Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP)

One of the most significant HR responsibilities in the workplace is HR Business Partner. Learn how HRBPs are assisting their companies in growing.

HR Business Partner is a role that we frequently see as one of the most important HR functions within organisations. According to LinkedIn, there are more than a million people working in this field around the world.

HR Business Partners became sought-after specialists as HR became acknowledged as one of the areas critical to business success. In this article, you’ll learn how HR Business Partners help their companies succeed, why their role will become more crucial in the future, and what qualities to look for in candidates for this position.

What Is A Human Resources Business Partner?

An HR business partner is a capable human resource professional who works directly with an organization’s senior leadership to build and direct an HR agenda that closely supports company goals. Rather of working primarily as part of the internal human resources department, the HR business partner meets with top management on a regular basis and may even serve on the board of directors. When a human resources professional is in close contact with senior leadership, HR becomes a part of the company strategy. Business organisations are increasingly adopting the business partner approach for human resources.

Despite the fact that HR Business Partner (HRBP) is a senior position inside the Human Resources department, an HRBP works closely with the company’s leadership. HR Business Partners are in charge of leveraging HR skills to help the organisation achieve its objectives. To put it another way, this HR professional creates and oversees an HR agenda that supports the company’s business goals.

More precisely, an HR Business Partner should have extensive business knowledge, a thorough understanding of HR, and specialised experience in the company’s industry.

In conclusion, HR Business Partners have a more strategic role than other HR departments, and they do not focus on compliance or administration.

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HRBP

Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP) is an abbreviation for Human Resources Business Partner. In enterprise and medium size firms, it is a role under the human resources department. Human Resource Business Partner (HRBP) is a more strategic role than other HR title role, which are usually focused on routine employee complications.

HRBPs, or Human Resources Business Partners, are responsible for assisting businesses in achieving their objectives through people initiatives.

What is an HR Business Partner’s Role?

The HR business partner’s responsibility is to ensure that the organization’s human resource policies and procedures are in accordance with the needs, aims, and objectives of the firm. Administration, compliance, and management receive less attention. Rather than handling day-to-day trainings, policy language, or the finer points of benefits packages and hiring, the HR business partner focuses on the larger picture.

The individual herein work outlines and guides the organization’s human resources department’s objectives, focusing more on strategy growth than policy application. The HR business partner ensures that HR strategy is integrated into the broader business strategy of the company. The human resource business partner is not a vice president or a human resource manager. An HR business partner, on the other hand, is more of a consultant who works in human resources, creating relationships and delivering resources across the organization’s departments.

What Does It Mean To Be A Business Partner?

Any contractual, exclusive link between parties that represents a commercial partnership is included in the definition of a business partner. Individuals who agree to work together to form and operate a business could be the two parties. Separate teams, groups, or businesses may form the parties, and they may agree to cooperate and work together towards a mutually beneficial common goal.

What Does Being A Strategic Business Partner Entail?

A strategic business partner is a leader who is involved in discussions regarding a company’s or organization’s future, mission, goals, and overall strategy. While not a member of the C-suite or senior leadership team, a strategic business partner has a say in HR discussions. A consultant whose opinions and ideas are valued is referred to as a strategic business partner. HR business partners are typically thought of as strategic partners who can make recommendations, make decisions, and carry out objectives.

A human resources professional must possess a specific set of skills and expertise in order to be valued as a strategic business partner and to be invited to discussions about the organization’s future. This person should be knowledgeable with the company’s many divisions and departments, as well as how HR can assist them. The person is adept at listening to problems and ideas and presenting solutions in a clear and concise manner.

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HR Manager Vs. HR Business Partner

An HRBP or HR Business Partner and an HR Manager are two dissimilar jobs that signify two different approaches to providing HR services inside a firm. The HR manager’s responsibilities include developing policies and enforcing them. This position of HR Manager is accountable for a range of practices, comprising payroll processing, recruitment, system administration, and more.

The HR Business Partner, on the other hand, is not responsible for the management of a department. Their primary role is to work with the company’s senior leadership team and department managers to help shape and explain the company’s overarching strategy. HRBP or HR Business Partners work with HR while also consulting with the executive team on Human Resource challenges and ventures. They may have a say in the creation of HR initiatives and strategies that affect the entire organisation.

