But experts say that’s a lot easier said than done—and that corporate leaders are realizing how seriously these conditions are affecting managers. Often forgotten, middle managers have not only lost people and money; they’ve also been asked to pick up the pieces after, in many cases, a traumatic event. It’s a particularly sensitive issue with younger or less experienced bosses, who might never have gone through a major restructuring before. “Layoffs are never easy, but these managers are trying to do something that they’ve never gone through themselves,” says Brad Frank, a Korn Ferry senior client partner and member of the firm’s Technology practice.

Layoffs are never easy, but these managers are trying to do something that they’ve never gone through themselves.

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This time around, the restructurings appear to be more traditional business decisions. Many C-suites are trimming expenses, for example, to cover declining corporate profits or changing customer buying habits. But experts say those leaders need to communicate with and provide training to young managers unfamiliar with tougher economic times. “I see successful managers now struggling with their first downturn and first layoffs of team members,” says David Vied, global sector leader of Korn Ferry’s Medical Devices and Diagnostics practice. Executive coaches say discussing trust is one big step any CEO could take. Young managers are asking how they can rebuild trust among their direct reports and will look to the C-suite for answers, says Flo Falayi, a Korn Ferry associate client partner and leadership coach. “They should lead with authenticity and transparency,” he says. To be sure, experts say firms aren’t totally ignoring the middle-management set. A growing number of CEOs, for example, are aware of the increasing burden placed on middle managers by hybrid work schedules and, more recently, by the push for greater productivity. Some firms have provided leadership-development training or invested in technology that handles administrative tasks, potentially freeing up a manager’s time.

For much of the year, hundreds of top executives have been announcing layoffs, telling shareholders that managers will have to do more with less.

The numbers certainly spell out the challenge. More than 144,000 workers in US-based tech companies alone (or tech companies with a large US workforce) have been laid off in mass job cuts so far this year, according to a tally by Crunchbase News. That’s already more than the 140,000 jobs the industry cut in all of 2022. The restructurings aren’t confined to technology, either. According to the latest government stats, companies fired or laid off 1.8 million people in one month alone earlier this year. As any CEO knows, the onus of managing most teams today no longer falls on the gray-haired set. As of last year, there were about 32 million Americans age 25 to 44 working as managers, according to government data. Even the oldest members of that cohort likely weren’t managers in the late 2000s, during the last major round of layoffs. The only comparable experience for them has been the pandemic’s multiweek shutdown of many parts of the country in 2020. But that situation was different, experts say, because it was a health care-related crisis, and many organizations resumed hiring within months.

Top leaders will need to find ways to help new managers do more with fewer people and less funds. 'Something they’ve never gone through themselves.'

Leading Your Teams

After the Layoffs:

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Find and Keep Top Talent

Transform for Growth

Superheroes of the Corner Office

Mistakes of the Past

After the Layoffs

Lead Through Change

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