The sweeping trend of the "Great Middle Manager Flattening" is in full force, with the remaining managers witnessing a substantial expansion in their teams' sizes.
We've entered the age of the megamanager, a phenomenon propelled by cost-cutting measures, streamlined bureaucracy, and a cautious approach to hiring. A fresh Gallup survey sheds light on the evolving dynamics of teams and the factors fueling managerial burnout.
Over the past year, the average number of reports—or "span of control"—for managers has surged from 10.9 in 2024 to 12.1 in 2025. This represents a significant jump from pre-pandemic times; in 2013, managers oversaw an average of 8.2 individuals, a figure that climbed to about 9 by 2019.
Are you a manager juggling 25 or more direct reports, or have you been tasked with expanding your team amidst the "Great Flattening"? Reach out to this reporter at mailto:jkaplan@businessinsider.com.
This growth is largely attributed to a rise in teams comprising 25 or more members, which saw a two-percentage-point increase over the past year. Currently, approximately 13% of managers have 25 or more direct reports. Concurrently, a staggering 97% of managers are shouldering individual contributor tasks that fall outside their leadership scope.
Average and Median Number of People Reporting to Managers
| Year | Value |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 4 |
| 2025 | 5 |
| ... | ... |
| Mean 2023 | 10.6 |
| Median 2023 | (Data not explicitly provided in original, implied in context) |
Source: Gallup, Juliana Kaplan/BI
"Blindly increasing the span of control won't be effective unless these conditions are considered," Jim Harter, Gallup's chief scientist of workplace management and well-being, commented on the delicate balance between individual contributor tasks and leadership duties.
In recent times, companies like Intel, Amazon, and Meta have implemented layoffs targeting middle managers to eliminate what they perceived as excessive bureaucratic layers.
"Reducing the number of managers will flatten organizations further," Amazon CEO Andy Jassy stated in a 2024 memo. "Done correctly, this will empower our teammates to act swiftly, clarify roles, and reinvigorate their sense of ownership."
How to Flatten Management Effectively
Experts have previously told Business Insider that flattening management layers is a sound strategy, provided that the remaining managers receive adequate support, training, and a balanced workload.
In 2024, Yvonne Lee-Hawkins, a middle manager, shared with Business Insider her experience of going from managing zero to 21 direct reports, ultimately leading to her resignation due to burnout.
"Our meetings became purely transactional, focusing only on urgent matters," Lee-Hawkins recounted. "We lost the opportunity to connect, seek advice, or focus on career development."
The Gallup survey highlights that the key to successfully trimming layers lies in understanding worker engagement and how megamanagers allocate their time. Managers who spend less time on individual contributor tasks tend to have more engaged teams, regardless of team size.
"Increasing the span of control without proper conditions in place is risky, especially when employees already feel detached," Harter warned. "Managers who engage in meaningful weekly conversations with each employee fare significantly better."
Tanuj Deora, a Gen X vice president for deployment at clean energy firm Sparkfund, emphasized the importance of being thoughtful about bureaucratic structures. With management experience since the late 1990s, advising on teams of up to 50, he stressed the need to consider a manager's experience level.
"New managers should start with a smaller team," Deora advised.
Gallup's Harter noted that individuals often become managers either because they excel as individual contributors or due to their long tenure at the company. However, neither factor guarantees their effectiveness in a managerial role.
"Organizations often promote people continuously, and the path to promotion is typically a managerial role associated with more money and status," Harter explained. "Effective organizations should create high-status individual contributor roles so that people don't feel compelled to become managers to be successful."