Summary of the Position

HR Business Partners (or HRBPs for short) assist organisations in aligning their people strategy with their business plan. They are a change agent and a strategic partner for the company, as well as an administrative specialist and a people champion. The HRBP collaborates with line managers to create priorities, drive values, and deliver business results.

A Human Resource Business Partner can be in charge of hundreds to thousands of employees, depending on the size of the company. They are usually employed by the human resources department.

HR Business Partner Duties and Responsibilities

As previously stated, an HR Business Partner’s primary responsibility is to employ HR capabilities to achieve company-wide objectives. The duties and responsibilities of an HR Business Partner can vary depending on these goals.

As a result, an HR Business Partner’s primary tasks are as follows:

Planning for the future or Strategic Planning

Strategic planning is the first item on the HR Business Partner’s to-do list. This is where tracking different HR statistics comes into play — having a sense of your staff engagement, employee satisfaction, or employee retention requires knowing the necessary data. Knowing such information makes defining improvement initiatives in a specific region much easier. HR Business Partners can also build and implement business improvement plans thanks to their significant research experience.

Providing HR Advice to Executives

As previously stated, HR Business Partners serve as a link between executives and the rest of the workforce. As a result, HRBP frequently teaches higher-ups on HR issues and explains why and how HR can help the firm achieve its objectives.

Taking the Lead on HR Initiatives

Driving HR initiatives is one of the major tasks of the HR Business Partner. A company’s goal, for example, could be to retain more consumers. Because organisations that established a recognition programme saw an improvement in customer satisfaction, HR Business Partners may recommend adopting an Employee Recognition Program.

For the reason that an employee appreciation programme offers several benefits but is a large project, the HR Business Partner is normally in charge of driving and overseeing its implementation.

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HR Development

HR Business Partners, like the prior example, will propose activities to improve the HR department’s performance.

For example, an HR Business Partner could recommend conducting more frequent surveys to gauge the mood of the workforce or promoting a continuous feedback process to supplement regular employee evaluations.

Identifying and Assessing the Best HR Technology

HR Business Partners are frequently responsible with locating the appropriate technology to develop a specific function or implant a new habit among employees, as HR is a very analytical area.

An HR Business Partner may recommend installing a Recognition and Rewards Platform, Employee Communications Software, or Employee Wellbeing solution, depending on the company’s goals. The options are unlimited, and HR Business Partners must carefully consider which option best suits their company’s needs.

Key Qualities of an Effective HR Business Partner

An HR business partner’s role is mostly strategic, and it necessitates frequent engagement with executives and business leaders. As a result, decision-making, communication, and leadership abilities are essential for success in the role.

1. Expertise in the Use of Digital Tools

HR business partners have access to a variety of software tools to aid in the development and communication of HR strategy, the management of individuals and teams, and the tracking of spending. Business intelligence, decision assistance, data visualisation, and online communities that encourage information exchange are among the items on the list.

2. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Capability

HR departments can use data analysis to help with activities including screening job candidates, determining staffing needs, and tracking productivity and other job performance measures. Data analysis is critical in strategic planning, as Human Resource Executive points out, especially in an uncertain market.

3. Cross-Cultural Abilities

Multinational corporations fight for talent on a worldwide scale, both in their field offices and in their corporate headquarters. Effective HR business partners are culturally knowledgeable of the areas in which a firm works, which includes knowledge of various labour laws, business practises, and compensation systems.

4. Understanding of the Industry

HR business partners are required to have a solid understanding of human resource management principles. However, success in the role necessitates a thorough understanding of the organization’s operations, including what the primary business functions are, how the business divisions interact, and what the organisational structure looks like, among other things. This familiarity is essential for gaining the respect and confidence of corporate executives, especially in a situation where substantial changes are expected.

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5. Ability to Manage Projects and People

Developing a project scope statement, managing resources and stakeholders, and communicating in large and small groups are all responsibilities that an HR business partner should be familiar with. It’s a plus if you’ve led teams with remote and/or foreign contributors.

6. Capable Of Dealing with Change and Transformation

HR business partners routinely recommend that firms modify the way they do things—sometimes dramatically—in order to align business objectives with people decisions. It’s critical to anticipate large-scale changes and build strategic strategies for implementing them with the least amount of disruption to the firm and its people.

7. Leadership Ability to Identify and Develop

HR business partners must develop leaders within an organisation and, where necessary, identify external candidates for leadership roles in addition to becoming leaders themselves. All executives should be judged on how well their skills and performance connect with the company’s overarching goals.

