Navigating Dual Supervisors: Who Legally Reviews Employee Performance?

Hi,

Please share details in case an employee has two or more supervisors, where one is located in India with the employee and acts as the approval manager, while the other is situated in a different state and assigns work.

Please let me know who is authorized to review this situation legally or if there are any policies related to this, please share them with me.

Thanks in advance.
Sri

Dear Srirashmi,

Many times, because of the nature of the work, the need for dual reporting arises. Most of the time, one is functional reporting, and the other is administrative.

Example of Dual Reporting in SCM

Imagine a situation wherein the Head of SCM for India operations reports to the Global Head of SCM. In such a case, the Global Head will design the KRAs, issue work-related guidelines, and ensure that the work related to supplier selection or delivery of materials is as per the SOP.

On the other side, there could be another person heading the India Operations. The Head of SCM for India operations needs to report to him as well. While he may not give directions related to the purchase function, he will control basic requirements like leave, attendance, etc. He might provide guidelines to the Head of SCM for India Operations about upcoming projects, local requirements, if any, etc.

Prevalence of Dual Reporting in MNCs

Dual reporting often occurs in MNCs for Finance, Customer Service, HR, and other functions.

Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar

Dear Dinesh,

Thanks for the info. Yes, the scenario is more or less the same as what you explained. I need to know who can do the review - is it the functional manager, the team manager, or both with mutual agreement? Is there any policy in India that explains the eligibility of the reviewer?

Sri

In this case, the territory boss will review it first and put forward his suggestions for consideration. The final recommendation shall come from the functional boss, who sits in the headquarters.

Thank you!

Dear Srirashmi, it is better if both bosses decide on the KRAs of their reportees. Functional KRAs may be decided by the functional head, and the Admin reporting authority may decide on the requirement of local KRAs, if any. Nevertheless, it is important to consider that the local authority allots work where the junior spends time, but the consumption of his time does not get accounted for. Sometimes, managing two bosses can be traumatic. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the junior does not get pulled apart in fulfilling the expectations of both.

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar