Here we are going to discuss about how human resources business partner knowledge integrate with organizational strategy. As we know that the one of the major determinants of organizational performance and productivity revolves around talent management. This earns HR, at the strategic table, the capacity to contribute to an organization’s successful strategy and financial base expansion. However, this requires that organizations align their strategic approach with the human resources – employees, skills, and abilities – towards achieving their business goals.
Despite the fact that the HR departments of organizations are aware of the need to recruit and build talents, they still grapple with delivering in that regard. They have failed to manage the talent acquisition process strategically, causing them to incur additional costs in training and development in HRM.
The reason for the failure is not far fetched from the disconnect that often occurs between senior HR individuals and managers, especially as it concerns talent. Usually, HR Business Partners (HRBPs) are charged with the responsibility of counselling managers on talent issues. They help to ensure that the strategies employed by an organization to acquire talent and retain employees do not affect the business’ overall goal negatively.
A successful HRBP must show extensive knowledge of the workability of a business as well as its financial and operational goals. People who seek to advance their career in human resources management may find the role of an HR business partner suitable for them. HRBP is an advanced aspect of the HR department.
The human resources business partners also involve themselves in the recruiting process and other business aspects that concern offering support to employees to achieve increased motivation and improved productivity. This makes the role come with a skill set that is distinct from the one commonly found within most HR departments.
How Human Resources Business Partner Differ from HR Managers
The major area of focus of HRBPs is how to effectively use human resources to bring about the success of a business unit in a way that ensures workforce diversity and the introduction or adoption of new skill sets that prepare the organization for future competition. The role takes a more strategic shape than that of an HR manager, whose major responsibility lies in enforcing human resources policy on a daily basis.
In essence, HR business partners act as resource personnel to HR managers as well as business leaders who are mostly overwhelmed with day-to-day operational activities of employees and thereby neglect strategic HRM concerns, that is, issues bordering on human resources. They also help the HR department in interpreting its role as it concerns value creation.
Human Capital as a Strategic Asset
Investment in human capital has been considered globally by managers as critical to the success of any organization, irrespective of its size. The implication is that an HR department that fails in creating organizational values and return on investment through its human resources could be said to have yet to realize its full potential.
The strategic planning that puts such an organization on the path of success could be acquired through HRBPs. They help to ensure the adoption of strategies that align human assets to organization strategy. Its major focus is on value. How then do they convince the top management within the organization of their critical role in the strategic planning of the organization?
Here is how HRBPs help organizations in their strategies based on human resources.
Determining Organization Needs
HRBPs work closely with executive leadership to determine the needs of the organization. Not only that, but they also go further to collaborate with HR and even external recruiters to help meet these needs. It is expected that they demonstrate accurate knowledge on how the organization works. This includes the core business functions and how the business units interact.
Assessment of Business Goals and Objectives
How well does the current structure of the business support the achievement of the business goals and objectives? Should the role of the existing units be retained or would there be a need for redistribution? These and other questions are addressed by human resources business partner. Integrating them, therefore, with organizational strategies will result in an overhauling of the business units of the organization in a way that leads to success.
Development of Employees’ Skills
With HRBPs, there is a shift in focus from administrative duties to the enhancement or development of the human capital in line with the organizational strategy requirements. Similarly, they identify new roles and/or existing job openings that have been denying an organization the opportunity of meeting its goals. They thus help to fill in the lapses by taking strategic decisions during the recruitment or hiring process.
Skills Required to Contribute to Organization Strategy
The strategic contributions of HRBPs to organization strategy require skills that are critical to establishing a synergy between HR management and organizational goals. They include business knowledge as well as financial and technology skills. They must also be adept at managing workforce diversity efficiently. Situations such as presentations, negotiations, and crisis resolution will often arise. They will therefore be required to demonstrate their experience and competence in intercultural communication. Suffice to say that, they must have been conversant with cultural diversities of the area where the organization operates.
Conclusion
In conclusion, HRBPs utilize a wide range of software products that help them develop and communicate HR strategy and manage human resources through business intelligence, decision support, data visualization, and online communities where information is being shared within groups.
To develop yourself into an human resources business partner, we provide a number of graduate programs in Human Resource Management. The graduate program focuses on the evolution of the HR field as well as how its knowledge can be adapted to organization strategy.