Line vs. Staff Roles

One way to understand the corporate environment is through the distinctions between types of roles. Most of us have a basic understanding of the distinction in functional roles, such as Finance, HR, Marketing, Operations, or Legal. But for women of color, it is critical to understand the difference between line and staff roles at companies.

Read between the lines: a line role typically has a direct impact on the “bottom line” of a company (profit centers). Such positions include sales, finance, marketing and operations.

Staff meetings: Staff roles, on the other hand, provide support to the line functions. Such roles include HR, audit, legal and corporate responsibility. They do not generate money for the organizations (cost centers), though such roles may pay quite well.

Draw the line. The lesson for women of color is this: the type of role you hold–line or staff–will impact your professional growth at any company. Line functions can lead to senior management roles, and even the CEO position. Staff positions can also accumulate power, but do not terminate at the CEO level, except in the case of heavily regulated industries in which some lawyers make the move.

Here’s an example: Ford Motor Company is especially well-known for producing top finance professionals and it is not uncommon that a former finance person becomes the CEO (except in the case of Ford family members). As a result, the finance division is known as a “feeder” for senior management slots, and provides greater visibility and greater opportunities for level advancement to the “finance guys” rather than those in other departments. This is not, of course, an exact science. At Kraft, for example, marketing is a critical function for generating revenue and marketing employees are the ones ascending into its senior management ranks.

The Switcher-oo. What is considered a line position in one organization may be a staff role in another. For example, being a lawyer at a law firm is a line role because it generates money for the firm (did you notice that law firms totally center around lawyers?). But take that same lawyer and move him or her to a corporation and voila! they are now in a staff role, because they support the businesspeople (who actually make money for the company). Suddenly the lawyer finds his or her suggestions aren’t not viewed with the same level of importance as at the law firm.

Do You See What I See? Often corporations can “see” women of color in a particular role. Generally, because a fair number of women of color have held particualar roles in the past, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Women of color have made considerable strides in HR, Corporate Foundations, Diversity, and to a lesser extent, Legal. But realize that you are not likely to move into contention for the CEO role from the staff side.

Keep this information in mind as you are planning your career in corporate america. How does your organization make money, and are you involved in it?