HR and Line Management

Trusting in your people experts.

Trust in your people experts!

Published 26th February 2025

Estimated Read Time: 8 minutes

"HR that starts with the business, doesn't get as much resistance from the business"

By David Ulrich, Father of Modern HR1 (REFERENCE)

Check out: HR vs. Line Managers: How to Build a Productive Relationship

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Here to Help

As David Ulrich once wrote, a Chief HR Officer would make a great CEO. Why? Well because they have expertise in talent management, championing positive culture, and leadership development which uniquely prepares them for high level roles2. The truth is, HR need knowledge of the business and its people to create initiatives that work well in practice not just on paper, and likewise management need HR knowledge to manage and develop their teams effectively. So, how do we bring the two together? Collaboration. The devolution of Human Resources has shifted more HR initiatives onto management, such as recruitment, managing employee relations cases, supporting employee wellbeing, enforcing the HR policies and much more.

Lets talk about it.

The Devolution of Human Resources

HR can often be seen in a negative light, the company police, hide from them! Is that true? Not really... We are here to develop our people, hold people accountable at early stages through early intervention and preventative action to protect the workforce from unfair or inconsistent treatment, we build engagement incentives and ensure everybody is informed of their employment rights, such as the righ to request flexible working and the right to be accompanied. We are a support system and there to prevent damage to culture etc through being proactive, rather than dealing with an issue as it arrises. Now, the devolution of HR in the 21st century has asked that line management take ownership of our initiatives, and support us in retaining this consistency, but how can this go wrong? Famously, line managers will blame HR if they are uncomfortable giving a sanction, HR will blame line management if an ER case isn't followed correctly and the case goes to an employment tribunal. The fact is the pair must work together on this, it is neither ones entire responsibility. HR must train, advise and support and line management must take ownership!

https://youtu.be/7JjhZfTJfGU?si=vZ5sgMQwKKoAxUVu

Why Devolve HR to Line Management?

Managers that have people reporting into them, essentially already are HR managers! They are responsible for their people, so having people management skills is essential.
Likely to increase the overall efficiency of overall people management in the organisation
Gives line management more ownership of people management issues
Reduce Costs: can centralise HR to head office,
HR can focus on strategy,
Increased Efficiency: people management skills across the organisation is developed

What problems does this cause?:

Line management might not have the time, ER rushed, not consulting HR or 'skipping a step'
Insufficient HR training meaning managers are leading blind
Risk of employment tribunal and court fines if anything goes wrong!

Line Management:

Doing the managing, also reporting up on all of their teams performance and wellbeing, they are the squeezed middle (CIPD: Line management Factsheet). *A front line manager looks after employees who have no management responsibilities below them.

Tasks:

People management

Managing costs

Providing expertise

Allocating work

Developing their teams i.e. succession planning

Measuring Performance

Managing health and wellbeing of their teams preventing ill health through reasonable adjustments, working with occ health

The Juggle is Real.

Line management & HR relationship:

the trend towards individualisation of the employment relationship has placed new burdens and opportunities in the hands of line managers. often blame eachother, managers will use hr as a shield to say im not the bad guy. HR will say it is the managers choice and we are just here to advise but ultimately it is the managers decision. Effectively, HR are protecting the manager from court, they see the bigger picture, it is better to ctach the behaviour early to cover the managers back if it gets 'out of hand'

Line management perspective 'HR are rubbish'

why?

they don't know the business
unresponsive and slow to act - want to check options thoroughly
hr slow down decisions for management, managers feel their decision is best for the business but hr intervene and slow down the process
policies hard to implement in practice but great in theory

Why HR want managers to take more ownership of HR process:

the line management know their people best
HR can become more strategic and less transactional
Given the tools to be good people managers will improve overall organisation efficiency
Having good people management skills is an essential part of being a manager and can make their life easier if they are trained on this skill - i.e. their teams are more developed, follow policy, are engaged and motivated.

Why might some argue HR devolution is not a good idea?

Managers aren't HR specialists, they have other things going on and may forget
Risks involved i.e. legal HR pitfalls
Poor communication from HR/ limited training
Time consuming
Manager wellbeing, stress, personal career advancement

Human Resources Management Journal Vol 26, no 4, 2016 model of HRs contribution to implimentation of HR practice:

To successfully implement polciies need ability, motivation & opportunity:

HR Training
HR support materials - fact sheets, guidance docs
Employees given handbook and able to view and understand policies
appreciating and rewarding managers for implimenting them
Communication and support from CEO

Managers not giving correct warnings, skipping steps, not following the policies, not being consistent in following polcies. Employees view the unfairness of being penalised for soemthing a peer isnt beeing penalised for by their manager due to managers uncommitment to follow policy. Can create dissatisfaction. Can also lead to company being taken to employment tribunal if polcies are not being followed correctly.

🥡 The takeaway is clear: As we progress our approaches in business, managers could look to prioritise people management and collaboration with their local HR to develop a productive working relationship. Work smarter not harder, put the time into the people and watch the efficiency of work improve, taking pressure off the manager!!

As for HR... we can provide extensive support, training and guidance to line managers while also empowering them to take ownership of HR-related tasks. Better Together.

Ask yourself: Who conducted your interview, who provides you with development opportunity and who supports your health and wellbeing in work?

Next... where else can HR support? With your companies Corporate Social Responsibility strategy. If you would like to read more about how human resources can achieve sustainability in your organisation then click to read my blog below:

Corporate Social Responsibility

"Green Human Resource Management"