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    Line Vs Staff

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    Suruchi Suruchi T
    HR managers have both line and staff functions within an organization. As a line function, the HR manager manages their department and implements policies set by senior leadership. As a coordinating function, the HR manager oversees all personnel activities. As a staff function, the HR manager advises line managers on areas like training, evaluation, and discipline. Line managers are responsible for tasks like hiring, orientation, and performance management, while HR specialists focus on tasks like job analysis, policy development, and compensation planning. Both line and HR staff share responsibilities in some areas, and effective HR requires cooperation between both roles.

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    Line Vs Staff

    Uploaded by

    Suruchi Suruchi T
    47 views3 pages
    HR managers have both line and staff functions within an organization. As a line function, the HR manager manages their department and implements policies set by senior leadership. As a coordinating function, the HR manager oversees all personnel activities. As a staff function, the HR manager advises line managers on areas like training, evaluation, and discipline. Line managers are responsible for tasks like hiring, orientation, and performance management, while HR specialists focus on tasks like job analysis, policy development, and compensation planning. Both line and HR staff share responsibilities in some areas, and effective HR requires cooperation between both roles.

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    HR managers have both line and staff functions within an organization. As a line function, the HR manager manages their department and implements policies set by senior leadership. As a coordinating function, the HR manager oversees all personnel activities. As a staff function, the HR manager advises line managers on areas like training, evaluation, and discipline. Line managers are responsible for tasks like hiring, orientation, and performance management, while HR specialists focus on tasks like job analysis, policy development, and compensation planning. Both line and HR staff share responsibilities in some areas, and effective HR requires cooperation between both roles.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    47 views3 pages

    Line Vs Staff

    Uploaded by

    Suruchi Suruchi T
    HR managers have both line and staff functions within an organization. As a line function, the HR manager manages their department and implements policies set by senior leadership. As a coordinating function, the HR manager oversees all personnel activities. As a staff function, the HR manager advises line managers on areas like training, evaluation, and discipline. Line managers are responsible for tasks like hiring, orientation, and performance management, while HR specialists focus on tasks like job analysis, policy development, and compensation planning. Both line and HR staff share responsibilities in some areas, and effective HR requires cooperation between both roles.

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    HR functions: Line versus staff authority

    “All managers are, in a sense, HR managers, since they all get involved in activities like
    recruiting, interviewing, selecting, and training.”
    -Gary Dessler

    Yet most firms also have a human resource department with its own human resource manager.
    How do the duties of this HR manager and his or her staff relate to "line" managers' human
    resource duties?

    Before going over to answer this question we should know that HR managers are in most of the
    cases even now in this modern world generally staff managers. They are responsible for advising
    line managers (like those for production and sales) in areas like recruiting, hiring, and
    compensation.

    one major company outlined its line supervisors' responsibilities for effective human resource
    management under the following general headings:

    1. Placing the right person on the right job


    2. Starting new employees in the organization (orientation)
    3. Training employees for jobs that are new to them
    4. Improving the job performance of each person
    5. Gaining creative cooperation and developing smooth working relationships
    6. Interpreting the company's policies and procedures
    7. Controlling labor costs
    8. Developing the abilities of each person
    9. Creating and maintaining departmental morale
    10. Protecting employees' health and physical condition

    In small organizations, line managers may carry out all these personnel duties unassisted. But
    as the organization grows, they need the assistance, specialized knowledge, and advice of a
    separate human resource staff.

    The human resource department provides this specialized assistance. Thus an HR manager
    will perform three distinct functions:

    1. A line function. An HR manager possesses a line authority over his own department to
    accomplish the task and roles assigned to each employees of the department. And since
    the majority of the decision is trickled down from the corporate level, he actually exudes
    such power. His suggestions also are taken as orders.
    2. A coordinative function. An HR manager is also a coordinator of all the decision, activities
    in the personnel area. This is referred to as functional control. Whatever policies,
    procedures and objectives are set for the HR manager implements employees in the
    organisation.
    3. Staff functions. This is basically an advisory role played by the manager whereby he only
    assists line managers, but that doe not mean his advice shall be taken finally. It all
    depends on the discretion of the line manager. Such a function involves assisting on areas
    such as, training, evaluating, rewarding, counseling, promoting, and firing of employees,
    etc.) many a times HR managers also update the line managers as well as top
    management regarding the current trends and new methods of solving problems .
    Thus we can conclude that there are certain areas, which are solely left on the Managers
    prerogative. While there are many areas where a kind of cooperative responsibility by both
    the HR manager and the line manager is required.

