As an HR professional, you excel in leading others, but could you perform their tasks yourself? Can your front-line managers, regardless of their background, carry out the duties of their direct reports?

If the answer is no, it may be time to gain a deeper understanding. The benefits go beyond cross-training.

While a manager may not initially see the significance of being knowledgeable about their employees' work, research suggests otherwise. A study in the Industrial and Labor Relations Review found that a manager's understanding of their employees' jobs has the greatest impact on employee satisfaction. Happy employees can be up to 12% more productive!

Your Influence is Far-Reaching The researchers, Benjamin Artz, Amanda H. Goodall, and Andrew J. Oswald, state, "The bottom line is that employees are happiest when the boss knows what they're talking about. 

The boss casts a long shadow... Your own team's job satisfaction levels depend on your competence."

Additionally, having a grasp on what employees do and how they do it cultivates empathy for the challenges and successes they face.

Steps to Engage Employees Through Understanding Their Work

To effectively engage employees, here are some steps to take:

1. Acquire Knowledge: Many managers have prior experience in the field, but changes such as advancements in technology, process modifications, and increased demands, may have impacted the way things are done.

To keep up-to-date or gain an understanding of the work:

• Get hands-on, work alongside employees at least once every quarter, or fill in for them once a year.
• Ask questions. Employees may be on autopilot in their roles, but asking why they do things a certain way can help you understand their work better.
• Review and revise job descriptions. After working closely with employees, ensure that the job description reflects their current tasks and responsibilities. Update it if necessary.
  
  

2. Utilize Employee Expertise: Many employees have a deeper understanding of their jobs and the overall operation. Capitalize on their experience to benefit the company:

• Seek their input regularly. Long-term employees have a good understanding of what works and what doesn't.
• Don't disregard the opinions of newer employees. They may have insights from previous experiences that can be valuable.
• Focus on the key takeaways. When receiving employee feedback, keep the focus on actionable steps to improve your understanding of their work and ways to support them.
• Create a partnership. Work with employees who are open to sharing their knowledge and potentially expanding their roles, to move the company forward.