This descriptive qualitative study aims to investigate what factors are associated with a supportive supervisor, from the perspective of an employee. The study is based on the premise that a qualitative investigation of the various factors that influence supervisor support can offer a novel and comprehensive perspective on the topic. This study utilized a qualitative design. Data were collected by means of 20 audiorecorded, semi-structured, face-to-face, in-depth interviews with Saudi employees from various business backgrounds. Transcribed interview data were thematically analyzed. Seven themes were developed: professional development opportunities, emotional and family support, regular communication and feedback, team support, recognition, guidance and direction, trust and autonomy. Each theme represents a quality that employees feel a supportive leader should possess. The findings add to the literature on organizational support and can help HR to design training and development sessions for supervisors to improve organizational support and effectiveness.

Keywords: Supervisory Support, Employee Support, Employee-Management Relations, HRD, HRM, and Performance.