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Every Line Manager Is an Hr Manager

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Every Line Manager is an HR Manager

Introduction
“Slowly but surely, line managers are taking over the HR front line. Gone are the days when the first port of call for any people management query was the HR department.” – Lucy McGee (Personnel Today)

This is partly because HR as a function has transformed over the past decade. Administration is often outsourced, legislation has become more complex, European Union regulations have to be understood and adhered to, compensation is now many-sided, and selection and development have become more sophisticated. HR is both more specialist and more strategic than ever.

At the same time, the managers' role has evolved as leadership skills have been recognised as being important for …show more content…

Many of the qualities and skills which are associated with higher quality front line management are around the behaviours of front line managers. It is not enough to educate front line managers in the behaviours required; organisations must also ensure they are developing the environment and culture in which front line managers are actively encouraged and permitted to exhibit the behaviours above. The Bath research found that organisations which had a strong shared culture with guiding principles for behaviour which were embedded into practice over time were more successful.

To be good ambassadors of people management, line managers need, above all, self-confidence and a strong sense of their own security in the organisation. This, in turn, requires strong support and the appropriate training and development for those newly appointed in a line management role.

Source: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development - UK

Implications of greater line manager involvement in HRD
The perception prevails that a number of benefits exist in using line managers as developers of people (Gibbs, 2003). The following key arguments for devolution of HRD to line managers are provided by different scholars: allowing HRD decisions to be tailored to the real needs and circumstances at the operational level; improving employee relationships and the work environment; enabling more effective

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