The Important Connection between Front-Line Managers & HR

Organizational leaders can make large capital investments, sweeping changes in company policy, and major strategic moves, but that can ultimately mean little if they cannot get their entire management team on board. Front-line managers not only manage employees on a day-to-day basis but, according to recent research, also must be a “liaison” between senior management and front-line employees.

In order to win the hearts and minds of these managers, every organizational change, large or small, needs to address the almighty “what’s-in-it-for-me” premise. Your front-line managers are held accountable for, and are obsessed with, a specific set of measures. Typically, on the balanced scorecard, raises, bonuses, and career progression are normally tied directly to performance. It makes sense, then, that front-line managers would reach out to any function in the organization for help if it meant gaining an edge in achieving balanced-scorecard glory.

Now, think of the front-line managers in your organization. Are they calling their local HR representatives to beg them to get their people signed up for the latest training on management 101 or the workshop on how to make the most of their employee-survey data? Probably not. HR managers are likely spending their days “encouraging” front-line managers to get excited about the training. Front-line managers do not look to Human Resources to help them reach their balanced-scorecard goals. This is not just the fault of Human Resources. Front-line managers should look to Human Resources to help them with their balanced-scorecard quest, but HR needs to give those managers a reason to seek out their services.

Excerpted from Scott P. Mondore and Shane S. Douthitt, Investing in What Matters: Linking Employees to Business Outcomes (SHRM, 2009).