What you Need to Know About the HR Business Partner

Summary

This Learning Bites episode explores the evolving role of HR Business Partners (HRBPs) as strategic liaisons between HR and business functions. It discusses the shift from administrative tasks to strategic roles, emphasizing the importance of future-ready HRBPs in areas like workforce planning, technology adoption, and culture building. Key competencies for HRBPs include data literacy, business acumen, digital integration, and people advocacy, with additional skills in stakeholder management and communication. The episode encourages continuous learning for HRBPs to align people strategies with business objectives effectively.

Takeaways

• 🔍 HR Business Partners (HRBPs) should act as strategic liaisons between HR and the business, helping to align people strategy with business strategy.
• 📉 57% of C-suite executives view HR as primarily administrative, indicating a need for HRBPs to become more strategic in their roles.
• 🚀 The role of HRBPs is evolving from operational to strategic, with a focus on preparing organizations for future work and HR management.
• 💼 HRBPs need to be coaches and consultants, understanding organizational challenges to provide effective advice and coaching.
• 💹 Business acumen is crucial for HRBPs to connect business challenges with HR activities and outcomes.
• 🏆 HRBPs are instrumental in building a competitive organization by understanding both people and financial operations.
• 👩‍💼 Empowering leaders is a key responsibility of HRBPs, who should support decision-making and handle employee issues.
• 📊 Data literacy is essential for HRBPs to influence decisions through strategic use of KPIs and contextual understanding of the business.
• 🌐 Strengthening company culture and employee experience is a core responsibility of future-ready HRBPs, focusing on cultural transformation for organizational goals.
• 📈 The four key competencies for effective HRBPs are data literacy, business acumen, digital integration, and people advocacy.
• 🤝 Additional skills for HRBPs include stakeholder management, communication, and dealing with resistance to implement HR interventions.

Q & A

What is the primary role of an HR Business Partner (HRBP)?

The primary role of an HRBP is to act as a strategic liaison between HR and the business, helping to align an organization's people strategy with its business strategy.

Why do many C-suite executives view HR as an administrative function?

Many C-suite executives view HR as an administrative function because HRBPs are often bogged down in operational activities, which prevents them from taking on a more strategic role.

How is the role of an HRBP changing in response to the evolving business world?

The role of an HRBP is shifting from being tactical to more strategy-oriented, with an increasing focus on preparing organizations for the future of work, including reskilling, upskilling, adopting technology, and improving the employee experience.

What are some key responsibilities of future-ready HRBPs?

Future-ready HRBPs will focus on preparing for the future of work, being a coach and consultant, applying business acumen, building a competitive organization, and empowering leaders.

How can HRBPs use data to influence decisions within the organization?

HRBPs can use data strategically to track KPIs and drive performance, ensuring decisions are based on evidence rather than gut feelings, and considering both business and cultural contexts.

Why is business acumen important for HRBPs?

Business acumen is crucial for HRBPs as it enables them to connect business challenges to HR activities and outcomes, helping the organization tackle these challenges effectively.

What does it mean for HRBPs to empower leaders within the organization?

Empowering leaders means that HRBPs should enable business leaders to make decisions and handle employee issues independently, with HR serving as a backup for emergencies.

What are the four core competencies that every HRBP needs to be effective?

The four core competencies for effective HRBPs are data literacy, business acumen, digital integration, and people advocacy.

How can HRBPs leverage technology to improve efficiency and outcomes?

By adopting the right HR technology, HRBPs can free up time from administrative tasks, leading to increased efficiency, better business outcomes, and an improved digital employee experience.

Why is people advocacy an important skill for HRBPs?

People advocacy is important for HRBPs because it involves advocating for employees, ensuring fair treatment and rewards, which protects the business from lawsuits, unwanted turnover, and unhappy employees.

What additional skills can HRBPs develop to be more effective in their roles?

