Find users without a manager
Documentation: Microsoft Learn
The query pulls enabled users with the Manager attribute requested, filters down to accounts where that attribute is unpopulated, and reports the account name.
The script
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Show reference output
Illustrative rows: Manager is empty for the returned accounts.
SamAccountName Name -------------- ---- msen Mira Sen adas Asha Das
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Get-ADUser -Filter "Enabled -eq $true" -Properties Manager | Where-Object { -not $_.Manager } | Select-Object SamAccountName,Name- Stage 1Get-ADUser
-Filter -Properties - Stage 2Where-Object
Positional values or no named parameters - Stage 3Select-Object
Positional values or no named parameters
How it works
The query pulls enabled users with the Manager attribute requested, filters down to accounts where that attribute is unpopulated, and reports the account name.
Adapting it
Group the results on the OU portion of DistinguishedName to see whether the gap clusters in one business unit, which usually points at a single broken provisioning path rather than scattered mistakes.
Requirements
ActiveDirectory module.
If the result is unexpected
Users appear to have no manager even though the organization chart shows one.
The AD manager attribute may be empty, stale or maintained in a different system.
- Read the manager distinguished name for a sample user and check whether the referenced directory object resolves.
Validate the result
Missing manager values are distinguished from references to removed or incorrect objects.
Keep the check reliable
Validate manager references during onboarding and organizational changes.
