What makes a great people manager? And how do you build the skills for the future super-charged people manager who is no longer just supervisor; but a coach, mentor and enabler of growth?
Organisations that truly harness the potential of their people managers unlock new levels of productivity, engagement, and innovation. But what does it take to create these ‘supercharged’ people managers? And what role do they play in the success of a skills-powered organisation?
This is what Chris and Debbie Mitchell discuss in this amazing episode of the HR on the Offensive podcast, as part of our Becoming skills-powered series.
The important role of the people manager
As HR struggles with stress and shifting responsibilities, people managers are stepping up to take on many of the tasks traditionally left to HR.
A super charged people manager bridges the gap between employees and leadership, addressing concerns directly rather than simply relying on a centralised HR function. A great manager is more than just a taskmaster or an overseer. They don’t just manage employees—they inspire them.
How does this fit into a skills-based organisation?
A skills-based organisation is one in which your skills define the work you do rather than your job title. The work required by the organisation is split into tasks and projects that are matched to employees with the right experience and capabilities instead of worrying about whose job it is.
When organisations shift their mindset from seeing managers as gatekeepers of workflow to enablers of talent, the workplace transforms. Instead of thinking about employees as fitting into rigid roles, organisations emphasise recognising their employees’ individual skill sets—both those that are currently utilised and those that may be untapped.
Empowering people managers to be talent advocates
There is a mindset shift here for people managers – they need to both develop their team’s skills and distribute them around the business. There’s an important role to play in helping employees understand their skills and identify growth opportunities that benefit both the individual and align with the needs of the wider business.
But fostering the skills mindset requires an organisational shift. Too often, managers hesitate to share talent because they fear the administrative burden of backfilling work requirements or roles.
Organisations must rethink how they enable managers by making it easier to identify and onboard new talent – both internally and externally. Investing in internal mobility tools, creating skills-based career pathways, and ensuring managers have visibility into opportunities across departments can significantly ease this transition.
What are the impacts of the change on people managers and their teams?
There are many benefits to implementing skills approaches – for example, skills-based hiring can improve the accuracy of your hiring strategy, and talent mobility around the organisation can improve engagement and overall productivity. However, there are implications for the individuals on the receiving end of that change. Change management is therefore an essential ingredient for transitioning to a skills-based organisation.
For employees, the transition to skills-first approaches can be an exciting opportunity, but it can also be a source of stress and anxiety. Learn more about that in our deep-dive with change expert Gemma Ryall. On the other end of this are the line managers who need to support their teams through the shift, whilst simultaneously experiencing the change themselves.
Line managers need to be fully supported in their own transition as they upskill across the employee lifecycle, learning how to enable their team members in this new environment; from hiring and onboarding through to performance, learning and reward. The move to skills requires employees to actively engage with their capabilities and ambitions, requiring a more active engagement than the traditional 9-5.
The delivery of work – or outcomes – is no longer organised by job descriptions, so managers need to learn how to break work into tasks by skillset. Re-designing work therefore becomes essential on an organisational level to clarify how this works in the day to day.
What role can a people manager play in promoting opportunity equity?
In a skills-based organisation, there are many ways to organise work. Whether that’s through a gig economies, talent marketplaces or simply giving employees the opportunity to work a day a week in a different team. Learn more about different skills approaches here.
A critical aspect of skills-based organisations is ensuring that all employees have access to growth opportunities—not just those in designated “high-potential” pools. Opportunity equity means that employees, regardless of background or job function, can leverage their skills to explore new roles, contribute to high-impact projects, and advance in their careers.
Managers play a crucial role in helping employees network throughout the organisation to boost opportunity equity, advocating for both their current skills and the skills they want to build.
Rethinking success as a people manager: Retention vs. advocacy
One of the most important mindset shifts for modern people managers is recognising that their success isn’t just about retaining employees—it’s about advocating for their growth. Managers must stop viewing internal mobility or even external career moves as losses.
Instead, Debbie tells us how people managers should see themselves as the ‘net exporters of talent‘ – that doing the job well isn’t measured by how many people they keep—it’s measured by how many careers they help build. Managers who embrace this philosophy will naturally foster a culture of growth, trust, and loyalty, ensuring that their organisation is known as a great place to work and develop.
Listen now to hear more of Debbie’s thoughts on how by equipping line managers with the right tools you can supercharge employee engagement and productivity through skills approaches.
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