    Please refer to the table for the differentiation between each responsibility

    Selected DEPARTMENT SUPERVISORS, PERSONNEL SPECIALISTS,(


    activities (LINE) ACTIVITIES STAFF) ACTIVITIES
    illustrating
    division of
    HR
    responsibility
    between line
    and staff.
    I Assist job analyst by listing specific Write job description and job
    Recruitment duties and responsibilities of the job in specification based on input fro
    and selection question explain to HR future staffing department supervisor
    needs and sorts of people needed to be Develop personnel plans showing
    hired. promo table employees.
    Descry” human requirements” of job so Resources of qualified applications and
    HR can develop selection tests. engage in recruiting activities aimed at
    Interview candidates and make final developing a pool of qualified
    selection decision. applicants.
    Conduct initial serving interviews and
    refer feasible candidates to department
    supervisor.
    II Orient employees regarding the Prepare training materials and
    Training and company and job and instruct and train orientation documents and outlines.
    development new employees. Advise CEO regarding development
    Evaluate and recommend managers plan for managers based on CEO’s
    developmental activities. stated vision of firm’s future needs.
    Provide the leadership and Serve as resource for providing
    empowerment that builds effective work information regarding how to institute
    teams. and operate quality improvement
    Use the firm’s appraisal forms to programs and team building efforts.
    appraise employee performance. Develop performance appraisal tools
    Assess subordinates’ career progress and maintain records of appraisals.
    and advise them regarding career
    option.
    Assist HR by providing information Conduct job evaluation procedures
    III regarding the nature and relative worth aimed at determining relative worth of
    Compensation of each job to serve as the basic for each job in the firm. Conduct salary
    compensation decisions. surveys to determine how other firms
    Don the nature and amounts of are paying the same or similar positions.
    incentives to be paid to subordinates. Serve as a resource in advising line
    Decide on the package of benefits and management regarding financial
    services the firm is to pay. incentives and pay plan alternatives.
    Develop. In consolation with line
    management the firm’s benefits and
    services packages including health care
    options and pensions.
    IV Establish the day to day climate of Diagnose underlying causes o f labor
    Labor mutual respect and trust needed to discontent with an eye toward
    Relations maintain healthy labor management anticipating with the sorts of moral and
    relations. Consistently apply the terms lead to unionization efforts.
    of the labor agreement. Train line managers regarding the
    Ensure that the firm’s grievance process interpretation of contract terms and the
    is functioning in a manner consistent legal pitfalls to be avoided during the
    with the labor agreement and make final union organizing effort
    decisions on grievances after Advise managers regarding how to
    investigating same, handle grievances and assist all parties
    Work with HR in negotiating the in reaching agree regarding grievances.
    collective bargaining agreement.
    V Keep the lines of communication open Advise line management regarding the
    Employee between employees and managers so communication techniques that can be
    Security and employees are kept abreast of important used to encourage upward and
    safety company matters and have a variety of downward communication.
    vehicles they can use to express Develop a unfair treatment process and
    concerns and use to express concerns train line managers in its use.
    and gripes. Analyze jobs to develop safe practice
    Sure employees are guaranteed fair rules and advise on design of safety
    treatment as it relates to discipline, apparatus such as machinery guards.
    dismissals and job security. Promptly invest accidents analyze
    Continually dire employees in the causes, make recommendations for
    consistent application of safe work accident presentation and submit
    habits. necessary forms to occupational safety
    Prepare accident reports promptly and and health administration.
    accurately.

    In summary, as Dessler remarks, “HR management is an integral part of every manager’s job.
    Whether you’re a first line supervisor, manager, or president, whether you’re a production
    manager sales manager, office manager, hospital administrator, or HR manager, getting results
    through people is the name of the game.”

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