Why helicopter managers could be driving up flight risk

The concept of “helicopter parenting”—in which parents are extremely watchful of their kids—has divided both modern parents and professionals, many of whom argue the approach doesn’t give kids room to establish independence. Is the same true of the workplace? Critics of “helicopter managers” seem to think so.

The recent 2024 State of Hybrid Work report from Owl Labs, which makes 360-degree video conferencing tools, found evidence of the increasing prevalence of “helicopter managers,” much to the dissatisfaction of employees.

According to a survey of 2,000 full-time U.S. workers, 46% say their company added or increased its use of employee productivity or activity monitoring software in the past year, and the same amount consider having their work monitored a top workplace concern. Eighty-six percent of workers believe it should be a legal requirement for employers to disclose if they use monitoring tools.

Helicopter managers are often motivated to keep productivity up, but the opposite can actually hold true. When there is little trust in the relationship with a supervisor, productivity can drop alongside morale, driving up “performative” work as employees turn to a “going-through-the-motions” mindset, says Frank Weishaupt, CEO of Owl Labs.

“That’s why we’ve also seen the recent ‘task-masking’ trend, whereby employees try to appear to be more busy than they really are,” he says.

It’s a response to widespread anxiety among workers, many of whom are uncertain about how managers are evaluating their performance, particularly in remote and hybrid settings. Owl Labs found that 89% of U.S. knowledge workers say their work anxiety is on the rise, and they haven’t seen any recent improvement. Many workers are seeking new job opportunities for reasons including better work/life balance (55%) and reduced stress (32%).

Offering flexible, remote work options, Weishaupt says, can enable employees to achieve balance and reduce stress as they complete tasks when and where it suits them—as long as they are given trust from their leaders.

Weishaupt points out that the Owl Labs survey found that 92% of employees value supportive management almost as highly as pay. Investing in manager effectiveness can be a critical way to recruit and retain employees, rather than scare them away with the tactics of helicopter managers.

“[HR] should invest in programs to create supportive—not so-called ‘helicopter’—managers,” he says.

A recalibration for remote work

HR can do this by proactively engaging managers and leaders about their own expectations and deliverables and encouraging them to do the same with their employees, while promoting a focus on performance and final output rather than oversight. It’s a message that may need to be delivered through formal updates to leadership training, with attention on how to manage and mentor hybrid and remote employees.

“Leadership should focus on establishing clear goals and metrics to shift the conversation from hours worked to results achieved,” Weishaupt says.

Encourage managers and leaders, for instance, to consider whether an employee is meeting team goals even though they may work slightly different hours, or explore if and how an employee is contributing to the team’s success while not in the office every day.

HR can work with senior leaders to “recalibrate” how the organization defines productivity and give managers the tools to lead in this new workplace.

After all, Weishaupt says, the world of work is unlikely to ever return to pre-pandemic norms, and organizations need to help their leaders learn how to trust employees. Without trust, disengagement will brew, he says—and that will have employees heading for the door.

“There is nothing worse,” he says, “than a disengaged employee.”