Employees who have managers with time to support their professional development are more likely to say they intend to stay with their employers, according to research released by Wiley Workplace Intelligence on September 25, 2026.
The survey of 1,459 people found that 84% of employees whose managers always have time to develop them said they were very likely to stay with their organization. Among employees whose managers never have time for development, that figure fell to 41%.
The findings also revealed a gap in employee engagement. While 76% of respondents with available managers said they were excited about their workplace culture, only 23% of those whose managers lacked time for development felt the same.
The results highlight the connection between managers' capacity to support employees and how workers view their future with an organization.
Skills Development Tops Employees' Career Priorities
When asked what would improve their career development, employees most frequently identified skills development and training, cited by 67% of respondents.
Other priorities included mentorship (54%), greater visibility into advancement opportunities (46%) and more frequent conversations with managers (44%).
The findings suggest that employees see career progression as more than a matter of promotion opportunities. Access to learning and opportunities to build skills are also important parts of how they assess their professional future.
Wiley Workplace Intelligence noted that skills development and career pathing are closely connected from the employee's perspective.
Manager Capacity Remains a Challenge
Managers often play a central role in helping employees identify skill gaps, access learning opportunities and understand potential career paths. However, these responsibilities compete with operational demands and other management duties.
The latest findings reinforce concerns that employees may have limited access to development support when managers lack the time or resources to provide it.
Wiley recommended that employers protect time for managers to develop their teams and consider manager availability as a measure related to employee retention.
The research also points to the value of regular career conversations, alongside structured training, mentoring and clearer information about advancement opportunities.
What the Findings Mean for L&D
For learning and development teams, the results highlight a practical challenge: providing training opportunities may not be enough if managers cannot make time to help employees apply new skills and plan their development.
Organizations may therefore need to consider both the availability of learning resources and the capacity managers have to support employee growth.
Although the survey does not establish that manager availability directly causes higher retention, the difference in responses suggests that development support is an important factor in employees' workplace experiences.
As employers look for ways to retain talent and strengthen engagement, giving managers the time to support their teams may deserve greater attention alongside formal learning programs.
