — candidate pools are larger, but signal is harder to find.
Source: Microsoft & LinkedIn, Work Trend Index, 2024
85%
Percentage of U.S. professionals considering a new job this year — meaning most candidates you interview are also interviewing elsewhere.
Source: Microsoft & LinkedIn, Work Trend Index, 2024
Section 08 · 7 stats
Managing Up & Career Growth
The relationship with your boss is the most underrated variable in your career. The data shows how trust, feedback, and visibility compound — or fail to.
22%
Global manager engagement in 2025 — meaning most bosses are also disengaged, which is the context you're managing up into.
Source: Gallup, State of the Global Workplace, 2025
68%
Percentage of CEOs who say their executive team is not very effective at driving strategy — a 5-point increase from 2020.
Source: DDI, Global Leadership Forecast, 2023
5×
Leaders are nearly 5× more likely to trust their senior leaders when flexible work is common — trust tracks structural choices.
Source: DDI, Global Leadership Forecast, 2023
3.3×
Organizations that support flexible work are 3.3× more likely to be prepared for talent retention and recruitment.
Source: DDI, Global Leadership Forecast, 2023
61%
AI power users are 61% more likely to hear directly from their CEO about the importance of AI — visibility flows downward, but only when leaders choose it.
Source: Microsoft, Work Trend Index, 2024
42%
AI power users are 42% more likely to hear from their manager's manager about AI — skip-level contact amplifies career signal.
Source: Microsoft, Work Trend Index, 2024
53%
Power users are 53% more likely to receive encouragement from leadership on AI transformation — proxy for how executive attention tracks high performers.
Source: Microsoft, Work Trend Index, 2024
Section 09 · 12 stats
AI & Management
AI adoption at work is not coming — it has arrived. The question for every manager is whether you are building with it, around it, or being left behind by it.
75%
Percentage of global knowledge workers now using generative AI at work.
Source: Microsoft & LinkedIn, Work Trend Index, 2024
46%
Of those AI users, 46% started using it less than six months ago — adoption roughly doubled in half a year.
Source: Microsoft & LinkedIn, Work Trend Index, 2024
78%
Percentage of AI users bringing their own AI tools to work ("BYOAI") — most adoption is happening below the radar.
Source: Microsoft & LinkedIn, Work Trend Index, 2024
90%
Percentage of AI users who say AI helps them save time.
Source: Microsoft & LinkedIn, Work Trend Index, 2024
85%
Percentage of AI users who say AI helps them focus on their most important work.
Source: Microsoft & LinkedIn, Work Trend Index, 2024
79%
Percentage of leaders who agree their company needs to adopt AI to stay competitive — but 60% worry their organization lacks a plan to do so.
Source: Microsoft & LinkedIn, Work Trend Index, 2024
65%
Percentage of organizations regularly using generative AI — nearly double the share from 10 months earlier.
Source: McKinsey, The State of AI, 2024
39%
Only 39% of people who use AI at work have received any formal AI training from their company.
Source: Microsoft & LinkedIn, Work Trend Index, 2024
25%
Only 25% of companies are planning to offer training on generative AI this year.
Source: Microsoft & LinkedIn, Work Trend Index, 2024
65%
Percentage of U.S. workers who say AI has had a positive impact on their individual productivity.
Source: Gallup, State of the Global Workplace, 2025
8.7×
Employees with strong manager support for AI are 8.7× more likely to agree AI has transformed how their work gets done.
Source: Gallup, State of the Global Workplace, 2025
142×
Increase in LinkedIn members globally adding AI skills to their profiles — the steepest skills shift in the platform's history.
Source: Microsoft & LinkedIn, Work Trend Index, 2024
Section 10 · 12 stats
Manager Burnout & Wellbeing
Managers are more stressed, more lonely, and more burned out than the people they manage. The middle is squeezed hardest — and the data is unambiguous.
46%
Nearly half of knowledge workers say they feel burned out at work.
Source: Microsoft, Work Trend Index, 2024
77%
Percentage of workers who reported experiencing work-related stress in the past month.
Source: APA, Work in America Survey, 2023
57%
Share of workers who reported negative impacts on their work from work-related stress.
Source: APA, Work in America Survey, 2023
31%
Percentage of workers who experienced emotional exhaustion on the job.
Source: APA, Work in America Survey, 2023
+7 pts
Leaders report experiencing more daily stress than individual contributors.
Source: Gallup, State of the Global Workplace, 2025
+11 pts
Leaders report significantly more daily sadness than individual contributors.
Source: Gallup, State of the Global Workplace, 2025
+12 pts
Leaders report experiencing more daily anger than the people they manage.
Source: Gallup, State of the Global Workplace, 2025
+10 pts
Leaders report significantly more loneliness than individual contributors.
Source: Gallup, State of the Global Workplace, 2025
27%
Only 27% of leaders say their organization is committed to employee well-being.
Source: DDI, Global Leadership Forecast, 2023
92%
Workers saying it is very or somewhat important to work for an organization that values their psychological well-being.
Source: APA, Work in America Survey, 2023
29%
Only 29% of workers say their managers encourage them to take care of their mental health.
Source: APA, Work in America Survey, 2023
23%
Share of workers whose workplace stress led to a desire to quit.
Source: APA, Work in America Survey, 2023
Primary sources
Every statistic on this page is traceable to one of the following primary sources. We open these reports directly — no secondary citations, no summaries of summaries.
- Gallup — State of the Global Workplace (2025) 263,810 respondents across 140+ countries. Updated annually.
- Microsoft & LinkedIn — Work Trend Index (2024) Survey of 31,000 knowledge workers across 31 countries, plus LinkedIn Economic Graph data.
- McKinsey — The State of AI (2024) Global survey of 1,363 participants on AI adoption in business.
- DDI — Global Leadership Forecast (2023) 13,695 leaders and 1,827 HR professionals from 1,556 organizations across 50+ countries.
- APA — Work in America Survey (2023) American Psychological Association study on workplace health and wellbeing.
- SHRM — Talent Acquisition Benchmarking (2024) Society for Human Resource Management cost-per-hire and time-to-hire benchmarks.
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