Gartner’s 2025 Survey of 2,947 Employees and Managers

The pandemic-era managerial playbook centred on protecting employees’ wellbeing, flexibility and personal needs has run its course. A December 2025 Gartner survey of 2,947 employees and managers reveals a workforce still shaped by those years: 62% of managers now feel obligated to shield their team members, 45% admit they make decisions that favour employees over the business, and the average manager spends nine hours a week — more than 20% of working time — handling personal and emotional tensions. Meanwhile, 72% continue to believe they are responsible for ensuring a positive employee experience, even when they lack the authority to grant the perks that defined the post‑Covid era.

Against a backdrop of economic uncertainty and the rapid integration of AI, CEO priorities have shifted. Performance and productivity have overtaken engagement and retention at the top of the agenda. Gartner’s data supports this rebalancing: managers who adopt a performance‑first mindset are up to 21% more likely to meet business targets, and their employees report higher overall satisfaction with their work experience. The message is clear — keeping people at the centre still matters, but the manager’s role is being reoriented from protecting individuals to enabling team outcomes.

Why the Performance-First Approach Works—and the Four Levers That Matter

Escaping the ‘loyalty trap’

When personal affinity drives decision‑making, managers often fall into what Gartner calls a loyalty trap. The survey shows nearly half of managers put their team’s interests ahead of the business’s, a dynamic that can quietly erode productivity and distort resource allocation. Performance‑first management breaks that cycle by shifting a manager’s primary allegiance from individual employees to team results and organisational goals. It is not about weakening relationships; it is about using them to unlock collective performance.

How AIA Group built a performance‑driven culture

Insurer AIA Group, operating across Asia‑Pacific, embedded performance‑first principles by pairing a culture of empowerment with clear accountability. Leadership essentials are built into every employee’s daily activity, and the group provides access to resources and guidance that connect individual strengths to business objectives. In 2025, AIA won the Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award for the fourth consecutive year — a signal that high engagement and high performance can coexist when management fundamentals are in place.

The four environmental levers managers can control

Gartner argues that trying to eliminate all employee dissatisfaction is futile, especially during periods of change. Instead, managers should concentrate on four controllable levers: aligning work with an employee’s interests and aspirations, creating a clear perception of fairness, helping prioritise tasks, and providing frequent recognition. When managers execute well on these fundamentals, employee sentiment improves even in less flexible environments — a finding that directly challenges the assumption that only perks drive satisfaction.

Three Actions for HR to Enable Performance-First Management

  • Re‑screen managers for tactical skills. Rethink selection and training to emphasise the fundamentals that only half of employees say their managers do well today: giving clear developmental feedback, prioritising work, and supporting difficult projects. Translate business strategy into discrete, outcome‑tracked tasks and teach managers how to integrate AI tools responsibly.
  • Refocus the employee experience on the four levers. Rather than chasing dissatisfaction with ever‑expanding perks, equip managers to strengthen alignment, fairness, prioritisation and recognition. Gartner’s data shows these levers lift satisfaction even when remote or flexible working policies are scaled back.
  • Reset objectivity with tools and reinforcement. Provide calibration dashboards that assess output against predetermined goals, scoring matrices for critical tasks, and ROI‑based decision‑making frameworks. Back the shift with outcome‑based KPIs for managers, peer‑support networks for sharing tactics, and recognition programmes that reward top‑performing teams.

Risk & Opportunity Assessment

Commercial RiskMediumOrganisations that retain a people‑first posture risk missing performance targets in a period of economic pressure and AI‑driven transformation, as the Gartner data points to a 21% performance advantage for performance‑first managers.
Competitive RiskMediumFirms that adopt performance‑first management quickly may gain a productivity edge; laggards could see rivals capture market share, especially in sectors where AI integration demands rapid upskilling and efficient workflows.
Regulatory RiskLowNo immediate regulatory intervention is indicated. The shift is voluntary and centred on internal management philosophy.
Reputation RiskLowA well‑communicated move toward performance‑first principles that still respect employee wellbeing is unlikely to trigger backlash, especially when the research shows it raises satisfaction.
Technology DisruptionMediumAI integration requires managers who can demonstrate effective and responsible use of new tools. Gartner identifies AI guidance as a core performance‑first fundamental, and failure to embed this could leave workforces less prepared.
Commercial OpportunityHighThe 21% higher likelihood of hitting business targets and the rise in employee satisfaction offer a clear commercial upside for companies that retool their management approach.