Why is HR still not my job? A qualitative inquiry into frontline managers’ career entrapment, role disengagement and HR involvement

The domain of people management responsibilities has expanded beyond the HR department, and frontline managers (FLMs) are increasingly expected to perform many people management tasks. Recognizing this shift, scholars frequently research how to prepare and motivate FLMs for their devolved HR role; however, evidence has often affirmed that FLMs show limited enthusiasm and readiness to fulfill HR responsibilities. Although much is written to address this concern, little attention, if any, is heeded to FLMs’ career development. Addressing this gap, this article considers FLMs’ career development in HRM devolution literature. Thematic analysis of data from 29 semi-structured interviews with FLMs in Australia revealed eight underlying themes. Together, these themes indicate that FLMs often feel sidelined by their organization. They consider themselves overwhelmed with a wide array of HR responsibilities, while their needs and aspirations are often ignored or disregarded. Our findings point to sources of FLMs’ career Stagnation and, consequently, their subsequent reluctance to accept their role as HR agents. This article offers novel insights into the FLMs’ actual experience of career development opportunities in contemporary organizations and, relatedly, provides opportunities for organizations to develop so that FLMs are willing to embrace and work effectively in their people management duties.