Misconception: managers can answer all their team’s HRIS questions

With every HRIS rollout, one implicit assumption keeps coming back: that managers are capable of relaying information, supporting their teams, and answering process-related questions about HR. While this might seem logical on paper, it’s based on an idealised view of their availability, their HRIS knowledge, and their legitimacy to handle what can sometimes be quite technical topics. In reality, this expectation causes more confusion than clarity, and amplifies issues around adoption of HR tools.

Table of contents:

An expected but rarely formalised role
Partial understanding of HRIS processes
Complex tools with occasional use
Added pressure on managerial duties
Role confusion at the expense of organisational clarity

1. An Expected but Rarely Formalised Role

In many organisations, managers are implicitly seen as the HR “point of contact” for their teams. It is assumed they will explain new processes, help conduct performance reviews, or guide team members through submitting requests. Yet this responsibility is rarely made explicit, formalised, or properly prepared. Most managers discover this expectation at the same time as end users.

They receive no specific training, no dedicated documentation, and no tools to help them structure their responses. Their role in HRIS adoption remains vague, leaving them in a tricky position: expected to act as go-to contacts without the means to do so.

2. Partial Understanding of HRIS Processes

By nature, an HRIS is a transversal tool covering a wide range of processes: training, appraisals, mobility, time tracking, leave management, compensation, onboarding, and more. Not all managers are involved in all these processes, and even fewer with the same frequency.

Some might only use certain modules once or twice a year. Others may not even have access to the same interface views depending on their scope. This diversity in usage makes it impossible for managers to have a full and consistent grasp of the HRIS. When approached by their teams, they often have to search for answers themselves or make them up on the spot.

3. Complex Tools with Occasional Use

Even with a well-designed interface, an HRIS can be challenging for infrequent users. Managers, focused on operational priorities and business goals, often don’t have the bandwidth to keep up with functional updates or learn the subtleties of system navigation.

They are rarely trained to reproduce best practices, explain workflow logic, or troubleshoot technical issues. In this context, answering a seemingly simple question can lead to lost time, frustration, and misdirection for the user.

4. Added Pressure on Managerial Duties

In recent years, the expectations placed on managers have expanded dramatically: performance, team leadership, engagement, employee wellbeing, reporting, onboarding… Adding the responsibility of explaining digital HR processes only increases their load, without any real preparation for this role.

This situation is often poorly perceived within teams. When employees don’t receive helpful support, they may question their manager’s competence or commitment, creating misunderstandings that could have been avoided, and even leading to disengagement or a damaged image of the role.

5. Role Confusion at the Expense of Organisational Clarity

By turning managers into local HR “hotlines”, the organisation blurs communication channels. Instead of a structured support process, it creates informal, uncoordinated points of contact where everyone offers their own interpretation of how the HRIS works. This results in data entry errors, duplicate requests, and in some cases, rejection of the tool itself.

Employees no longer know who to turn to for reliable answers. They bounce from manager to HR to support, getting a different explanation each time. This confusion harms overall system efficiency and erodes user trust in the HR setup as a whole.

Conclusion

Behind the common belief that “managers can answer all the HRIS questions” lies a very different reality. The lack of clarity around their role, the complexity of the tools, and the absence of appropriate support measures make managers a fragile link in the support chain.

With the best intentions, the organisation ends up placing unnecessary pressure on them, while compromising the overall user experience.

Rethinking response channels, giving the right people the right responsibilities, and clarifying roles is essential to making the HRIS a tool that is genuinely adopted by all.

👉 To explore this topic further, read our article: “How Can I Reduce the Number of Questions About My HRIS?”