By | Lulu Augustine | An established HR leader with expertise in creating & implementing strategic partnerships
HR business partnering has taken on a lot of connotations in the modern world. It is a much hyped about term.; Lots has been written on the topic; Tonnes of research has been done on what the ideal HR business partner should and should not do to make the role effective
One may want to ask why this is so? The best answer would be that this role that does not have any clear boundaries and hence a lot is left to the perception of the role holder and the stakeholder and the gap, therefore, leaves room for fault finding and finger pointing
HR Business partnering has been projected as the HR’s seat at the table, however, how prepared are our HR business partners to take that seat and are corporate leaders ready to provide the seat leaders willing to concede
When it comes to preparedness of the business partners, a lot of work has to be done to train, coach and mentor the talent to take on the role; Also, let us bear in mind that each firm has its own vision of the HR business partnering role and the expectations as also the various shades it takes as the role touches various stakeholders; In this scenario, it is next to impossible to have a case of “one role fits all”
HR business partners are the HR face to the businesses that they support, therefore, their in-depth understanding of the business cannot be emphasized enough, the vision of the businesses that they handle, the goals the business have set to achieve in the short term and long term would need to be understood to great lengths to succeed in the role
