Jan Bruce, CEO, and co-founder, meQuilibrium

Empowering managers

Support employee development through more and better manager enablement. With poor manager-report relations being a leading cause of employee turnover, HR leaders must equip managers with the tools and skills they need to foster stronger connections and better understand and support their teams. Only through empowering their managers, fostering open dialogue, and ensuring a supportive work environment can HR ensure that employee concerns are addressed promptly — and avoid impacting satisfaction, productivity, and retention.

 Jenny von Podewils, co-CEO, Leapsome

Implement practices to empower managers

The squeeze on managers over the past several years is real, and 2024 is the opportunity to reverse this and fully realize the valuable contributions front-line and middle managers make to a company's ecosystem and performance. Managers are asked from above to implement tighter budgets and focus on the bottom line, while also engaging and motivating employees with ever-increasing expectations. This means managers are often put in the middle to rationalize what feels like opposing forces. Implementing practices to empower and support the success of front-line and middle managers with sufficient levers for them to work smarter and navigate complex problems effectively will pay off with engaged employees who connect into and feel accountable for the company strategy.

Megan Smith, Head of HR, SAP North America