HR Business Partner Role.

The term 'business partner' is used loosely to cover a range of jobs from administrative, through strategic, to consultancy. At its most strategic, an HR business partner works closely with other business leaders influencing strategy and steering its implementation, and making the best use of the organisation's people.

The role of the business partner is more important than ever, now that there are more demands on HR to add value. And more business managers are realising that by making better use of their people, they can make a real difference to the profitability of the business.

In addition, more of the transactional work is being outsourced, so HR is not only able to focus much more on the strategic side of the business, but is also being pushed to make a strategic contribution and come up with people strategies that clearly add value to bottom-line results. This is where the role of the HR business partner comes in.

The value of the HR business partner;

It was management guru David Ulrich who coined the term 'HR business partner' in 1996. According to Ulrich, HR must assume more strategic roles within organisations so can implement programmes that support the goals of the business.

Of course, that is not to say operations should take a back seat - it is just as important to the success of the HR function as the strategic role. To use an analogy, if HR operations are the engine that keeps the car running smoothly, business partners are the satellite navigation system that helps to guide the vehicle and determine its direction, so that it reaches its destination by the best possible route.

But you can't just go from being traditional HR to HR business partner overnight. Being a good HR business partner requires completely different attitudes, beliefs and skills.

What makes a good HR business partner?

Understand the business as well as the senior management team. This means knowing the business in depth - not just the figures. You need to understand who makes the money and how. What are the business goals? And what levers need to be pulled to help the organisation achieve them? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the business compared to the competition? Most importantly, you need to know how the dynamics of the business work, and how a change in one area will affect other areas.

Be an expert in your field. A good HR business partner knows their stuff - not just the law and compensation, but how change happens and how to engage people. Most importantly, they can determine how an intervention will work in that business. This is a dynamic process and the most successful HR business partners keep themselves up to date and renew their skills.

Be flexible and open to change. If you are going to persuade others to take on new ideas and ways of doing things, you need to be flexible too.

Step back and take an objective view. Be involved with the business, but never lose the ability to view it objectively. This will enable you to challenge ideas and take a longer-term view.

Communicate ideas clearly. It is no use having great ideas if you can't sell them.

Take charge and challenge decisions. A big part of the job is thinking up innovative ways of doing things and having the guts to question traditional systems.

Believe in the impact of HR on the business, along with your people and influencing skills. If a business is going to reach its targets, everyone in that business needs to believe they can make a difference - and that starts with HR. You need to believe in yourself and the impact you can have.

Measure HR initiatives using the results in the business. HR has traditionally measured itself by the activity it manages - for example, the number of training courses run, and the reduction in the pay bill. HR business partners need to use business measures - for example, what was the change in the efficiency of the people who attended the training, and how did this affect the bottom line?

Making yourself heard

There has been a structural and philosophical change in the role of HR experts, from what they do to what they know - and how they use that knowledge. Ten years ago, HR was considered an extra - the department that was nice to have because it made life easier for everyone else. Now it is essential. It is really beginning to sink in that businesses are missing a great opportunity if they do not adopt the new HR business partner approach, irrespective of the title.

But there are still those who have adopted or inherited the business partner title without fulfilling the real role that goes with it. So it is hardly surprising that there is confusion about what exactly HR business partners do and how they add value.

If you want people to recognise that 'HR business partner' is not just a buzzword, you must demonstrate that in your work. With the right skills and attitudes, the benefits you can bring to a business are limitless.

Top 5 qualities of a good HR business partner-;

• They build deep, trusting relationships
• They remain independent and can challenge authority
• They know the business as well as the line managers
• They have a strong belief in their work and the difference HR can make
• They are technical experts in their own field
• HR business partners: myths and facts

Myth: Being an HR business partner is about using hard numbers to gauge success.

Fact: Both qualitative and quantitative measures are relevant in determining success. It is more about the impact or outcome of the HR activity than the activity itself.

Myth: An HR business partner is purely a consultant

Fact: Consulting is part of an HR business partner role, but it is not the whole story. The consulting model does not take account of the HR business calendar. The things that need to happen on a regular basis throughout the year require project and service management. HR business partners are also coaches, advisers and experts.

Myth: The strategic side of the role is more important than the operational side.

Fact: The strategic and the operational sides are equally important - and they are interdependent.

Myth: A good HR business partner must have worked in the same business for a long time to know how to make a difference.

Fact: The most important thing is the HR business partner's attitude. If they are flexible and quick to learn, they will be able to adapt their HR expertise to another type of business.

Business partnering refocuses attention on how HR is to achieve its aims: supporting line managers, aligning HR activities with the business and delivering efficient services. You’ll find here information on the HR business partner model, the Ulrich model, strategic business partners.

