Exercising adequate authority within a company is a task that must be performed by both line managers and staff. Coordinating their tasks is essential for the proper functioning of an organization.
Many times we have heard the terms line and staff when we speak or study Human Resources. Therefore, there is no need to remember its meaning and explain its importance and relevance in the organizational analysis carried out in a company. Next, we will make a parallel between the functions of line managers and staff.
To begin to better understand the issues to be addressed, we must start with defining authority, such as the right to make decisions, direct the work of others, or, in two words: give orders. From there arises what we know as line authority and staff authority.
We can say then that the role of a line manager in a company is to direct the work of subordinates and to fight for the company's objectives to be fully achieved. He is the person who within our workplace we call him boss and we go to him when we need advice or when he asks us to do a certain job. Or, that person who rebukes us when something was not done well.
On the other hand, the role of the staff manager is to support, assist, assist, advise or advise the line managers themselves to achieve the fundamental objectives in a company. A good example may be the human resources manager who advises managers of production, marketing, sales, etc., on issues such as recruitment, training, compensation of personnel, etc.
Managing people is one of the main characteristics of line managers, whose primary functions are to properly position, guide and train individuals in their positions, improve performance and develop the capacities of each person, increase good relationships at work, interpret company policies, control labor costs, maintain a good work environment and protect the health and physical integrity of employees.
Whether directing (line manager) or advising (staff manager), the important thing is to join efforts to achieve all the goals that a company has set itself
Now we will see the functions that a staff manager must carry out, starting with a line function, where the personnel manager, for example, directs the activities of his own department and that of the service areas. Subsequently, there is the coordination function where the personnel manager performs a functional control to ensure that all the objectives, policies, procedures, etc. of the personnel department are being carried out in the best way by the line managers..
Finally, as a third function of a staff manager (remember that in most companies the best example is the staff manager) is staff service as such, where, as we explained at the beginning, support and advice are given to line managers. Here, the personnel department assists in recruiting, training, evaluating, etc., and innovates, for example, by fostering quality improvement groups or by providing career plans within the company.
There is also a quality possessed by staff managers, known as implicit authority, in which line managers know that the personnel director has access or good communication with senior management on issues related to human resources, and they perceive any suggestion from the staff manager as a superior order that must be carried out without hesitation and in the best way.
The question that arises then is: how can line and staff authorities help each other? Collaboration can take place in several areas. Let's look at the following example. In the area of recruiting and hiring, the line manager specifies the necessary qualities of employees to fill the required positions, while the staff manager develops sources of qualified applicants and conducts initial selection interviews.
It stands to reason that this mutual collaboration can be developed in all areas of the company. The important thing is that no problems or envy are generated when complementing tasks or functions that, without any doubt, will help for the good development and the excellent work climate that you want to implement in an organization.
