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At Facebook, employees know that they don’t need to
become managers in order to be successful.

“The most important thing is that we choose managers who want to
be managers,” Lori Goler, Facebook’s VP of people, told Business
Insider.

Facebook is a strength-based organization, she said, and that
means that leadership finds what employees excel at and place
them in those roles. In order to determine what makes a manager
excel at Facebook, a few years ago Goler and her team conducted a
company-wide analysis of its roughly 12,000 employees to find
which teams reported the highest levels of satisfaction and
engagement.

They then reached out to these teams and asked them what it was
about their bosses that made their work experience so rewarding.
Seven behaviors stood out.

1. They care about their team members.

The first point ties back to finding managers who actually
want to be managers rather than those who feel like they
need to be managers in order to progress in their
careers.

“It sounds basic, but it’s harder than it sounds in an
organization that’s scaling quickly” to find these people, Goler
said. Those who have that passion for leading a team are able to
make personal connections with their employees and actually want
to see them succeed.

2. They provide opportunities for growth.

Facebook’s HR team found that its employees who reported the
highest levels of satisfaction with their boss felt like they
were given opportunities to constantly learn and develop their
skills.

3. They set clear expectations and goals.

Employees have two formal performance reviews each year, and
feedback, whether positive or negative, should never be a
surprise. All employees need to constantly know what is expected
of them, as both individuals and members of a team, or else their
manager has failed.

Facebook

4. They give frequent, actionable feedback.

Goler said that giving regular feedback is so fundamental to
Facebook’s culture that it becomes second nature to the best
managers.

“And it’s a two-way street,” she said. The best bosses inform
their teams of the feedback they’ve been getting from individual
members as well as their own superiors. They’re able to create an
atmosphere where their employees aren’t afraid to speak up when
they believe there’s a better way of doing things.

When a team achieves this level of trust and transparency, they
can adapt quickly and become more productive and effective.

5. They provide helpful resources.

The best managers don’t micro-manage, but they’re aware of where
each of their employees is at so that they can remove any
roadblocks that may be hindering progress and provide the insight
or assistance to get a project done.

6. They hold their team accountable for success.

In order for employees to feel motivated, they need to know that
their boss will adjust their responsibilities accordingly
depending on their performance.

7. They recognize outstanding work.

And finally, the most engaged employees reported that they work
in an environment where impactful results are celebrated.