Good managers more important than flexible working and perks – say UK HR professionals

Workplace wellbeing in 2026 has moved beyond perks and office policies, centering instead on the quality of human relationships. According to the Big HR Check-in report from Stribe, the relationship with a manager (37%) is now the single most powerful driver of employee wellbeing, carrying significantly more weight than fair pay (17%), flexible hours (13%) or team relationships (12%). Stribe surveyed 174 HR professionals from across the UK in a study shared February 2026.

However, the report identifies a critical feedback gap that threatens these vital relationships. While the manager is the primary driver of happiness and retention, the methods businesses use to support them are often flawed, leading to a disconnect between what is said in private and what is reported to leadership.

The risk of informal feedback

The study found that after formal surveys, the most common feedback tools in UK businesses are 1-to-1 meetings (19%) and informal chats (19%). While these conversations are essential for rapport, Stribe warns that over-reliance on undocumented chats can create a data gap and lack of oversight for businesses.

“It’s interesting to see 38% of organisations using 1-to-1 meetings and informal chats to understand how employees are feeling,” comments Lucy Harvey, COO at Stribe, “1-to-1s and informal chats can be useful tools, but the quality of what HR hear is reliant on manager confidence. If a manager doesn’t feel equipped to ask awkward follow-ups, or to hear criticism without getting defensive, people naturally edit themselves. Without consistency and anonymity, you don’t get a full picture; you get the safest version of the truth. Structured, anonymous surveys create a consistent baseline and give leaders a clearer view of patterns, not just anecdotes.” 

HR leaders lack confidence in wellbeing strategy

Despite the manager being the number one factor in wellbeing, the report suggests they are not being equipped to handle the responsibility. The survey found:

• Only 22% of HR leaders feel “very confident” in their current wellbeing strategies.
• Only 12% of organisations have increased budgets to provide the training managers actually need to lead empathetically.

The cost of feedback gaps

The findings show that over 1 in 10 (11%) of organisations still do not gather regular feedback at all, leaving them blind to the impact of managers. For the 65% of organisations hoping for a cultural improvement in 2026, the message is clear: the most effective wellbeing strategy isn’t a new app or a gym discount; it is the radical improvement of the manager-employee relationship.

“We found these results really powerful. HR teams very clearly feel that wellbeing isn’t driven by perks, it’s driven by people. The relationship someone has with their manager shapes their day-to-day experience far more than any platform ever will. This reinforces a growing truth that wellbeing lives in everyday interactions. ” comments Lucy Harvey, Stribe COO.

Original Article: HRnews

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