8. Unparalleled Networking and Relationship-Building Skills

An HR business partner must be comfortable communicating with business leaders from all backgrounds inside a company, both to understand the needs of their business units and to develop rapport with key decision-makers over time. Outside of the company, the HR business partner should develop a network of human resources peers who can offer expert guidance as well as a network of individuals who could bring value as possible employees.

9. Ability to Keep Confidentiality When It’s Required

According to Human Resource Executive, just as employees may trust HR managers with confidential information, leaders must be able to trust HR business partners with sensitive or “insider” information about business operations or financial performance. Business leaders must feel comfortable sharing this data for strategic planning purposes while also knowing that it will not affect their personal work performance.

10. Ability to Communicate Effectively With a Wide Range of Audiences

HR business partners must be able to communicate effectively in a variety of scenarios, from executive presentations to negotiations to the rare disagreement or crisis. Intercultural and digital communication experience are also essential in today’s industries. Finally, as an HR business partner who advocates for change, being willing to say “No” to CEOs when necessary and presenting well-thought-out alternative solutions is a vital skill.

Salaries for HR Business Partners

HR Business Partners’ compensation, as one might expect, vary depending on a number of aspects. One of them is prior experience; undoubtedly, an HR Business Partner with a track record of success can negotiate a better remuneration and benefits package than someone who is new to the field.

Another issue is the HR Business Partner’s real responsibilities, which vary by company and industry, making this function more or less onerous.

Finally, geographical location is the most important aspect in deciding an HR Business Partner’s remuneration. The average wage for HR Business Partners in the United States is, as expected, the highest in the country.

In the United States, an HR Business Partner’s salary ranges from $65K to $130K, according to Glassdoor. Professionals with less than one year of experience in this field earn $72K on average, while experts with more than 15 years of experience earn $105K on average.

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The Future of HR Business Partners

HR Corporate Partners are becoming more common as HR services evolve and HR is acknowledged as one of the key sectors driving business success.

According to PWC, across organisations of all sizes, the average ratio of HR Business Partners to employees is 1:1016. However, we are already seeing organisations with one HRBP per 250 workers, such as Royal Bank of Scotland, which is a positive trend that will likely spread as HR Business Partner Models demonstrate remarkable efficiency.

HRBP’s position as a connection between executives, HR, line management, and employees will become more important in the future. For example, we are seeing an increasing number of HR Business Partners introducing various employee appreciation initiatives, as this has proven to be an effective approach to improve a company’s business results.

When it comes to talent development or transformation projects, HR Business Partners are an obvious choice.

Job Description for HR Business Partner

If you’re searching for an HR Business Partner to join your team, feel free to adapt this job description to reflect your company’s information and goals.

Designation: Human Resources Company Partner

[Company name] is looking for an HR Business Partner that will work with management and workers in specific operational units to align business objectives. An HRBP will serve as a counsellor to management on HR-related issues as well as a change agent.

HRBPs must assess and forecast HR-related needs, as well as engage with business management and the HR department on a regular basis. HRBP will frequently be required to design and/or seek integrated solutions. Overall, a successful HRBP will develop cross-company relationships to provide value-added services to management and employees that align with [company/business] objectives.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Providing or recommending coaching to groups or individuals of employees

• Assisting in the design and development of organisations

• Managing leadership coaching and team building activities that promote growth and change in accordance with corporate goals

• Consulting executives on HR needs

• Recommending HR initiatives coherent with business objectives to the Board of Directors(BOD)

• Providing support to HR thought partnership

• Performing data analysis and reporting solutions depending on company needs

• Proactively assessing team and manager development needs, recommending and implementing suitable solutions

• Integrating with co-workers in other departments to assist with business scaling

• Collaborating on global strategy with regional HR partners

• Working closely with the rest of the HR community as an integral component

Proficiencies

• Problem-solving skills

• Project management

• Performance management

• Data-driven

• Excellent communication and presentation skills

• Business knowledge

• Knowledge of [company/business] area

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Educational Qualifications

A bachelor’s degree is essential;

An advanced degree in human resources management, organisational development, or business will be considered advantageous.

Additional Skills and Experience

SHRM Certification or an equivalent certification

Concluding Thoughts

An HR business partner’s job is both varied and demanding. Understanding an HR business partner’s job description will assist you in preparing for interviews and landing your dream job.