Role Competencies and Skills Analyses of Line Managers in Human Resource Management - Essay Example

Human Resource Development Table of Content Introduction 3 Role Competencies and Skills Analyses of Line Managers in Human Resource Management (HRM) 4 Key Challenges Experience by Line Managers While Managing People within an Organisation 8 Conclusion 12 References 13 Introduction The dynamism of business in the current context has made the organisational operations more complicated, which has resulted in more decentralization of authoritative powers and responsibilities. Contextually, it can be stated that most of the Human Resource Management (HRM) related activities are now devolved by line managers to a large extent. Most of the surveys conducted in this regard postulated that a greater proportion of responsibilities for managing people have shifted to line managers over the last few decades. Therefore, it can be argued that line managers play a fundamental role in managing the diverse performances of their staffs and also the performances of their subordinates. Traditionally, line managers were associated with few tasks but currently the line managers are required to perform a diverse range of tasks. Hence, with the increase in the level of functions, rise in the requirements of competencies and skills for line managers for rendering their responsibilities effectively have also increased substantially (Pearson Education Ltd, 2013). Emphasising on this particular aspect, the paper primarily intends to critically analyse and explain the roles, skills and competencies of UK line managers in their involvement when implementing and adopting their organisational HRD strategies. Furthermore, the paper also critically addresses the challenges that line managers may experience in managing (i.e. implementing, monitoring or assessing) the learning as well as training and development experiences of their staffs. Role Competencies and Skills Analyses of Line Managers in Human Resource Management (HRM) In the contemporary organizational environment, line managers are found to be significantly involved in the HRM process. In this regard, it can be stated that line managers today are often argued to play a central role in the HRM initiatives practiced by any organization. In most of the circumstances, in an organisation, line managers are held responsible for numerous HR related tasks such as management of their staffs, directing them towards a particular goal, providing technical expertise, monitoring work process, checking quality, dealing with customers, managing operational costs and measuring operational performance among others. It has been thus ascertained that since last few decades’, the responsibilities of line managers have significantly increased in the areas of HRM. For instance, in the case scenario of Herbert Retail, it was evidently observed that line managers are extensively involved in numerous functions such as coaching, mentoring, as well as other day-to-day operations of the organisational activities which were traditionally categorised as HRM related issues or operational issues (Suff, 2011). Hence, it can be postulated that line managers today, occupy a significant position in realizing the predetermined core business goals and thus impose vital impacts on their subordinates. From a generalised point of view, the role of line managers can be divided into two major categories namely, leadership component and management component. The leadership components are related with line managers can be associated with regular displaying of the leadership roles and behaviours such as providing supports to subordinates, consulting with subordinates in matters related with crucial decisions and recognizing their valuable contributions among others. On the other hand, the management components are associated with the line managers are concerned with the implementation of detailed and formal HR policies and practices including performance appraisals and training activities among others (Gilbert & et. al., n.d.). Notably, the effectiveness of the HRM strategies primarily corresponds to how effectively these strategies are implemented in an organisation. At the same time, effective HR strategies and its efficient implementations are essential for an organisation in order to sustain long term progress in its operations. It is worth mentioning in this context that HR professionals are responsible for developing relevant strategies of an organisation while the responsibility of implementing those strategies lay with the line managers of an organisation. Furthermore, the line managers are required to execute the implemented HR strategies on the workplace (Terhalle, 2009). Hence, the efficiencies and competencies of line managers in implementing HR strategies have become crucial and a strong determinants for the success and failure of those strategies in delivering the desire results. It is in this context that although the implementation of HR strategies and practices by line managers is often viewed to be salient in nature, it also imposes significant impacts on the employee’s satisfaction level and their behaviours. Contextually, it can be identified that line managers in an organisation have critical impacts on the employees’ attitudes and behaviours through which they translate HR strategies into practices (Terhalle, 2009). While implementing the HR policies and practices, line managers have to work closely with HR professionals for ensuring the consistency and effectiveness of managing the activities (Farnham, 2010). In order to perform such wide range of responsibilities, it is crucial that line managers possess the adequate competencies and skills. Thus, the line managers should have the potentialities to effectively promote a healthy workplace. The line managers should also bear a clear set of behaviour so that subordinates’ behaviour is