Back to School for Your Managers: What the Data Says About New Manager Training
Reading Time: 7 minutes - 60 percent of new managers get no training at all when they step into their first leadership role.
- Gartner reports 60 percent of new managers fail within 24 months, largely for the same reason.
- 84 percent of workers say poorly trained managers create unnecessary work and stress, and 57 percent have left a job because of a manager.
- 94 percent of employees say they would stay longer at a company that invests in their career development.
- Fall is the best window to start: budgets still have room, calendars settle after summer, and September skills get used in Q4 reviews and planning.
Sharpen your pencils. Class is in session.
Every fall, millions of students get a fresh start, a new syllabus, and a teacher whose whole job is helping them learn. Meanwhile, back at the office, your newest manager is figuring out difficult conversations through trial and error. Mostly error.
Most new managers never receive formal training, and it costs organizations in turnover, stress, and failed promotions. Fall is the smartest time to fix that. Budgets still have room, calendars settle down after summer, and skills learned in September get used during Q4 performance reviews and planning. Manager training programs like The Management Advantage™ build those skills by level, in person, live virtual, or on demand.
Now the fun version. Pop quiz first.
New manager training statistics: a pop quiz (no cheating)
Q1: What percentage of new managers receive zero training when they step into their first leadership role?
Answer: 60 percent, according to the Center for Creative Leadership. Separately, Gartner research found that 60 percent of new managers fail within their first 24 months, largely because nobody taught them how to lead. Both figures are reported by Wharton Executive Education.
Q2: How many workers say poorly trained managers create unnecessary work and stress?
Answer: 84 percent, in a 2020 SHRM survey. Managers agree they are underprepared. Gallup found that only 48 percent strongly agree they currently have the skills to be exceptional at their job. Both are cited by Emory Continuing Education.
Q3: What percentage of employees say they would stay at a company longer if it invested in their career development?
Answer: 94 percent, from LinkedIn’s Workplace Learning Report. Not a raise. Not a title. Learning.
How did you do? If those numbers surprised you, keep reading. If they did not, skip to the syllabus.
Manager training by the numbers
Here is the full report card in one place.
| The stat | Number | Source |
|---|---|---|
| New managers who get zero training | 60% | CCL |
| New managers who fail within 24 months | 60% | Gartner |
| Workers who say poorly trained managers create extra work and stress | 84% | SHRM, 2020 |
| Managers who strongly agree they have the skills to excel | 48% | Gallup |
| Employees who have left a job because of their manager | 57% | DDI, 2019 |
| Trained managers who like or love the job, against 54% untrained | 77% | Digits, 2021 |
| Employees who would stay longer if the company invested in them | 94% | LinkedIn, 2018 |
Grade for the average workplace: incomplete.
Why is employee training important? Ask your retention numbers
Training is one of the strongest retention levers you have. 94 percent of employees say they would stay longer at a company that invests in their career development, and untrained managers are a leading reason people quit.
Here is the math that matters. DDI research found that 57 percent of employees have left a job because of their manager. Every untrained manager is a retention risk with direct reports attached.
Flip it around and the story gets better. In the Digits survey above, 77 percent of managers who received regular training said they liked or loved their current job, against 54 percent of managers who had never been trained. The trained group was also less likely to be job hunting, 28 percent against 38 percent.
Manager training is not a perk. It is retention insurance with a syllabus.
Why fall is the best time to launch manager training
Budgets, calendars, and momentum all line up in the fall. Summer PTO is over, year-end budget is still available, and skills learned in September get used during Q4 performance reviews and planning.
There is a psychology bonus too. That back-to-school energy is real. People are wired to treat fall as a fresh start, the same way January gets treated as one. Meet the momentum with a plan, and browse the upcoming class calendar while the fall dates still have seats.
Your fall leadership training syllabus
You do not need to send everyone back to class. You need the right people in the right seats.
Leadership 101, and 201, and 301. Most managers are promoted because they were great at their old job, not because anyone taught them to lead. The Management Advantage™ is a manager training program that builds leaders at every level, from emerging supervisors to senior managers. Someone weighing their first supervisor role can start with High Potentials: Is Supervision Right for Me?, then move through the Advanced Management certificate series: Relational Leader, Multidimensional Leader, and Strategic Leader. Take the full series or one topic at a time.
