The boss and employee relationship can be a complex partnership, especially when differing responsibilities, communication styles and ideas get in the mix. Workers shared their feelings about their bosses in a new CareerBuilder survey. Nearly one-third (31 percent) said that they feel they can do their bosses’ job better, while on the flip side, 60 percent of workers said they don’t feel that their boss could do their jobs. The CareerBuilder survey was conducted among more than 4,400 workers nationwide between May 18 and June 3, 2010.
Some workers report that they find the relationship with their boss challenging due to a lack of focus on career development, feedback and support. Sixty-one percent of workers said they feel that their boss does a poor job grooming them to move up in the organization. In addition, 45 percent said their boss does a poor job of providing regular and consistent feedback, while 34 percent said their bosses could back them up better.
Bosses earned higher marks from workers when it came to being open to different work arrangements, taking time to listen and providing resources. Seventy-two percent of workers said their bosses did a good job offering flexibility. Sixty-nine percent felt their bosses listened to their ideas and concerns while 68 percent said their bosses provided them with the resources needed to do their job effectively.
"The workforce has been through a lot during this recession, so it’s important for workers and bosses to maintain a strong and communicative relationship," said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder. "As many companies recover from the challenges of the last 18 months, both parties need to listen to each other and be flexible, with a common goal of moving the organization forward."
To help assess how workers view their bosses, the survey asked which TV show bosses remind them most of their own, good or bad. The top 10 include: