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 who is in charge of linking the Human Resources area of a company with the rest of the business fabric and operations, from processes to strategies and general and specific objectives. In other words: he or she ensures that the people who form part of the company know everything they need to know to integrate their work into the global fabric and focus on achieving common objectives through different processes and strategies that everyone must follow.
When hiring an HR Business Partner, there may be questions about how to assess the profile of each candidate. The following is a list of minimum requirements that an HR Business Partner should meet in order to be able to do a quality job:
- Have knowledge and experience in all aspects of corporate culture.. For example, if you do not know how a multinational operates in the market, you will not be able to work properly within one. The same applies to knowledge and experience in marketing, in finance, The more business areas you master, the more possibilities and flexibility you can offer.
- Demonstrate good observation and analytical skills.. Since every company is different from all others, the HR Business Partner must be able to grasp all the details about the operation of the company he or she will be working for and analyse them in order to design effective action plans. Let's not forget that what works for one company may not work for another, so no HR Business Partner can implement a pre-drawn plan.
- Being a good strategist. HR Business Partners with good strategic skills can draw up much more thorough and effective action plans. In addition, we must value tactical skills as a complement to strategic skills.
- Show a high level of emotional intelligence and empathy.. All matters relating to the emotions and relationships is indispensable for a professional whose main object of work is people. This is why the HR Business Partner must show both good skills in intrapersonal intelligence (managing emotions for oneself) and interpersonal intelligence (managing emotions with other people).
So a company that wants to hire a good HR Business Partner should, as a minimum, assess these aspects in all its candidates.
HR Business Partner: what are their roles?
Now that we have understood what an HR Business Partner is and what is expected of them, let's look at their functions within the company:
- Monitor HR policies and processes to modify those that are not working well.
- Designing strategies and projects relating to the connection between Human Resources and the rest of the company's areas, and carrying them out.
- Acting as an intermediary between the people who form part of the company and the company's internal customers.
- Resolving problems and doubts of the people working in the company in relation to how the company works and what is expected of them.
- Develop training and education programmes for employees.
- Select solutions that will benefit both the company and its employees, such as the flexible compensation.
As we can see, the HR Business Partner is a great ally for any company that has one.
