Benefits of empowerment
This White Paper considers the benefits that greater empowerment of managers
can bring to organisations and suggests ten steps that organisations should take
to achieve these benefits.
Accountability – a hot topic
The role of line managers has become a hot topic in human resources (HR)
circles in recent years. A 2007 survey of UK HR directors found that while the
current split of people management responsibilities between line managers and
HR in their organisations was 50/50, those surveyed felt the ideal split was
80/20. A 2008 survey by the Employment Review found that two-thirds of
organisations expected line managers to take more accountability for people
management processes over the next three years.
This need to devolve greater accountability to line managers is reinforced by
recent research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
(CIPD). The research highlighted the impact of line managers on a range of key
HR processes. It reported that generally organisations were not doing enough to
recognise the importance of line managers or of equipping them to manage
effectively.
“It is disappointing to see that only a small number of organisations saw the
importance of front-line managers in translating people management and
development policies into practice ... Until line managers are recognised as the
strategic partners of HR and given the recognition for their responsibilities, a
lack of accountability in people management will continue.”
CIPD Report, Line managers in reward,
learning and development, 2008 DOWNLOAD (HR: Beat the recession by empowering the line) >> |