The weekly essentials. Discipline, documentation, hiring, and performance conversations are the skills managers use every single week. Think Navigating Difficult Conversations, Managing Problem Performance, Conducting Effective Performance Reviews, and Workplace Laws for Managers and Supervisors. Every class is taught by facilitators who have done the work, not read about it.
Electives that pay off. Conflict resolution, coaching, and communication skills pay off at every level of the org chart. Soft skills, hard results.
Which training format fits your team?
Catapult offers 75 or more public courses in three formats. Pick your learning style.
| Format | Best for | In school terms |
|---|---|---|
| In person | Hands-on practice, role plays, team cohorts | The classroom |
| Live virtual | Distributed teams, busy calendars, real-time interaction | The video lecture |
| On demand | Self-paced learners, compliance topics, quick refreshers | The study guide |
Want the all-access backpack? The Class Pass gives one person unlimited access to public instructor-led courses, the eLearning portal, and our HR and employment law conferences for a full year at one flat annual rate. Need something built for your organization instead? Catapult also delivers custom training for organizations, shaped around your industry, culture, and goals.
Frequently asked questions about manager training
Where can I find the best manager training programs?
Look for programs led by facilitators with real management experience, offered in formats your team can actually attend, and structured by level so a new supervisor and a senior manager are not sitting in the same class. The Management Advantage™ by Catapult offers leveled leadership training across the Carolinas and Virginia, in person, live virtual, and on demand.
What training should new managers get first?
Start with the fundamentals they use weekly: difficult conversations, documentation, performance management, and hiring. Add the legal basics that keep a first-time supervisor out of trouble. Then build toward coaching, emotional intelligence, and strategic skills as they grow.
Why is employee training important for retention?
94 percent of employees told LinkedIn they would stay at a company longer if it invested in their career development, and 57 percent of employees in DDI research said they had left a job because of their manager. Trained managers also report higher job satisfaction and lower intent to leave than untrained managers.
When is the best time of year to schedule manager training?
Fall. Summer vacations are over, budgets still have room before year-end, and skills learned in September get used during Q4 performance reviews and planning cycles. Spring is the second-best window, ahead of mid-year reviews.
How long does manager training take?
It varies by format. Public classes run from half-day sessions to multi-day certificate programs, and a leveled series can be taken as individual topics or completed in full over time. Self-paced eLearning can be finished in short sittings around a working week.
Can manager training be customized for our organization?
Yes. Catapult builds custom on-site and virtual training around your industry, culture, and specific challenges, and can deliver it to a single team or an entire management layer.
Does manager training count toward HRCI or SHRM recertification?
Most Catapult public courses are approved for HRCI and SHRM recertification credit. Catapult is both an HRCI Recertification Provider and a SHRM Recertification Provider.
Final exam, just one question
Will your managers learn on your employees, or learn before they lead them?
The data already graded that one. 94 percent of your people are waiting on your answer.
- Wharton Executive Education, New Leaders Need Training, September 2024, for the Center for Creative Leadership 60 percent no-training figure and the Gartner 60 percent 24-month failure figure.
- Emory Continuing Education, The Lack of Manager Training, for the 2020 SHRM 84 percent figure and the Gallup 48 percent figure.
- Forbes Human Resources Council, Manager Training Is Broken, October 2023, citing 2019 DDI data for the 57 percent figure.
- People Management, One in four managers have never had management training, November 2021, reporting a Digits survey of 1,031 UK employees, for the 77, 54, 28 and 38 percent figures.
- LinkedIn, 2018 Workplace Learning Report, for the 94 percent career development figure.
Written by Ashley Wood, learning and development facilitator at Catapult, and fact checked by the Catapult HR Team. Every figure above was checked against the linked source on July 30, 2026. These studies come from different years, countries and samples, so read them as a pattern rather than one dataset. We update this page when the underlying research changes. Questions or a correction? Email info@letscatapult.org or call 866-440-0302.
Catapult is an employers association that has helped organizations solve workplace challenges since 1958. More than 2,300 member employers rely on the Catapult team for HR advice, employment law guidance, compensation research, and leadership training. Articles published under the Catapult HR Team byline are written and fact checked by that team.
