CIPD - The role of front line managers in HR

Management

Revised April 2008

This factsheet gives introductory guidance. It:

examines the role of front line managers in enacting and delivering HR processes and practices
gives the qualities and skills that front line managers need to deliver HR successfully
considers how front line managers themselves should be managed
includes the CIPD viewpoint.

Who are front line managers?

Front line managers are managers who are responsible for an employee or work group to a higher level of management. They are normally in the lower layers of the management hierarchy and the employees who report to them do not themselves have any managerial or supervisory responsibility.

Front line managers are often promoted from within and are unlikely to have formal management education. Typically their management responsibilities would include:

people management
managing operational costs
providing technical expertise
organisation work allocation and rotas
monitoring work processes
checking quality
dealing with customers/clients
measuring operational performance.

In many organisations front line managers now carry out activities which were traditionally within the remit of HR such as providing coaching and guidance, undertaking performance appraisals and dealing with discipline and grievances. In many cases they also carry out recruitment and selection in conjunction with HR.

The role of front line managers

The people and performance research carried out for the CIPD by a team at Bath University¹ found that front line managers played a pivotal role in terms of implementing and enacting HR policies and practices. They found that where employees feels positive about their relationship with their front line managers they are more likely to have higher levels of job satisfaction, commitment and loyalty which are associated with higher levels of performance or discretionary behaviour. Discretionary behaviour is defined as that which goes beyond the requirements of the job to give that extra performance which can boost the bottom line. Line managers also play the strongest part in structuring people’s actual experience of doing a job.

Subsequent work by CIPD and Bath University explores in detail the role that line managers play in reward and learning and development.

The areas where front line managers make a significant difference to people management practices include:

performance appraisal
training, coaching and guidance
employee engagement (involvement and communication)
openness – how easy is it for employees to discuss matters with their front line manager
work-life balance
recognition – the extent to which employees feel their contribution is recognised.

These are all areas where, although the process may be designed by HR, it cannot be delivered by HR. The front line manager role is crucial in a number of respects:

in enabling the HR policies and practices, or bringing them to life
in acting upon advice or guidance from HR
in controlling the work flow by directing and guiding the work of others.

However, line managers often have conflicting priorities and role overload. All managers need time to carry out their people management activities.

The qualities and skills needed from front line managers

The Bath research found that front line managers exercise a strong influence over the level of discretion that an individual has over how they do their job. Some managers can permit and encourage people to be responsible for their own jobs whereas others can stifle initiative through controlling or autocratic behaviour.

To encourage the kind of discretionary behaviour from employees associated with higher performance, front line managers need to:

build a good working relationship with their staff. They need to lead, listen, ask, communicate, be fair, respond to suggestions and deal with problems
help and support employees to take more responsibility for how they do their jobs by coaching and guidance
build effective teams.

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.

Managing front line managers

Well-managed front line managers are more likely to go on to lead high performing teams. Senior management support and action on the development of line managers is critical. The Bath research found that the relationships front line managers experienced with their managers and with senior management generally made a significant difference to their willingness to display discretionary behaviour in their own management activities.

Generally front line managers are more likely to display the positive behaviours associated with higher levels of performance from those they are managing if:

they have good working relationships with their own managers
the are provided with good career opportunities and supported to progress their careers
they experience a positive work-life balance
they are allowed to participate and feel involved in decision making
there is an open organisational culture which enables them to air a grievance or discuss matters of personal concern
they are given a sense of job security.

CIPD viewpoint

CIPD supports the findings of the Bath research. Organisations and HR managers must to be aware that front line managers need:

time to carry out their management roles
to be carefully selected with more attention paid to behaviour competences
to be supported by strong organisational values which show clearly the behaviours expected and those not permitted
good working relationships with their own managers
sufficient skills training to enable them to fulfil the people management requirements of the job
a sense of career opportunity linked to training and development
a sense of involvement in decision making the need a sense of job security
to believe they will be treated with respect by their own managers.

Organisations need to encourage line managers’ buy-in and commitment to people management activities by clarifying their responsibilities through job descriptions, performance appraisal and communicating the importance and value of development-related activities.

References

HUTCHINSON, S. and PURCELL, J. (2003) Bringing policies to life: the vital role of front line managers in people management. Executive briefing. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Available from http://www.cipd.co.uk/bookstore

The role of front line managers in HR

Who are front line managers?

The role of front line managers

The qualities and skills needed from front line managers

Managing front line managers

CIPD viewpoint

References

Further reading

Books and reports

Journal articles