• The skills and behaviours you need to be a successful HR Business Partner 
• Expert advice on how to overcome the challenges HR Business Partners face 
• Practical guidance for working with other areas of the business 
• Hints on how to implement a more effective strategy for your organisation. 

You will build your capabilities and explore new ideas on the role of HR and how you can strategically influence your business and impact the future success of the organisation. 

The skill and capabilities HR Business Partners need to be successful developing your role and purpose as an HRBP boosting your confidence to be a skilled and knowledgeable HRBP. How to strategically influence decisions whilst understanding external factors that will affect your strategic decisions in short, intensive analysis of any work related - presented data.

Business Partners, Internal Consultants or Client Relationship Managers - the job titles vary but the fundamental requirements are the same. Business focused, value-driven HR is the future for the profession. Yet many, even within HR, doubt that many HR teams will be able to perform as business partners without acquiring new skills. 

In a recent survey, 80% of HR directors said that they believed that their team needed to develop new skills to meet the needs of their organisation. The top five skills gaps they identified were: influencing and political skills; strategic thinking; the ability to deliver results to achieve a target; leadership ability; and business knowledge. But having the skills is not enough - applying them in the chaotic and frantic world of work while still delivering the transactional duties of HR is the real challenge. 

This toolkit helps you to first identify those skills gaps and develop your team's capability and then to apply those skills to become genuine business partners. 

The detailed diagnostic self-assessments and development activities in The HR Business Partnering Toolkit help you and your team develop and improve the skills you need. The implementation models, process maps and case studies show you how to apply those skills to the real challenges facing your organisation. This toolkit shows you how to enable your HR team to deliver demonstrable value to your organisation. 

SECTION 1 - TOOLS FOR IMPLEMENTING HR BUSINESS PARTNERING 

Tool no. 1.1 Creating the Vision for HR 
Tool no. 1.2 Making the Case for HR Business Partnering 
Tool no. 1.3 Introduction to Stakeholder Mapping 
Tool no. 1.4 Assessing Readiness for HR Business Partnering 
Tool no. 1.5 Assessing the Readiness of HR 
Tool no. 1.6 Considering Outsourcing 
Tool no. 1.7 Identifying and Mapping HR Processes 
Tool no. 1.8 HR Partnering in Small and Medium-sized Organisations 
Tool no. 1.9 Assessing Current Roles 
Tool no. 1.10 Identifying Future HR Roles 
Tool no. 1.11 The Skills Required 
Tool no. 1.12 Drawing up an HR Business Partner Role Profile 
Tool no. 1.13 Ensuring Effective Integration Between Roles and Structure 
Tool no. 1.14 Lessons Learnt from other Organisations 

SECTION 2 - TOOLS FOR DEVELOPING AS AN HR BUSINESS PARTNER

 
Tool no. 2.1 HR Business Partner Competencies 
Tool no. 2.2 Influencing Skills Checklist 
Tool no. 2.3 Gaining Credibility 
Tool no. 2.4 Influencing Challenges 
Tool no. 2.5 Demonstrating Added Value 
Tool no. 2.6 Understanding Organisational Politics 
Tool no. 2.7 Overseeing Projects 
Tool no. 2.8 Using Consultancy Skills 
Tool no. 2.9 Partnering Development Plans 

SECTION 3 - TOOLS FOR HR BUSINESS PARTNERS TO USE WITHIN THE BUSINESS

 
Tool no. 3.1 Acting Strategically 
Tool no. 3.2 Senior Team Review Framework 
Tool no. 3.3 Developing HR Strategy 
Tool no. 3.4 Ensuring Alignment 
Tool no. 3.5 Developing Best Practise HR 
Tool no. 3.6 Using Organisational Metrics 

SECTION 4 - TOOLS FOR ASSESSING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF HR BUSINESS PARTNERING 

Tool no. 4.1 Measuring HR Business Partner Effectiveness 
Tool no. 4.2 Assessing the Effectiveness of HR Business Partners 
Tool no. 4.3 Reviewing the Partnering Model

Views of line managers on the impact and benefits of HR business partnering;

• How line buy-in influences the success of the model.
• How to secure buy-in and support from line managers.
• How HR can align its activities with organisational requirements.
• How HR business partners can operate at a strategic level.
• How to maintain and develop long term stakeholder engagement.

What determines the success of HR business partnering more than any other factor is the relationship between HR and the line.  Line managers are therefore major stakeholders in HR business partnering. As more organisations consider adopting the model, or ponder how to increase its effectiveness, Humba HR Consultants’ research looks at what happens when line managers are bought into the model, and what happens when they are not.  It offers practical steps to help HR engage more effectively with the line, demonstrating how the model can add real value to the organisation.