The core idea
The HR function designs policies, provides expertise and supports organisational decisions. Line managers enact much of HRM through allocating work, giving feedback, handling concerns and supporting learning. A delivery model therefore needs more than a department chart. It needs clear decision rights, accessible expertise and enough managerial time and capability to put policy into practice.
Source and attribution [1]Using it in practice
Map a common request from the employee’s first question to resolution. Identify who owns the outcome, who advises and who can approve an exception. Distinguish routine information from cases requiring judgement. Give managers short guidance, worked examples and a named escalation route. Review recurring queries as evidence of confusing policy or badly designed work, not simply demand to be deflected.
An example, not a reported case
Worked example · illustrative
Supervisors repeatedly refer simple rota questions to HR while attempting complex disciplinary issues alone. The service is redesigned around risk: a clear rota guide and local authority for routine changes, plus early specialist involvement for formal cases. Response time improves, but the team also checks whether answers remain accurate and fair.
What to watch for
Moving work to managers or self-service does not remove it. Without time, training and support, the burden may shift to employees or create inconsistent practice. A shared service can standardise transactions while still needing local knowledge and human judgement.
Design around employee needs
Separate a person’s need from the organisation’s internal structure. Employees should not have to understand business partnering, payroll and employee relations teams to find help. Make the initial route clear and ensure handovers transfer context with appropriate confidentiality.
Build manager capability
Use realistic practice, feedback and access to advice. A policy library alone rarely develops confidence for a sensitive conversation. Check both ability and willingness, and remove workload barriers that prevent managers applying what they learn.
Measure resolution, not just speed
Track avoidable repeat contact, reopened cases, consistency and the employee’s understanding of the outcome. Fast closure is not useful if the problem persists. Keep sensitive case details out of broad service dashboards.
Take it into your next conversation
Three useful questions.
- Who owns the outcome after a handover?
- Which decisions can a manager make safely?
- What recurring query signals a design problem?
Related terms
Go to the evidence
Sources & attribution
Further reading: Michael Armstrong with Stephen Taylor (2023), Armstrong’s Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice, 16th edition, chapters 10–11. Edition & reading notes ↗
[1] Armstrong & Taylor (2023), 16th edition, chapters 10–11 — reading notes ↗
The core idea is an original summary of the cited work. Application notes, examples and sketches are our interpretations, not quotations or reproductions of the authors’ figures. Publisher records may require access to read the full original work.
Original teaching guide informed by the cited handbook chapters. The four-step sketch is an ADM HR application aid, not a named Armstrong model. Examples are invented. The 2023 book is not used to establish current employment law.
Published 2026-09-25 · Reviewed 2026-09-25. Editorial approach