Aside from the core competencies, HRBPs can develop skills in stakeholder management, communication and presentation, and dealing with resistance to be more effective in their roles.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 The Evolving Role of HR Business Partners

This paragraph discusses the strategic importance of HR Business Partners (HRBPs) in bridging the gap between HR and business operations. Despite the perception of HR as primarily administrative by 57% of C-suite executives, the role of HRBPs is shifting towards a more strategic focus. The script emphasizes the need for HRBPs to move beyond operational tasks and become key players in driving an organization's productivity, profitability, and competitiveness. The future-ready HRBP is expected to prepare organizations for upcoming changes in the business world, including reskilling, upskilling, technology adoption, strategic workforce planning, and enhancing the employee experience. The HRBP is also seen as a coach and consultant, requiring a deep understanding of business acumen to connect HR activities with business outcomes. The paragraph concludes by highlighting the importance of empowering leaders and using data to influence decisions, as well as the role of HRBPs in strengthening company culture and employee experience.

05:04

🛠️ Enhancing HRBP Effectiveness Through Core Competencies

The second paragraph delves into the core competencies that HR Business Partners (HRBPs) must possess to be effective in their roles. It begins by emphasizing the importance of leveraging HR technology to increase efficiency and improve the digital employee experience, while cautioning against the pitfalls of adopting inappropriate technology. The paragraph then discusses the role of HRBPs as people advocates, ensuring fair treatment and recognition of employees, which is crucial for business success and legal compliance. Additionally, the paragraph highlights three other important skills for HRBPs: stakeholder management, communication and presentation skills, and dealing with resistance. These skills are essential for HRBPs to navigate the political landscape of businesses, communicate effectively, and implement HR interventions smoothly. The paragraph concludes by stressing the need for continuous learning and adaptation to new HR and business developments for HRBPs to remain valuable to their organizations.

Keywords

💡HR Business Partners (HRBPs)

HR Business Partners, or HRBPs, are strategic liaisons between the human resources (HR) department and the business units within an organization. They play a crucial role in aligning HR initiatives with the overall business strategy. In the video, HRBPs are discussed as evolving from administrative roles to more strategic ones, focusing on increasing productivity, profitability, and competitiveness. The script emphasizes the need for HRBPs to be future-ready, preparing organizations for changes in the business world, and acting as coaches and consultants.

💡Strategic Liaison

A strategic liaison is an individual who builds and maintains relationships between different parties to facilitate cooperation and alignment of goals. In the context of the video, HRBPs serve as strategic liaisons by bridging the gap between HR and business operations, ensuring that people strategies are in sync with business objectives. The script highlights the importance of HRBPs moving beyond administrative tasks to lead business conversations and contribute to the organization's strategic direction.

💡Operational Activities

Operational activities refer to the day-to-day tasks and processes that are necessary for the functioning of a business. The script points out that many HRBPs are getting bogged down in these activities, which detracts from their ability to contribute strategically to the business. It suggests that HRBPs need to focus more on strategic planning and less on administrative duties to maximize their impact.

💡Productivity

Productivity in a business context refers to the efficiency with which an organization uses its resources to produce goods or services. The video underscores the role of HRBPs in increasing an organization's productivity by aligning HR practices with business goals, such as through strategic workforce planning and employee engagement initiatives.

💡Business Acumen

Business acumen is the ability to understand and effectively respond to the dynamics of the business environment. It includes knowledge of finance, operations, and market trends. The script emphasizes that HRBPs must possess strong business acumen to connect HR activities to business outcomes and to help the organization tackle challenges effectively.

💡Competitiveness

Competitiveness in a business context refers to an organization's ability to compete effectively in the market for customers, talent, and resources. The video discusses how HRBPs contribute to building a competitive organization by understanding both people management and financial operations, which are critical for attracting and retaining clients and employees.

💡Coaching

Coaching, in the context of HR, involves guiding and supporting employees to improve their performance and professional development. The script mentions that HRBPs need to act as coaches, understanding the impact of current and future challenges on the workforce and providing advice and support to help employees and leaders navigate these challenges.

