Introduction
Frontline managers oversee and support frontline workers — the employees who interact directly with customers or clients. Frontline managers typically make up the largest managerial group in an organization, directly supervising most of its workforce and ensuring productivity, efficiency, and quality across the organization.
Yet, as is the case with so many roles today, frontline management is experiencing a skills gap. Many of the current programs on the market lack the real-world application of skills needed to adequately prepare workers for frontline management roles. These include many of the 21st Century and Durable Skills that employers have identified as critical to success: communication, problem-solving, conflict resolution, critical thinking, and other navigational skills. Not addressing this skills gap can not only result in underperformance but also higher turnover and disengagement.
WGU Labs, in partnership with WGU Academy, sought to address this critical gap in the market by developing the Management Skills for Supervisors certification program. Leveraging traditional curriculum development and instructional design theories and approaches alongside AI-powered learning technologies, we created a program able to better meet the needs of today’s frontline managers, improve career mobility, and provide more practical, job-relevant skills.
Frontline managers are critical to organizational success
Frontline managers typically comprise 50% to 60% of a company’s overall management and oversee up to 80% of the workforce. While “frontline manager” is the most common job title for these individuals, they’re also known as line managers, office managers, charge nurses, or supervisors, depending on their industry.
Regardless of industry, these managers play a crucial role in employee satisfaction and retention. They hire, train, coach, and evaluate workers while fostering productivity, collaboration, and problem-solving. By overseeing daily operations, they also shape customer experiences across industries like retail, hospitality, banking, and fast food, ensuring efficient, personalized service.
Despite their critical responsibilities, frontline managers often face unique challenges that can impact their effectiveness. Many are promoted based on technical expertise rather than leadership skills, leaving them to navigate management roles with little formal training. They must balance company expectations with employee needs, handling performance management, conflict resolution, and motivation — all while ensuring smooth day-to-day operations. Additionally, these managers serve as the primary link between upper management and frontline employees, translating corporate strategies into actionable tasks. Their ability to communicate clearly, provide constructive feedback, and adapt to changing workplace dynamics directly influences team morale and overall business success.
But frontline managers aren’t receiving the training they need to succeed
Seventy percent of frontline managers want more training to do better in their jobs, but are not receiving it from their companies. Research from Harvard Business Publishing revealed a gap in frontline leader training, particularly in key business and people-centric skills. Employees and leaders agree that understanding business strategy, digital intelligence, authentic leadership, inclusion, and communication are crucial at all levels. However, organizations tend to focus this training on senior leaders, despite its greater relevance to frontline managers.
In our own gap analysis of WGU Academy’s previous leadership certificate program, we found that the program was too theory-based and didn’t include enough hands-on, practical skill development opportunities for learners. The previous program focused more heavily on organizational politics, leadership styles, and corporate culture. While these are valuable for senior leaders, they are less applicable to frontline managers who need hands-on, practical skills to improve team performance immediately.
Creating a more relevant, skills-based program for frontline managers
Our team was tasked with conducting research on frontline management skills, creating a skills framework and gap analysis, determining program competencies, and developing three program courses and performance assessments, which integrated engaging, scenario-based learning experiences as well as AI-powered simulations.
Identifying employer needs
We interviewed employers across industries to learn more about what they’re looking for in a frontline manager. Here’s what they had to say:
“The new program will provide a more robust practical skills framework while maintaining the essential theoretical components needed for well-rounded leadership development. By grounding key leadership competencies in applied practice, the certificate is directly aligned with the realities of frontline management. This shift in emphasis on applied skills over higher-level management theory reflects the expressed industry needs for frontline management.” - Director of Talent Development at a Fortune 500 auto parts provider
- Critical skills he’s seeking from managers:
- Listening
- Building trusting relationships
- Managing conflict
- Transitioning to managing peers
- What to do in a crisis moment
- Building confidence and overcoming insecurity in a new role
“Everyone should approach frontline manager training from a base-up perspective. Create a base that they can layer onto. We need to provide a progression. There are skills that need to be taught prior to being a frontline manager, and those are layered on. Conflict resolution is one to teach later. If it is addressed too early, frontline managers do not understand — and it can freak them out.” - Learning, Development, and Recruiting Leader at an upscale grocery store chain
- Critical skills he’s seeking from managers:
- Communications style — how they’re correcting behavior and celebrating success
- Dealing with conflict
- Coaching mindset
- Guest services — how to manage interruptions and stay poised, positive, and helpful
“A new frontline manager may have no experience aside from dealing with customers at the counter or the not-so-happy vendors. They often lack experience dealing with employees, such as someone who is constantly complaining. How do you have the difficult conversations, get your points across, explain your expectations, and give feedback? How to talk to and work with people is our number one priority for frontline managers.” - Project Coordinator at a national truck rental and moving company
