There is a stark divide between senior managers and average workers when it comes to job titles and pay, new research suggests.

More than half of senior managers rate their job title as important to them (54%) but only a third of non-managers (34%) hold the same view, the poll, conducted by YouGov with Imprint Search & Selection, reveals.

While money remains the key driver in the majority of cases, 37.5% of UK managers admitted they had already taken a title rise without a pay rise, compared with only 23% non-managerial staff.

More than one in ten senior managers would be willing to give up as much as 25% of a pay rise if they were also guaranteed an improved job title. Only 1% of non-managers would make a similar sacrifice.

Norman Burden, operations director for Imprint Search & Selection, says: “Employers need to be fully aware that whilst some people value flat structures within organisations and feel job titles are less important, this study confirms that the reality is very different.

“In addition to their salaries, senior managers view their job title as being very important indeed and many are prepared to use it as a bargaining tool to move their career forward. Companies must never underestimate the power of the job title.”