Are managers and supervisors the same? Managers and supervisors often share the same responsibilities, but their titles may reflect different levels of responsibility. Learn more about the difference between managers and supervisors.
What is the Difference Between a Manager & a Supervisor?
Supervisors are assigned to a group of employees and are responsible for overseeing their work. Managers are assigned a group of supervisors and are responsible for guiding the result of their departments via the supervisors. The typical infrastructure of a company follows this path but not every company. Sometimes the terms supervisor and manager are used interchangeably.
The best way of thinking about the difference between supervisors and managers is to think about their viewpoints.
A manager sees a broader operation, and the supervisor has a more narrow focus. See the image below.
Other Differences Between Supervisors And Managers
Pay Scale
The difference in pay scale between managers and supervisors results from these two positions’ different responsibilities.
On the other hand, supervisors are more hands-on with their team members. They keep their focus on their specific tasks and need to make sure that the team members complete their work on time. The difference in pay is that a manager is in charge of more people and has more responsibility, earning more money.
Upward Mobility
Both positions at a company have good upward mobility opportunities. For the supervisor, the next step would be becoming a manager, and for the manager, a senior manager. I want to mention that titles and processes vary greatly from company to company.
It Seems Like Management And Supervision Is The Same
Supervision and management are not the same. These roles have different responsibilities, ways of leading, and skillsets to develop to succeed.
Supervisors are responsible for managing the work delegated to them by managers. They also need to ensure that their team members work efficiently and effectively.
Managers are responsible for developing the strategies and plans for their departments. They also need to create a culture of success in their teams so that company can achieve goals on time.
Conclusion
The conclusion to this question is no. The main difference between a manager and a supervisor is that managers are in charge of managing an entire team or department. In contrast, supervisors are in charge of supervising their subordinates.