MSPB finds shortfalls in front-line manager hiring and training

Agencies are falling short when it comes to selecting, training and supporting front-line managers, according to a new Merit Systems Protection Board report.

In the report, MSPB called first-line supervisors "the nexus between government policy and action" and said they were critical to productivity, employee engagement and workplace fairness. Because of the important role these managers play, agencies must have valid criteria and processes for selecting individuals for these positions, as well as comprehensive training programs, good communication, support networks and sound accountability mechanisms for such employees.

"Unfortunately, we found continuing deficiencies in all of these areas," MSPB Chairwoman Susan Tsui Grundmann wrote in the report's introductory letter. "In particular, agencies often give too little weight to supervisory skill or potential when filling first-level supervisory positions, and too little attention to supervisory training, development and feedback afterward. The common consequence is suboptimal first-level supervision."

MSPB found that, while technical competence alone did not enable supervisors to effectively perform what the board considers critical functions -- planning work, communicating agency policies, rating employee performance, and setting pay -- selection of first-level managers was based largely on technical expertise.

"Supervisory selection is often based more heavily on technical expertise than on leadership competencies," the report stated. "Technical skills appear to be much more strongly emphasized than are supervisory skills in both job announcements and assessments."

The board also determined supervisors needed substantially more training and development to understand an agency's expectations for them and to manage their employees effectively. MSPB reported less than two-thirds of supervisors said they received training prior to or during their first year as a supervisor. Of those who underwent training, almost half received one week or less.

More than three-quarters of new supervisors said they did not receive training in all the basic areas of performance management: developing performance goals and standards; assigning, reviewing and documenting employees' work; providing feedback; developing employees; evaluating employee performance; and managing poor performers.

Many supervisors also indicated to MSPB that they did not receive the information they needed to manage effectively. One-third said they did not receive sufficient information about their agency's goals and priorities and less than half were satisfied with the information they received from management about what was going on at their organization.

The board said supervisors also required more coaching and feedback throughout their careers.

"Receiving frequent feedback is a vital component of effective supervisory performance," the board determined. "Yet we found that just under half of supervisors (49 percent) are receiving feedback from their managers at least every two weeks."

MSPB found wide gaps between supervisors' opinions about their behavior and performance and perceptions of employees. For example, while 94 percent of supervisors said they explained work changes to employees before they occurred, only 56 percent of employees agreed their managers do so.

The board made recommendations for Congress, Office of Personnel Management, agencies, senior executives, and current and aspiring supervisors. According to the report, OPM should provide guidance to agencies on how to properly select and develop supervisors and explore how to provide alternative career opportunities, other than supervisor positions, for technical experts.

"It is … essential that the federal government does not drive high-performing technical experts who lack the desire or ability to supervise to apply for supervisory positions for want of any other opportunity for advancement, career development, or challenging work," the report stated.

MSPB encouraged agencies to provide realistic job descriptions for aspiring supervisors to inform interested employees of the rewards and challenges of managing. These previews ideally would include an explanation of the necessary competencies with behavioral examples illustrating how the competencies are applied on the job.

The report recommended both aspiring and current managers think long and hard about whether a supervisory role is the right fit for them. The authors emphasized that being a first-level supervisor can be much more difficult and stressful than many people expect. MSPB encourages supervisors who discover they are not comfortable or happy in their role to communicate that to their superior.

"Openly admitting your career interests, abilities and limitations is a sign of personal strength," the report said.