- Critical skills she’s seeking from managers:
- Strong written and verbal communication
- Ability to receive feedback
- Problem-solving
- Critical thinking
- Continuous improvement
“The number one job of a leader is to create an open door and create opportunities for others. For a leader to be successful, even if you’re a new leader, you should always be thinking about and trying to identify characteristics of the people you’re leading that will help them get to the next level and be a better employee than they are today.” - Associated Director of Inclusion and Organizational Development at a university
- Critical skills she’s seeking from managers:
- Communication with employees and customers in a stressful, fast-paced environment
- Organization with time and resources
- Ability to influence people
- Teachable and willing-to-learn attitude
- Trust and respect for management
- Creating new experiences and opportunities for others to grow
- Building a respectful community where you “see” staff, and they see you as a resource
Across industries, employers consistently emphasized that effective communication, conflict resolution, and people management skills are crucial for frontline managers. Many new managers transition from individual contributor roles without formal leadership training, making it essential to equip them with practical, real-world skills that directly impact their teams. Additionally, a layered learning approach, starting with foundational skills like communication and gradually introducing more complex skills like conflict resolution, could ensure better retention and application of knowledge. These insights directly informed the development of the Management Skills for Supervisors certificate program, ensuring it provides managers with immediately applicable, job-relevant skills that align with employer needs.
Core skills needed for frontline management
After conducting extensive research, interviews, and surveys with frontline managers and industry professionals, the following skills and competencies emerged as being most relevant to future students in the proposed Frontline Manager Certificate.
By grounding key leadership competencies in applied practice, the new certificate is directly aligned with the realities of frontline management. This shift in emphasis on applied skills over higher-level management theory reflects the expressed industry needs for frontline management.
Key tenets of a skills-based approach to frontline management
As proponents and designers of competency-based education (CBE) programs, we applied a skills-based and career relevancy lens to the development of the Management Skills for Supervisors certificate. Specifically, after conducting our research and interviews and interviewing subject matter experts, we identified the following tenets:
- Practical application and authentic assessment: The new certificate emphasizes applied learning through real-world simulations, case-based learning, and immediate feedback mechanisms. Each course within the program incorporates authentic assessments such as role-playing, decision-making in crisis scenarios, and coaching exercises. This enables managers to apply their new skills directly to their jobs, resulting in immediate performance improvement and more engaged, effective teams.
- Addressing career mobility needs: The new certificate is designed for aspiring and current frontline managers who need to quickly develop job-relevant skills that lead to tangible results. The program is modular, flexible, and shorter in duration than the current program, making it more accessible to managers who are balancing demanding schedules. This directly supports career mobility, as the targeted competencies like people management, communication, and decision-making are critical for success in a frontline management role and for advancing to higher leadership roles within their organizations.
- Emphasis on practical skills over theory: The new certificate program offers a balanced approach by incorporating essential leadership theories like situational and transformational leadership, but grounding these theories in real-world applications. Students are tasked with activities and assessments that include coaching and providing feedback, engaging in decision-making under pressure, and utilizing emotional intelligence in conflict resolution. This shift from theory to practice ensures that students develop practical, actionable skills that can be applied on the job immediately.
Benefits of a competency-based approach to frontline management training
By emphasizing authentic assessment, skills application, and direct impact on job performance, the new Management Skills for Supervisors certificate program benefits both managers and their employers:
- Improved career mobility for frontline managers: The shorter, modular format makes it easier for frontline managers to complete the program while working full-time. The competency-based approach ensures that students can gain new skills that immediately apply to their current roles and improve their eligibility for promotion and career advancement.
- Focused on immediate performance impact: Each course is designed to provide immediate value to students by focusing on coaching, feedback, decision-making, and conflict resolution. These competencies are immediately transferable to their current roles, resulting in better team performance and higher engagement.
- Aligned with organizational needs: Employers are increasingly seeking practical training for their frontline staff that leads to real-world results, such as improved productivity, reduced turnover, and better team morale. The new program is designed with employer needs in mind, focusing on operational knowledge, leadership, and adaptability that drive business outcomes.
Conclusion
The Management Skills for Supervisors certificate program bridges the critical skills gap in frontline management training by emphasizing hands-on, practical learning over theory. By aligning with industry needs, it equips frontline managers with essential competencies like communication, decision-making, and leadership to drive immediate performance improvements. With a flexible, competency-based approach, the program supports career mobility while helping organizations build stronger, more effective teams. Ultimately, this skills-based training empowers frontline managers to excel in their roles, benefiting both employees and the businesses they lead.
