Supervisors, operational and support staff

Day-to-day work in a business is often shared out between supervisors or team leaders, operational staff and support staff. Each role does a different job, and together they keep the business running.

Supervisors or team leaders

A supervisor or team leader works closely with a team in one department. They organise the work so targets are met, make routine decisions and solve routine problems. In a pottery painting studio, the studio supervisor might set each day's session plan, decide which assistant covers the kiln, and move staff around when a school group arrives late. These are everyday choices that keep the team on track, rather than big decisions about the future of the business.

Operational staff

Operational staff carry out the main day-to-day work of the business. They follow the instructions and targets set by their supervisor or team leader. In the same studio, operational staff greet painters, explain how to use the glazes, set out materials and fire the finished pieces. Their work is the reason customers visit, so if they fall behind, the business's targets slip.

Support staff

Support staff provide services that help the business function effectively and productively. They do not usually carry out the main activity; instead they make it easier for operational staff to do their jobs. At the pottery studio, a health and safety adviser checks that glazes and equipment are used safely and keeps the studio's risk assessments up to date, while a marketing assistant runs the studio's social media accounts and promotes party bookings to local families. Without them, the studio could not run smoothly or productively, even though neither of them teaches customers to paint.