What impact does the relationship between human resource managers and line managers have on the effectiveness of an organization's human resource management (HRM) efforts? A study of 365 line managers in 25 private commercial banks in Bangladesh found that HR‐line collaboration is pivotal to achieving synergy between HRM strategy and business strategy. It also revealed that devolution—the delegation of power to a lower level—further enhances effectiveness. The findings suggest that both human resource managers and line managers play a critical role in executing an organization's HRM policies. More broadly, the study provides insights into how both agents can contribute to the overarching alignment needed to improve service quality.