A majority of employers (53.8 per cent) questioned in a CMI survey admitted that restructuring and job insecurity have caused many of their managers to jump ship, with 38.5 per cent citing a failure to offer career opportunities and training.

Kevin Harrington, director of staff motivation consultancy Sodexo Pass, says, ‘When big changes start happening in a company, people tend to react in one of two ways. They either get more involved in the organisation or decide to leave in order to do something completely different. The key to staff retention is to let them know exactly what is happening.’

Some 4.7 per cent of all managers resigned last year, compared with 4.5 per cent in 2008.

Ruth Spellman, chief executive of the CMI, says the rise in the number of managers quitting may be due to companies cutting back on management and leadership programmes. ‘Employers must concentrate on building remuneration packages that incorporate earnings with development opportunities, offer flexible approaches to work and [recognise] the need to better engage with staff,’ she adds.

A failure to offer jaded managers new opportunities within the organisation may also be to blame, with requests for internal transfers as an alternative to quitting down from 5.8 per cent to 3.6 per cent, according to the CMI research.