50+ Sample Supervisor Report 

What Is a Supervisor Report?

A supervisor report is a written account containing any work-related matter. It is similar to a progress report and is written by an employee or person who has authority over another employee, a team or a department.    

According to the job site Indeed, there are certain skills and qualities that a person can develop to benefit them in their supervisory role. The traits that a good supervisor possesses include communication skills, approachability and empathy, management skills, adaptability, confidence and positivity, transparency, teamwork, and a willingness or openness to learn.   

Kinds of Supervisor Reports 

Almost all organizational hierarchies have supervisors who have to oversee the progress and productivity in the workplace. Supervisor reports vary and have different end goals, but all are essentially similar in a sense that it provides detailed updates and summarized reports on progress. 

Work Injury: When accidents occur in the workplace, it is the responsibility of the supervisor to coordinate and gather information or witness statements from the people involved in the incident. Because being the supervisor, he or she would need to explain and answer to the people on top. Situations like these are quite common in work environments that follow the pyramid or top to bottom hierarchy; the people on the lower levels have to answer to the people at the top or in this case, upper management. The responsibility then falls on the supervisor to furnish a comprehensive and credible accident report, in the event of any workplace injury or damage. Month End: A common report that applies to many supervisors and team leaders is a month-end report. If you are a supervisor in charge of a team or a department, you are consequently in charge of delivering the group’s collective productivity as well. A month-end report is basically a summary of the output and achievements of the team sewn together in a single report. The report may even serve as a basis of assessment for the supervisor’s own productivity; with the premise being that the work of the subordinates directly reflects that of the supervisor or team leader. Investigation: A supervisor’s scope of work is not just limited to keeping track of daily outputs and productivity. It also involves keeping his team in tow. When an employee or member of the team is struggling with disciplinary issues, it is the supervisor’s job to handle and resolve the situation. Sometimes for serious cases, an investigation may even be required. If the employee is directly involved in an incident, the duty falls on the supervisor to document and coordinate with other departments to help mediate the situation. It is in these types of scenarios that an investigation report is typically needed. Site or Field Report: In non-traditional office environments, such as construction sites and the like, a supervisor normally would need to report back to the higher ups. Due to the relative distance and isolation of a site or field office, a report may be required to ensure work output and efficiency. The team leader is in charge of both the productivity and conduct of the employees on site. For instance a group of engineers are not only working on a construction site, most are residing on site too. The supervisor’s job is to deliver regular progress reports on the building and also convey any needs or issues to the right individuals or departments. In sum, a field report is essentially an assessment of work output and is usually required on a regular basis. Project Evaluation: There is a lot that goes into project management plans. The various phases, steps, and strategies all play a part in successful project implementation. From planning to execution, programs and projects need an overall head to oversee everything. It is important to emphasize that projects cannot be completed by one person alone; it is always a collective effort. Even managers and team leaders cannot handle it on their own. They do, however, have the duty and responsibility of making sure the project is running smoothly and team members are doing their job. Part of that responsibility is evaluating the project and sometimes even the staff themselves. The supervisor evaluation report may either be a regular progress report or a final report at the culmination of a project. Daily Timekeeping: Perhaps one of the most basic supervisory reports involves employee attendance records. One of the functions of a team leader or supervisor is to ensure the team members’ efficiency and productivity. Attendance and timekeeping is essential in promoting this. Basic timekeeping involves not only the daily clocking in and out in the workplace. It also pertains to undertime, overtime, tardiness, and absences. In addition, a supervisor’s timekeeping report should always be accurate and based on facts.

Tips for Writing a Supervisor Report

A supervisor report may come in different formats and styles. It is important to note that it is not so much the layout but the content and accuracy of the report that matters. The following examples below are some tips to improve your supervisor report: 

