iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
Some managers are overseeing more people, but the numbers do not mean that every employee will get less attention. Gallup says the U.S. average number of people reporting to a manager rose from 10.9 in 2024 to 12.1 in 2025, while the median stayed around five to six. That gap matters: a rising average can reflect larger teams at the high end, not a typical manager suddenly supervising twelve people.
For employees, the useful question is not just how many direct reports a manager has. It is whether the manager has enough time, support and a workable routine to handle decisions, feedback and problems. Here is how to read the trend—and how to make a busy manager relationship work.
What does a larger span of control mean?
Span of control is the number of direct reports a manager oversees. Organizations may increase it to simplify reporting structures or reduce management layers, but the headcount alone does not show whether the arrangement works well.
Gallup’s U.S. figures illustrate why averages need context: the mean rose from 10.9 in 2024 to 12.1 in 2025, while the median remained about five to six. The mean can be pulled upward by a smaller number of especially large teams; the median describes the midpoint. Neither figure establishes the ideal team size or proves that every manager has less time for each employee. Gallup’s January 2026 analysis of span of control discusses the U.S. trend and the factors that affect how teams function.
#1 Best Overall
- Author: Bungay Stanier, Michael.
- Publisher: Page Two
- Pages: 244
- Publication Date: 2016-02-29
- Edition: 1
Will your manager have less time for you?
It is possible, but team size by itself cannot answer that. A manager with a large team and few individual-contributor duties may have a different capacity from a manager who is also responsible for substantial hands-on work. The nature of the work, the manager’s capability and role fit, team engagement, and the quality and regularity of feedback all shape the effect.
There is evidence that capacity is a concern for some managers. In the 2025 UK Working Lives Survey, 59% of managers said they had time to manage staff well, and 60% said they had the training and information to do so. The survey was conducted online by YouGov for CIPD with 5,017 UK working adults from January 8 to February 12, 2025. These are UK survey findings, not a measure of how manager time has changed over time or a prediction for every workplace. CIPD’s 2025 Good Work Index release provides the survey details.
The same release offers an important counterpoint: 79% of surveyed UK workers said they had a supportive manager if they had a problem, up from 74% in 2023. A larger team or reports of limited capacity therefore do not mean support has disappeared across the board.
How many direct reports should a manager have?
There is no universal ideal number established by these sources. A workable span depends on the work and on whether the manager has enough capacity to lead people well—not just whether the reporting structure looks efficient on paper.
- Work complexity: Work that requires frequent coordination, coaching or judgment may demand more manager attention than predictable tasks.
- The manager’s other duties: A manager who spends substantial time doing individual-contributor work has less time available for people-management responsibilities.
- Team engagement and manager fit: A team’s needs and the manager’s ability to meet them affect how well a given span works.
- Feedback practices: Meaningful, regular feedback can help employees stay aligned, but it still needs time and a dependable process.
- Organizational support: CIPD’s analysis emphasizes reasonable workload, discretion to respond to different contexts, and support for management responsibilities. CIPD’s analysis of devolving HR management to people managers describes these conditions.
Gallup’s earlier discussion of team size likewise frames the question as dependent on the manager rather than a single target. Its 2024 update is useful for that contextual point, not as a current headcount estimate. Gallup’s discussion of why ideal team size depends on the manager explains the distinction.
How to get support from a busy manager
You cannot control a reporting restructure, but you can make it easier to use the time your manager has. Aim for a predictable channel and a clear request rather than relying on an informal interruption or waiting until a small blocker becomes urgent.
Rank #4
- Agree on a check-in rhythm. Ask what cadence and format are realistic—such as a short recurring meeting or a written update. Make sure urgent issues have a separate route.
- Send a concise agenda in advance. List the decision, feedback or help you need, then include the relevant context and any deadline. This lets your manager prepare and makes it easier to use the meeting well.
- Separate updates from decisions. Share routine progress asynchronously if your team supports it. Use live time for trade-offs, coaching, sensitive topics or decisions that need discussion.
- Make the request actionable. Instead of saying only that you are blocked, explain what is stuck, what you have tried, the impact of delay and what decision or help would unblock you.
- Raise workload and access problems directly. If you cannot get timely feedback or decisions, describe the work affected and ask to agree on priorities or an escalation path. Keep the discussion focused on the work and the support needed.
How to judge whether a team-size change is working
Look beyond the number of reports. A larger span may be a reasonable design choice if the manager’s workload and responsibilities leave enough capacity for people management. Warning signs are practical: decisions stall, feedback becomes unreliable, employees do not know how to raise urgent concerns, or coaching and development disappear from regular conversations.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
When discussing a proposed or completed restructure, ask how the organization will protect time for management work, what duties the manager can deprioritize, how employees will get timely decisions, and how the arrangement will be reviewed. A headcount target without a plan for workload, discretion and support measures structural efficiency—not whether managers can coach, resolve issues and support development.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
