Personnel issues currently dominate the agendas of companies.

So-called talent management is right at the top, as the 2022 leadership study by the Munich interim consultancy Atreus shows: 61 percent of managers in Germany see the greatest challenge in the current year as recruiting new employees, retaining existing staff and at the same time for the to inspire their own companies.

More than 1,000 top managers from various industries were surveyed for the study, around 50 percent of whom were interim managers.

As expected, digitization is in second place, which 41 percent of those surveyed named as the most important task.

In the following ranks, before the long-running issues of restructuring (33 percent), innovation (26 percent) and cost reduction (25 percent) with corporate culture (39 percent) and employee development (32 percent), there are other topics of personnel development.

Around a quarter of the decision-makers surveyed are planning to restructure their own management team this year.

On the other hand, only six percent of top managers are considering downsizing.

Topics that are currently being discussed in society, such as the conversion of the production footprint or CO² neutrality, are surprisingly at the bottom of the list with twelve and eleven percent.

In order to position themselves as an attractive employer, the managers surveyed use various instruments.

Among other things, the establishment of a hybrid working model in combination with open communication, regular workshops and events as well as new bonus and participation systems are intended to increase employee motivation.

For themselves, the top decision-makers see the change in management culture through digitization and dealing with the long-distance management that has been in use since Corona as the greatest personal challenge.

Open to a new work culture

The respondents basically agree that working in the home and mobile office worked extremely well.

This has increased flexibility and strengthened the sense of togetherness.

The majority of employees are open to a new work culture.

In the future, most managers therefore intend to maintain flexible working hours in the home office and targeted attendance days in the office.

These models are to be enriched by more frequent informal digital conferences and so-called team building events.

Soft factors such as appreciation, respect and trust should also be more firmly anchored in the company.

In addition, top managers want to involve employees more in decision-making processes in order to achieve greater identification.

When asked what effects a quota of women would have on their company, top management was split: While around 46 percent believe it will be difficult to find and recruit the right female managers, almost the same number sees nothing negative in this Impact still challenges.

However, around one fifth fears that men may be discriminated against when new appointments are made to top management.