The webinar focuses on the importance of engaging line managers in HR functions, emphasizing their role in enhancing productivity and maintaining employee relations. It discusses strategies for effective communication with line managers, methods to facilitate their engagement, and the significance of consistent standards in performance management. Participants are encouraged to actively engage in discussions, and resources for further learning are provided.

1. Truly Engaging Line Managers
with HR
Webinar with
Alyson Pellowe & Paula Harris from People Vision

2. • Welcome
• Participant
involvement
• Questions: raise your
„technological‟ hand
• Type in question box

3. Agenda
1. Why engage line managers in HR?
2. How do we engage those line
managers?
3. How to have those difficult conversations
with reluctant line managers
4. Keeping consistent standards

4. Why engage line managers in HR at all?

5. Why engage line managers in
“HR matters”?
– The role of HR is changing –
business partnering/critical friend
– You do not have an HR department
– You want to up-skill your managers

6. Why is the role of a line
manager changing?
– “tell and sell”
– Increasing focus on individuals, new technology,
different working practices
– It is a more complex workplace
– “welfare” issues – traditionally fielded &
counselled by HR
– Link between organisational goals & individual
goals

7. Research (the “science” behind it)......
• By the CIPD, ACAS, Roffey Park and
Harvard show:
– Individuals & teams are key to
increased productivity & efficiency =
competitive
– The person who can get the most out
of teams & individuals is the person
who works closest to them – the line
manager
– People join businesses because of
their reputation – they stay because
of their line manager

8. The line manager today
Senior
management
expectations
HR Line Organisational
responsibility Manager responsibility
Employees –
the team
responsibility

9. Line managers are best placed to:
• Talk to employees
• Listen
• Counsel & coach
• Check performance targets
• Ensure commitment

10. How do you get your line managers to
realise this?

11. Brainstorm - what is HR/when we talk about
HR what responsibilities come up – write
down as many as you can?

12. HR
1. Recruitment and onboarding
2. Performance management
3. Motivation
4. H&S
5. Attendance
6. Policies & procedures
7. Communication & engagement
8. Learning & development
9. Coaching & counselling
10. Disciplinary & grievance
11. Reward
12. Etc etc!

13. Line responsibility or HR or Both?
Line
Manager
Both HR

14. The exercise will demonstrate a key learning
point......
• HR often provides the structure, the policies &
procedures
• Line management execute the delivery of them in
practice
• i.e. Performance management – HR may provide the
guidance, the training, the format to use but line
managers will manage and be accountable for an
individual’s performance as they are closest to it

15. Any others ways of engaging
line managers?

16. Ways to engage
– Educate
– Communicate
– Robust systems with end user in mind
– Consultation
– Training
– On going reviews

17. What line managers need from HR & the business
to be engaged & successful
• It is NOT a quick fix
• Relationship between the line & HR
• Involvement
• The cycle of review & improvement
• HR acting as critical friend

18. How to have those difficult conversations
with the line manager?
Most line management people issues can be
nipped in the bud when line managers take
responsibility.

19. Remember
• Always be fair, reasonable & consistent
• Early intervention
• Know your team
• Ongoing dialogue

20. How do you keep consistent standards

21. Keeping consistent standards
• Recruitment & selection of line managers
• Train line managers in people management
• Ensure your line managers have a balanced workload
• Review your line managers work
• Ensure your line managers are measured on their
people responsibilities
• Make sure line managers are coached by more senior
managers

22. Today we covered…
1. Why engage line managers in HR?
2. How do we engage those line
managers?
3. How to have those difficult conversations
with reluctant line managers
4. Keeping consistent standards

23. So what is the key thing you take away from
this session?

24. “Participant
Question Time”
 Use the „hands-up button to
alert me to your question
 Be sure to have a working
microphone so that we can
hear you
 Don‟t want to talk? then
simply type a question into
the question box and I will
ask this on your behalf

25. Future PVHR
Webinars
• We now run webinars on a range of different
subjects
• Write to me if you would like more details
alyson.pellowe@pvhr.com
• Contact details for Paula –
paula.harris@pvhr.com 07775 841137

26. “Thank you for participating, we look
forward to your feedback!”