💡Data Literacy

Data literacy is the ability to understand, analyze, and communicate data effectively. The video highlights data literacy as a key competency for HRBPs, as they must use data to inform decisions, track performance, and link HR activities to business outcomes. It is no longer sufficient for HRBPs to rely on intuition; they must be adept at interpreting and leveraging data.

💡Digital Integration

Digital integration refers to the incorporation of digital technologies into business processes and practices. The script discusses how HRBPs can leverage HR technology to increase efficiency, improve the employee experience, and free up time for more strategic activities. It also cautions that the wrong technology choices can have negative impacts, emphasizing the importance of digital capabilities for HRBPs.

💡People Advocacy

People advocacy involves championing the needs, rights, and interests of employees within an organization. The video stresses the importance of HRBPs acting as advocates for their employees, ensuring fair treatment and recognition, which is essential for maintaining a positive work environment and preventing issues such as lawsuits and high turnover.

💡Stakeholder Management

Stakeholder management is the process of engaging with and managing the interests of various stakeholders within an organization. The script mentions that HRBPs should be knowledgeable about the business's political landscape and keep track of the interests and focus areas of different leaders. Effective stakeholder management helps HRBPs to navigate the organization's internal dynamics and align HR initiatives with the needs of various stakeholders.

Highlights

HR Business Partners (HRBPs) should act as strategic liaisons between HR and the business to enhance organizational impact.

57% of C-suite executives view HR as primarily administrative due to HRBPs being mired in operational tasks.

HRBPs must evolve to become more strategic to drive productivity, profitability, and competitiveness.

The future of HRBPs involves preparing organizations for upcoming changes in the business landscape.

Reskilling, upskilling, and adopting technology are key parts of HR's future role.

HRBPs need to act as coaches and consultants, understanding how challenges affect the workforce.

Business acumen is crucial for HRBPs to connect business challenges with HR activities.

HRBPs are instrumental in building a competitive organization by understanding both people and operations.

Empowering business leaders is essential for HRBPs to ensure they can handle employee issues independently.

Data-driven decision-making is critical for HRBPs to track KPIs and influence performance.

HRBPs must strengthen company culture and continuously improve the employee experience.

Four key competencies for effective HRBPs include data literacy, business acumen, digital integration, and people advocacy.

Data literacy enables HRBPs to interpret and link data with people and business strategies.

Understanding finance and industry-specific knowledge is vital for HRBPs' business acumen.

Digital integration can free up HRBPs' time, increasing efficiency and improving business outcomes.

People advocacy is essential for HRBPs to ensure fair treatment and reward for employees.

Stakeholder management is crucial for HRBPs to navigate the business's political landscape.

Communication and presentation skills are vital for HRBPs as they bridge HR and business.

Dealing with resistance is a skill that HRBPs need to implement HR interventions effectively.

HRBPs should continuously learn and keep up with new HR and business developments for organizational success.

Transcripts

HR Business Partners should be strategic liasons between HR and the business,

helping organizations make an impact.

But 57% of C-suite executives see HR as a largely administrative function.

This is because HRBPs are getting bogged down in operational activities.

To truly lead the business conversation, the role of an HRBP has to become more strategic

to help organizations increase their productivity, profitability, and competitiveness.

So what should the HR Business Partner's role and responsibilities look like going forward?

Let's find out!

*MUSIC*

Hi, Neelie here!

In this episode of Learning Bites, we’ll talk about the HRBP, the roles and responsibilities

of future-ready HRBPs, and key competencies they need to have.

For more detailed insights, check out our full guide on the HR Business Partner, which

you can find below.

And as always, be sure to subscribe to the channel,

click the notification bell, and like our video.

Let’s get started!

As we said, the HRBP is the strategic liaison between HR and the business.

In other words, they are HR professionals who help align an organization’s people

strategy with their business strategy.

Now, the business world is constantly changing and so is the HRBP.

In recent years, the work of the HR Business Partner has shifted from being tactical to

more strategy-oriented.

We predict that this will only continue going forward.

So what should the role and responsibilities of future-ready HRBPs look like?