positively influenced. In addition to this, the line managers should also possess sound communication skills, effective people management skills, team management skills, customer service skills and problem solving skills as well (Acas Publications, 2009). It is in this context that the proper communication skills will enable the line managers to effectively communicate with their subordinates about the changes in the HR policies and strategies so that the subordinates are able to easily understand the expectations of the organisation and further get effectively acquainted with the strategies implemented by the line managers. Furthermore, the practice of effective communication skills will enable line managers to convey the HR strategies implemented in an organisation in the most convincing manner to their subordinates. Similarly, the effective people management skills will facilitate line managers to cautiously monitor and assess the degree to which the organisational employees are obeying and adhering to the HR strategies implemented by the line managers. Contextually, the effective people management skills will also enable line managers to tactfully solve any conflicts arising at the workplace and thus facilitate in ensuring cordial workplace environment within the organisation. Team skills are other essential requirements for the line managers in order to render their responsibilities effectively and efficiently (Acas Publications, 2009). It is in this context that the team skills enable line managers to collaborate the efforts of all the team members towards a specific direction in accordance with the HR strategies implemented in order to seek the best results. Measuring the performance of the team members as a whole will enable the organisation to obtain the required information about the effectiveness of the HR strategies implemented. Furthermore, such appraisals of the team performance will enable line mangers to develop self–appraisal of their efficiencies in implementing the planned framework. The line managers should also possess competent customer service skills. These skills are quite likely to develop the strategies implemented by the line managers as more compatible with the needs and preferences of the customers. It is in this context that an ineffective implementation of the HR policies and practices can also immensely influence the level of customer satisfaction, primarily in the service industry. Accordingly, problem solving skills are also crucial for line managers. The necessity of such skills can be apparently identified in the context of implementing planned changes. For instance, employees are often observed to resist changes brought within the organisational culture, especially those which are directly related to their working environment such as the HR policies and practices. In such circumstances, problem solving skills may facilitate line managers to critically address and deal with the issues and thus, ensure overall organisational progress (Acas Publications, 2009). Key Challenges Experience by Line Managers While Managing People within an Organisation The above presented arguments apparently suggest that success of an organization equally depends on the effective development of HR policies as well as on the aspects of how efficiently these practices are deployed within the organisation. Accordingly, many research studies illustrated a significant concern towards the line managers’ performances in implementing HR policies and practices owing to the number of limitations associated with such initiatives. One of the major challenges associated with the implementations of HR policies and practices by the UK line managers is often identified as their reluctance towards the effective identification of HR issues and the implementation of required strategies. Furthermore, it has also been argued that UK line managers do not have adequate time to render due significance towards HR policies and practices as they are often observed to be pre-occupied with many short-term operational responsibilities. In such circumstances, implementation of HR policies and practices may not collaborate with the required standards; thereby, hindering the quality of HRM within the organisation. Moreover, it has often been argued that line managers possess limited skills and competencies in HR related issues owing to the limited training facilitate to them in this regard. Contextually, the statements suggest that low level of competencies acquired by the UK line managers act as a significant challenge which again restricts effective implementation of HR strategies and practices within the organisations. Simultaneously, the role of line managers is vitally supported by the functions discharged by the HR professionals. Thus, it becomes quite cumbersome for the line managers to implement the HR strategies depending on their own competencies (Power & et. al., n.d.). For instance, in certain circumstances where adequate assistance from HR professionals is not delivered to the line managers, it has been observed that the implementation of HR policies and practices are below the required level. With this concern, higher education institutions in Europe have admitted the importance concerning the support of HR professionals to the line managers in order to gain efficiency in the organisational process implementation (Mansor & Idris, 2011). Accordingly, it can be stated that failure to implement the HR practices at the workplace effective may also negatively influence the behaviour of subordinates and may dramatically result in the misinterpretation of the policies implemented for the overall betterment of the organisation. As stated earlier, the line managers are substantially occupied by the short-term operational functions with almost no surplus time to monitor the HR strategies adopted or changed by the organisation and the corresponding reactions