Great Resignation Triggers Manager Burnout: Oracle NetSuite Survey

In the midst of the Great Resignation, longer hours are having a major impact on managers, leaving many to consider quitting and finding a less demanding job, according to a recent study by Oracle NetSuite. The study revealed that the longer hours are hitting managers harder than employees and are leading to more burnout.

The study polled 500 executives, managers and workers across the U.S. between late September and early October 2021. The survey organizers, Oracle NetSuite and Wakefield Research, wanted to examine the impact on businesses of the Great Resignation. The results showed that despite managers and workers both working longer hours, managers were more worried about burnout and much more likely to quit without having a new job lined up.

Extending Beyond 40-Hour Weeks

According to the survey, the average manager is now working 49 hours a week while the average executive works 48 hours a week and the average worker is working 46 hours a week. A full 60 percent of managers said they are spending more time on hiring than in 2019, according to the survey.

Burnout is a concern, and managers have been hit hardest, according to the survey. Roughly 37 percent of managers saying it's a key reason they would leave their job, and 47 percent of managers are considering quitting for a less demanding job because of burnout. That's compared to 28 percent of executives and only 13 percent of workers who said they were worried about burnout, and only 9 percent of workers who considered quitting without having a new job first.

Addressing the Challenges of the Great Resignation

The study also looked at how businesses can solve talent shortages. Executives, managers and workers all agreed that more training, self-service technology and automation were solutions to address talent shortages. Almost half (45 percent) of executives and 43 percent of workers said businesses should provide more in-house training, and 33 percent of executives and 40 percent of workers said they wanted to be compensated for continuing education. Implementing self-service technology was a solution suggested by 33 percent of executives and 35 percent of workers, while 37 percent of executives and 31 percent of workers said leveraging automation could help relieve the pressures of the Great Resignation and talent shortages.

"As a record number of employees reevaluate their roles and make changes in their careers, businesses have faced new and changing talent challenges," said Art Wittmann, editor, Oracle NetSuite. "As our survey shows, the added stress of constant business change and a difficult hiring environment has left managers feeling burned out. While executives are stressed by supply chain problems and meeting growing demands, it's the managers who've had to see to business while managing COVID-19 restrictions. The data shows about half of managers have had enough and are considering taking on a less demanding job."

You can see the full survey results here.