Preparing for the future of work and HRM

The HRBP will play a significant role in preparing their organizations for what’s to come.

Reskilling, upskilling, adopting technology, strategic workforce planning, retooling business

culture to fit a digital workforce, and concentrating on the employee experience are all vital parts

of HR's future.

Being a coach and consultant

HRBPs need to understand how current and future challenges affect the people at their organization.

This enables them to stay up-to-date, communicate effectively with key stakeholders, and provide

advice and coaching.

Putting business acumen to work

Business acumen is an indispensable competency for every HR professional, and especially

for HR Business Partners.

The HRBP connects business challenges to HR activities and outcomes, and helps the organization

tackle these challenges.

Building a competitive organization

HRBPs help the organization successfully compete for clients and employees.

That means they need not only an understanding of people, but also of finance and operations

in order to build a competitive organization.

Empowering leaders

An effective HRBP must empower business leaders to make their own decisions and handle employee

emergencies on their own.

HR should be a backup for an emergency, not the first stop.

And that begins with empowering leaders.

Using data to influence decisions

Without data, decisions are based on gut feeling and guesswork.

HRBPs use data strategically, and are able to track KPIs and use them to drive performance.

This includes a strong contextual understanding of the business as well as the relevant local

and cultural issues.

For example, when the business is looking to open a production facility in Indonesia,

you are looking for different data then when you have an attrition problem in your North

American facilities.

Strengthening company culture and employee experience

Focusing on people and on how cultural transformation can help achieve organizational goals is one

of the core responsibilities of future-ready HRBPs.

They are also continuously improving the employee experience, as this is crucial for the business

success of any company.

Now that we’ve discussed the roles and responsibilities of future-ready HR Business Partners, it’s

time to talk about the four competencies that every HRBP needs to be effective.

Those are: data literacy, business acumen, digital integration, and people advocacy.

Let's take a closer look.

Data literacy

The HRBP needs to understand data interpretation, collection, and creation.

Gone are the days where HR could react based on gut feeling.

If the HRBP wants to cement their position as the business’ strategic partner, they

need to be not just a source of data, but a central player in linking data, people,

and the business.

Business acumen

This competency is not just about understanding finance principles but also risk, reward,

and business outcomes.

If an HRBP for a printer manufacturer doesn’t understand the printer business, they won’t

be successful in the role.

Something to keep in mind: while most HR skills are transferable from industry to industry,

an HRBP needs industry-specific understanding in order to be effective.

Digital integration

EY research found that HR business partners spend as much as 86% of their time on administrative

and operational tasks.

Being able to leverage HR technology will free up HRBPs’ time, leading to increased

efficiency and better business outcomes.

Adopting the right technology also improves the digital employee experience, which in

turn increases engagement and communication.

However, adopting the wrong technology can increase workloads, hinder productivity, and

create disgruntled, frustrated employees.

It's clear: digital capabilities are essential.

People advocacy

Companies cannot survive and succeed without good people who are treated fairly and rewarded

for their good work.

An HRBP needs to advocate for employees and push back when needed.

Doing this properly protects the business from lawsuits, unwanted turnover, and unhappy

employees.

Aside from these four core competencies, there are other skills that help HR Business Pattners

to be effective in their jobs.

Here are three that you should pay attention to:

Stakeholder management: Knowledge of the business’ political landscape is always useful.

The HRBP should keep track of what others are aware of, and the interests and focus

areas of different business and HR leaders.

Communication and presentation skills: the HRBP is the connection between HR and the

business, so it is their responsibility to pick up key signals.

Dealing with resistance: once opportunities for HR interventions are identified, HR and

the business should collaborate closely to implement these as well as they can.

An HRBP can lessen the stress on leadership teams by thinking strategically, planning

for the future, and helping to integrate technology into the workforce.

To help their organizations become even more successful, HRBPs must continuously learn

and keep up with new HR and business development.

For a more comprehensive understanding of the HR Business Partner, download our full

guide with the link in the first comment.

Do you have more suggestions for HRBP competencies?

Let us know in the comments below!

See you next time!