from their teams. Consequently, subordinates may not pay heed to the HR strategies implemented, which may further lead towards constant violation of the implemented standards by some of the subordinates. Addressing the issue, it can be identified that those dedicated subordinates who abide by the implemented strategies may get de-motivated by the frequent violation in HR strategies by their fellow subordinates and thereby cause conflicts within the workplace (Terhalle, 2009). Additionally, UK line managers are often found to be stressed with pressure of time due to which they are unable to provide a comprehensive suggestions and advice to those subordinates who are in need of clarification on certain issues. In other words, the line managers are unable to give substantial time to assess the performance and the progress of their subordinates owing to limited availability of time. Thus, stress faced by the UK line managers, work overload may also be identified as another major challenge that acts as a constraint towards implementing, monitoring and assessing the learning, training and developmental experiences of the staff (The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, 2013). In addition, lack of commitment from senior managers may also result in carelessness and lack of interests among the line managers towards implementing and assessing the performances and development of their subordinates (Silverman, 2004). Nonetheless, the various challenges confronted by the UK line managers may effectively be resolved by facilitating proper training and development programmes for these professional. Such initiatives are likely to enhance their understanding of the needs of their staffs. Training for UK line managers should further be based on how line managers can implement effective time management strategies and deal with the stress level effectively experienced by them during the course of their work. In other words, the training programmes should be capable of improvising both the required competencies and skills of the line managers (Aguinis & Kraiger, 2009). After the successful completion of training and development programmes rendered to line managers, they must also be assisted to effectively transfer the knowledge into practices. The line managers must therefore be able to relate work-based learning of their staffs with their learning actions. Furthermore, the line managers should also be able to significantly contribute in the acquisition of skills, abilities along with behaviour and knowledge by their staffs. It is also essential that the line managers must be capable to ensure that training rendered to their staffs is worth of value and is effectively contributing towards the development of the overall organisation (Hutchinson, 2013). Conclusion Traditionally, businesses were limited to certain areas or regions; but, in the 21st century, the business activities are expanded across the world. In this relation, many HR functions including strategy implementations as well as the responsibilities for employee development have covered the functions of line managers as well. Additionally, it can be stated that HR professionals are associated with the development of relevant strategies while the line managers are held responsible for effectively implementing those strategies in field and thereby, ensuring organisational efficiency at the ground level. Primarily, line managers in the current context are required to perform both leadership role and management role. Line managers as leaders are required to influence the behaviours of their subordinates through effective motivation which was traditionally recognised as a dimension for HR professionals. On the contrary, line managers, when playing their management role are required to appraise the performances of their employees. However, while rendering these roles, line managers are often confronted with several challenges such as pressure of time, lack of resources, lack of employee motivation, organisational culture and lack of commitment from senior managers among others. Notably, most of these challenges can be eliminated with effective training directed towards improving the competencies and skills of line managers. However, UK line managers should be capable to translate the acquired knowledge obtained through training and development programmes at the workplace environment in the most effective way so that their staffs as well as organisation are adequately benefitted. References Acas publications. 2009. Front Line Managers. The Role of Front Line Managers. [Online] Available at: http://www.acas.org.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=308&p=0 [Accessed March 02, 2013]. Aguinis, H. & Kraiger, K., 2009. Benefits of Training and Development for Individuals and Teams, Organizations, and Society. 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Illuminating Between Line Managers And HR Professionals: A Social Exchange Perspective. RIKON School of Business, pp. 1-37. Pearson Education Ltd, 2013. Introducing Human Resource Management. Role of Line Managers. [Online] Available at: http://catalogue.pearsoned.co.uk/assets/hip/gb/hip_gb_pearsonhighered/samplechapter/0273740989.pdf [Accessed March 02, 2013]. Suff, R., 2011. Improving Line Managers Capability. IRS Employment Review, pp. 1-6. Silverman, M., 2004. Managers as Developers of Others: A Literature Review. Institute of Employment Studies, pp. 1-13. Terhalle, A. M., 2009. Line Managers as Implementers of HRM. University of Twente, pp. 1-72. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, 2013. Line Management Behaviour and Stress at Work: Guidance for Line Managers. What do Line Managers Need to do to Prevent and Reduce Stress. [Online] Available at: http://www.cipd.co.uk/NR/rdonlyres/508EB217-1C98-4A6A-A466-C17119A27A58/0/linemanagementbehaviourstressmanagers.pdf [Accessed March 02, 2013]. Read More