Case study

Why I recommend the Line manager Induction Programme

Senior Finance Business Partner Marc Fitchett says the Line manager Induction Programme鈥檚 bite-size learning can be fitted into the busiest schedule.

Marc Fitchett, Department for Business and Trade

Marc Fitchett believes he鈥檚 got his dream job, thanks to the line managers he鈥檚 had since he joined the Civil Service five years ago.聽

He started with a degree in chemical engineering, but soon realised that his heart was not in it and he wanted a different challenge. He applied to the Civil Service and was offered a job in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (formerly聽 Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities). He arrived in Whitehall with the goal to contribute to positive change within the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping (HRS) Programme.

The impact of a great line manager

He was lucky to have a great line manager from his first day as an HEO, then rising to SEO and now Grade 7, heading up their Finance Division for HRS with his own team of seven.聽

He said: 鈥淚t was my first line manager that saw that I was ready to move on and encouraged me to look beyond the work that I was doing, to other opportunities to expand my knowledge and skills. He was hugely supportive and that advice gave me the confidence to really develop in roles that I loved.鈥�

Marc has recently moved to the Department for Business and Trade. Because he has benefitted so directly from great line management he says he wants to foster great line management within the teams he leads.聽

Benefits of the Line manager Induction Programme

That鈥檚 why he made a point of doing the Civil Service Line manager Induction Programme which helps new and developing managers better understand the requirements of their roles.聽

It also provides a useful refresher for all line managers in how best to support their teams and is a valuable introduction to the new .

鈥淚 found the programme really easy to access on Civil Service Learning,鈥� said Marc.

鈥淭he bite-sized learning was easy to go through in your own time and come back to where you left. I was able to fit it in around my busy schedule and I鈥檇 really recommend for everyone to carve out a bit of their time to complete it. I鈥檓 going to recommend the training to all my team and then I鈥檇 like to look and compare our own management styles to understand how we can work together better. I think it鈥檚 important to do this and recognise differences and how you can all learn from each other鈥�.

The two-hour course Civil Service Line manager Induction Programme can be completed in 20 minute chunks and participants can log out and return to complete it later.聽

Marc said: 鈥淭he best compliment that a line manager can have is a team member that loves what they do, who feels that their work is important, and that they are valued in the team and want to stay in it. Good line managers make all the difference. I want to be the best leader and manager for my team.鈥�

Full details of the Line manager Induction Programme can be found .

Read the stories of civil servants who have completed the Line Manager Induction Programme:

Ministry of Justice senior project manager Cathryn Rees

HMRC senior manager Nikki Fisher

Updates to this page

Published 14 August 2024