New managers, why HR struggles to recruit them

A few numbers in quick succession, to try to understand the deeper nature of a phenomenon: 42% of HR managers report difficulties in recruiting new managerial profiles, 68% believe that their employees do not always possess the behavioural skills needed to take on managerial roles, while 36% of employees identified as potential managers do not wish to take on an apical position. In Italy, just to complete a less than edifying picture, 41% of newly appointed managers did not actively choose to hold such a position. The above numbers are extracted from the International Cegos Barometer 2025, a study conducted in March this year in 10 countries across Europe, Asia and Latin America with the aim of shedding light on the path, expectations and challenges of those who occupy a strategic managerial role, today more than essential to guarantee business (and organisational) results in line with corporate objectives and to address the numerous transformations that companies have to face.

An initial interesting indicator reflecting the thinking of HR managers emerges from the analysis of theselection criteria for future managers, in view of the fact that the HR professionals surveyed attach equal importance to technical and relational skills, while in Italy human and managerial skills are given greater priority (63% of the national sample said so) and in other countries, Singapore for example, particular attention is paid to the personal development potential of employees, chosen as a fundamental criterion for promotion by one out of three HR managers (37%). According to HR professionals and newly appointed managers, in general, the priority skills to build and consolidate relate to leadership and team motivation, clear and effective communication with the team, and quick and strategic decision-making. On the manager side, 89% say they are successful in their role, 74% have received training and support (56% were supported even before taking on the role, while one in four received no support at all) and the vast majority (95% to be precise) say they have the necessary tools to communicate effectively with their teams. On the HR side, on the other hand, 53 per cent say they have structured training plans that include a clear management path for each new hire and 94 per cent feel adequately prepared for the induction of new team members.

What scenario do these percentages describe? The reading of Alessandro Reati, Head of People & Culture and HR & Organisation Practice Leader at Cegos Italia, brings to light an aspect that also quite clearly eschews the clichés concerning career and professional growth. "Contrary to popular belief, employees do not aspire to become managers just to move up the hierarchy, because salary is still a relevant element, but what really motivates them is the possibility to directly affect company performance and to find concrete solutions and have a real impact. On the other hand,' the manager added, 'there is a clear gap between the motivations expressed by managers and those perceived by HR directors: a more direct and continuous dialogue between the two parties would therefore be needed to bridge this gap and make development paths more consistent with people's expectations'. The study, in this regard, tells us that new managers mentioned climbing the hierarchical ladder in only 28% of the cases, despite the fact that this item is often considered a key objective of the C-suite, while the main reasons for becoming a manager include better pay, aptitude for problem solving and, as Reati pointed out, contribution to the organisation's performance.

Other indicators explain even more deeply what may be the difficulties and inconsistencies that today characterise the process of selecting and promoting a figure destined to hold a role of some responsibility within the organisation. Newly appointed managers, reads the note accompanying the Cegos Barometer, consider themselves first and foremost as collective performance builders, and 39% of them consider this a top priority; Another of their prerogatives, despite their strong involvement in the transformations that the company is undergoing (78% of managers on a global scale are, for example, involved in the adoption of artificial intelligence, a percentage that drops to 62% in Italy), concerns the fact that they feel well prepared to face the responsibilities of the role and have a clear understanding of the expectations associated with this task, an awareness that is shared by the vast majority of new managers. On the HR side, on the other hand, expectations are essentially centred on three lines of conduct and capabilities: the achievement of growth and profitability objectives (which is the main objective for 41% of managers), the creation of high-performance teams (at 37%) and the optimisation of work processes (at 32%).