Role of a line manager

Role of a line manager

What are five benefits and five drawbacks of line managers being more involved in HR activities?

Benefits;
- A link to HR practices which will help them better understand what employees need.
- Link to higher management meaning that the business will feel more connected as the managers share more interaction together
- Close to own staff allowing for the staff to feel more secure in their work
- Better able to deal with day to day matters - e.g. lateness, problems
- The line manager will be more involved with the selection process of the employees
Drawbacks;
- The line managers are not specialised in the field of HR therefore may be a burden to those who are
- Management styles may conflict between line manager and HR
- The relationship between the HR and the line manager the HR
- HR might feel like they are needing to do more to accommodate the line manager
- Line managers might too feel over worked
In order for a line manager to become a HR manager they will need to develop a lot more skills, line managers will already need to have people skills but as HR deals with very tender topics such as firing employees, sexual harassment law suits and other sensitive areas so a line manager will need to go through training to help them deal with those situations. Line managers will need to learn how to treat people in certain situations and on how to deal with conflict in an appropriate manor.(online)
The line managers in my work place are there to run the show in our department they are not worried about HR or having a lot to do within the HR department. Line managers are there to make sure the business is running and the employees are doing what they need to do and there is nothing wrong that needs fixing.
I feel that my skills will be better suited to that of a line manager, i am good with people and dealing with sensitive situations that would give me the necessary skills to be a HR manager however I feel my skills in terms of creativity and inventiveness can be best served as a line manager as I can use my creativeness to solve any problems that may occur within a working day and any situations that need resolving I will be able to figure out the best way to resolve them.
Reference;
Available on: http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/maneco/general/rolefrntlinemngers.htm Accessed [29th February 2010]