HR Business Partner - what is it and what is its role in the company?

You have probably heard of the figure of the HR Business Partner or HRBP. The acronym HR stands for Human Resources, so we can translate the term literally as «Human Resources Business Partner».

But what does it really mean to be an HR Business Partner, what aspects should a company consider when hiring an HR Business Partner, and what functions are they expected to perform? We will answer these questions below.

HR Business Partner: what is it?

The HR Business Partner is a professional responsible for connecting a company's Human Resources department with the rest of the business structure and operations, from processes to overall and specific strategies and objectives. In other words, they ensure that the people who are part of the company know everything necessary to integrate their work into the overall structure and focus on achieving common goals through various processes and strategies that everyone must follow.

When hiring an HR Business Partner, doubts may arise about how to assess each candidate's profile. Below we list a series of minimum requirements that every HR Business Partner should meet to be able to perform quality work:

Have knowledge and experience in all aspects of corporate culture.. For example, if you don't know how a multinational company works in the market, you won't be able to work properly within one. The same can be applied with regard to knowledge and experience in marketing, in finance, in processes… The more business areas you master, the more possibilities and flexibility you can offer.
Demonstrate good observational and analytical skills. Given that every company is different from all others, the HR Business Partner must be able to grasp all the details related to the operation of the company for which they will be working and analyse them with the aim of designing effective action plans. Let us not forget that what is effective for one company may not be for another, which is why no HR Business Partner can apply a pre-drawn plan.
Being a good strategist. HR Business Partners with good strategic skills can map out much more detailed and effective action plans. Furthermore, we must recognise the value of tactical skills as a complement to strategic ones.
Show a high level of emotional intelligence and empathy. All matters relating to the emotions and relationships are indispensable for a professional whose main line of work is people. This is why the HR Business Partner must demonstrate strong capabilities in both intrapersonal intelligence (self-management of emotions) and interpersonal intelligence (management of emotions with other people).

So, a company looking to hire a good HR Business Partner should, at a minimum, assess these aspects in all its candidates.

HR Business Partner: What are their responsibilities?

Now that we understand what an HR Business Partner is and what is expected of them, let's look at their functions within the company:

Monitor Human Resources policies and processes to modify those that are not yielding good results.
To design and implement strategies and projects relating to the connection between Human Resources and other areas of the company.
Acting as an intermediary between the people who form part of the company and the company's internal customers.
To resolve people's problems and queries within the company regarding its operation and what is expected of them.
Develop training and development programmes for employees.
Select solutions that will benefit both the company and its employees, such as the Flexible remuneration.

As we can see, the HR Business Partner is a great ally for any company that has one.

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