Use a Standardized Form: To make it more convenient, it is best to make use of a standard form. Criteria and standards serve to uphold quality. Using a uniformed document across the board is more efficient and organized. It will also keep things in perspective and prevent any misleading information. Although, formats may vary depending on the company; some organizations use questionnaires while others may prefer survey forms. The questions are ready and properly vetted so the supervisor only needs to input the right information. Implement a Rubric: In relation to maintaining a standard, another way of ensuring quality is by imposing a criteria or rubric. Supervisor report forms basically rate and summarize work-related data. Having a standard rubric to refer to will aid the supervisor’s evaluation and assessment. Again, it is just a matter of establishing a more efficient way of conducting summary and assessment reports. Use Descriptive Language: For supervisor reports that require explanations or narratives, such as incident reports or performance evaluations, using descriptions can help convey a clearer message. Avoid unnecessary and overly fancy words, a supervisor report should be direct and easy to understand. In other cases, a supervisor may be tasked to come up with an injury or accident report. An effective accident report should therefore contain just the relevant information with enough descriptive details. Always Be Objective: One of the main requirements for writing a supervisor report is to always remain objective. It is paramount that as a supervisor or team leader, you possess the ability to remove yourself from a situation in order to see it more objectively. This is especially true in disciplinary cases or incident reports where emotions may run high. As a direct supervisor, you need to be able to draw the line and enforce boundaries when employees or staff members violate policies. Outside of work, you may be a friend to the employee; but when behavior is out of line, supervisors need to step in, resolve the issue, or impose disciplinary measures. Give Examples: Any good report is specific and data-centric. Offering examples or providing particular instances will help support your data or argument. For instance, you are given the responsibility of furnishing an investigative report in the office. It would greatly help your case if you are able to provide specific examples to boost the credibility of your report. Give details such as the time, location, persons involved, and a timeline chart of events. Doing this will better illustrate, justify the findings, and establish a more comprehensive review within your report.

How to Create a Supervisor Report

The content of a supervisor report will greatly depend on the nature or type of report. If you want things to be a little easier, use an existing template as a guide instead of creating one from scratch. Once you have decided what kind of supervisor report you need, make sure to keep in mind the simple steps below: 

Step 1: Basic Information

The first step is to provide just the basic information. Include the date and title of the report. As previously stated above, supervisor reports can be anything from regular progress reports to daily timekeeping sheets. As the supervisor and author of the report, always include your complete name, your designation, and department. 

Step 2: Summarize and Explain

Highlight the important details and make sure to back up any claim with the proper supporting information. For example, if your supervisor’s report is an account of a workplace issue or injury, you need to strike a balance between being thorough and being concise. Establish a flow of events so it is easier for the reader to follow. Timelines are crucial and set the tone of the report. Another scenario would be daily progress reports. If there are multiple members in a your team or department, you would have to organize your report in such a way that each member’s output is described and evaluated.   

Step 3: Give Recommendations

Being a supervisor carries a certain amount of responsibility. You are not only accountable for the accomplishments and failures of your team members, you are there to ensure that they have the resources and assistance they need. For example, it is not enough for a manager to critique his or her staff’s final output. If there is significant room for improvement, the supervisor must also give his recommendations to help the employee learn and grow in that aspect.   

Step 4: Practice Consistency

Like most reports, supervisor reports are not a one-time submission. It is a recurring and compulsory practice. Reports can be submitted weekly, monthly, or quarterly. In most office environments, one of the main functions of a supervisor is to keep tabs on team members. It is not enough to evaluate a person only once over a period of time. Consistency is key. To maximize growth and productivity within the work space, there must be regularity and consistency in reporting. This responsibility mainly falls on the supervisor or manager to help guide team members and point out areas of improvement. 

FAQs

What is a supervisor report?

A supervisor report is a written account made by a supervisor of a team or a department. Its content may vary depending on the goal of the report. But more often than not, it is a general evaluation and review of a project or team deliverables, work progress, or incident.

How do you write a supervisor report?

To start, you need to indicate all the basic details including name, date, department, and designation. Most companies and organizations already have standard forms that only need to be filled up. You just need to keep in mind two things to create an effective supervisor report: accurate details and supporting information. Keep in mind that writing a supervisor report requires both responsibility and objectivity.

What are the 5 roles of a supervisor?

According to the University of Virginia’s Human Resources Organization, the five roles a supervisor plays are that of an educator, sponsor, coach, counselor, and director.

What is expected from a supervisor?

Team leaders have individuals or team members under their care and supervision. Thus, their team members rely on them for support, guidance, direction, feedback, and coaching. They are expected to help staff improve their performance, boost their morale, and correct any unacceptable behavior if needed.

How do you end a supervisor report?

You can end your report by dedicating a section that summarizes all of your main points. Another alternative is by offering recommendations or by stating the significance of your report. For example, if your supervisor report is focused mainly on employee timekeeping, you can conclude your report by inserting a brief summary of your department’s tardiness and absences for a particular month. You can then do this for the succeeding months and you’ll find that you can better monitor the attendance trend of the overall department.

Supervisors play an important role in workplace productivity and satisfaction. And supervisor reports are important because they don’t just help keep track of workplace progress, they also promote a sense of commitment and constant improvement. Browse the dozens of sample templates above and make your own supervisor report now!