An HR Business Partner must understand how current and future challenges impact the people in their organization. This enables them to provide valuable advice and coaching to key stakeholders. Together with the company’s line managers, HRBPs set priorities, drive value, and deliver business results. Depending on the size of the organization, they can be responsible for a few hundred to over a thousand employees. Traditional HR roles have a broader focus, while HR business partners focus on employment strategies and policies and ensure HR operations support overall company goals.

Building a competitive organization

Before they talk to the manager, they look at the data from turnover to learning and development rates to see where the manager needs help. Note that the actual day-to-day tasks will vary depending on the time of the year, your availability and experience, and the type of organization and industry you are in. People partners may also work with executives and managers to put employee-friendly policies in place. In other words, today’s employers need an HR business partner who understands the company’s requirements and can act creatively to meet these needs in the face of new challenges. They’re the ones who look for new ways to innovate, delight and excite everybody they work with and for.

A day in the life of a HR

Now that you know what skills you need to thrive in the HRBP role, let’s have a look at what an HR Business Partner career path can look like moving forward. Check out the full article on business acumen for HR professionals to find out how to develop your business acumen. A T-shaped individual can make evidence-based decisions, achieve and maintain operational efficiency, create business impact, and increase productivity and profit while remaining competitive. The key message is that job titles are less important than your competencies and skills when aiming to progress into and beyond an HRBP position. HRBPs often focus on a specific department, business unit, or geographic location, offering localized perspective and handling HR matters specific to their assigned business area. Nancy Stewart, HR Leadership Coach at TalentAlchemists.com, shares an example of how an HRBP managed to decrease employee turnover in a company’s Sales department.

• “The onus to drive the change has been shifted to modern HRBPs, and they are expected to be the driver of the change that tech should bring,” notes Roy.
• They need to have an excellent understanding of the organisation, its strategy and customers, and a very good understanding of the people challenges faced by the organisation.
• Firms will also have to ensure they retain qualified workers by meeting their needs and fostering a positive workplace culture.
• Automation and other technologies, outsourcing, and remote work, among other factors, will bring new challenges and opportunities to the sector.
• Workplace wellness, work environments, and company culture are essential for employee retention, performance, and overall office success.

Company

The activities of a HRBP will vary depending on the size of the organisation. An HRBP working in an SME may act more like an HR generalist, offering expertise in all people areas, and also doing more operational activity such as dealing with employee relations or policy issues. An HRBP in a larger organisation will be more focused on enabling business strategy by delivering great people approaches, rather than operational implementation. HRBPs are usually assigned to a particular area of the business (for example, a directorate, or a number of specific teams).

The responsibilities of HR business partners and people partners overlap in some areas. However, these roles have some key differences that are essential for HR professionals to understand. We’ll explore everything you need to know about HR Business Partner career progression in this article. Sometimes, a strong HRBP will have worked in line management and then received intensive HR training to take over the HRBP role. While most HR skills are transferable from industry to industry, an HRBP needs industry-specific understanding to be effective.

We are looking for a qualified HR business partner to oversee all human resources operations and ensure they’re aligned with our business goals. Let’s explore the core competencies and skills you need to be a successful HR Business Partner. These are the skills you need to work on developing before stepping into the HRBP role and while in it. It’s important to note that the career path to becoming an HR Business Partner is often not linear. Some professionals begin their careers as HR administrators or assistants. Others start as coordinators in support functions such as learning or organizational development, some start as benefits administrators or recruiters, and others begin as HR Officers or Consultants.

Can an HR Business Partner transition into a People Partner role, and vice versa?

You’ve found out your new hires find the onboarding process inadequate, which leads to them quitting early. Therefore, you propose more frequent meetings between new hires and their managers and peers to set expectations, build relationships, and provide feedback as part of the onboarding process. Factors such as education, certifications, skills, years of experience, and industry can influence an HRBP’s salary. There are, however, some commonly required responsibilities, competencies, and qualifications this article will discuss to help you better understand what a typical HRBP role entails. Excel at your job by becoming more efficient, effective, and impactful in your day-to-day HR work.

Role-related skills

• They also work towards continuously improving the employee experience, which is essential for business success.
• When they know the company, they make better choices, are better at aligning L&D practices with what the industry is looking for, and will make more impact.
• For example, HRBP needs to collect and interpret usable data when creating effective guidelines for performance reviews.
• They also play a key role in talent management, including workforce planning, succession planning, leadership development, and employee engagement initiatives.
• The duties of an HRBP vary depending on their seniority level, industry, and company.

The HR Business Partner career path HR People Partner job doesn’t have to be a straight vertical line. It’s more like a collection of experiences that help HR professionals develop their skills, knowledge, and talents. The employee retention rate shows the percentage of employees who stayed with the company for a certain period, usually a year. It helps organizations understand how long employees stay and when they tend to leave. Setting SMART goals for HR Business Partners enables them to prioritize their tasks, track progress, and drive success in the HR function.