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As a business owner, you understand the importance of workforce planning. But it’s not easy. There’s no crystal ball you can look into that will tell you what positions you need to maximize efficiency as an organization and where you will find the employees best suited to fill them.
Strategic human resource management is about more than just determining how big your employees’ raise will be each year or how you should manage absences.
If you're not creating an HR strategy that incorporates the business interests of your organization, it's going to harm your business in the end. That's where an HR business partner comes in.
However, you shouldn’t necessarily run out and hire an expensive HR business partner and hand over the keys. In some circumstances, you wouldn't want one. This guide will help you understand what an HR business partner does, and in what situations you would want to go out and get one.
A human resources business partner is simply an HR professional who develops a comprehensive HR strategy that aligns with an organization's goals. Put differently, this individual works with the leadership to discuss what the company is trying to achieve and then attempts to mold the current HR strategy to support that.
Although the name suggests that an HR business partner is some outsourced professional who comes in with an outsider's perspective, in reality they are typically senior HR professionals who already work within the organization and have a deep understanding of what is needed to make the company successful.
There is some overlap between an HR business partner and an HR manager. They both are in charge of human resource planning and charting out HR strategies to achieve productive organizational change.
However, HR business partners tend to work at a higher level than HR managers do, and may have more business expertise as well. You might say that an HR business partner’s role deals with the overall strategy of a company, while an HR manager handles the day-to-day concerns and ensures everything is running smoothly.
There are many possible duties that may fall under an HR business partner’s job description, depending on the company and the situation. However, these three best describe what most of these individuals will be doing in that role.
An HR business partner develops the various strategies and policies governing an organization in alignment with that organization's goals.
This strategy may be centered around boosting worker productivity, changing the compensation and benefits structure, or simply realigning the current workforce in a more efficient way. They can also tell you what organizational structure types are best suited for your business.
It's one thing to craft an overall strategy, but another to put in place a realistic plan to make that happen. An HR business partner must evaluate the staff and come up with a plan to manage them in a way that will ensure the organization achieves the goals set forth in the HR strategy.
They might also develop an onboarding checklist to smooth the transition for a new employee -- after all, one survey found that 53% of HR professionals found that a better onboarding experience meant better employee engagement.
A vital part of any HR strategy involves talent management and talent acquisition. An HR business partner must be capable of bringing in excellent new employees who can help take the organization to the next level.
The partner should meet with department heads and evaluate current recruitment efforts in order to come up with a plan that will ensure the organization is able to fill all of the positions that the HR strategy calls for.
The individual should also be able to improve employee retention and reduce your turnover rate so the good workers you bring in don’t bolt for better opportunities after just a year or two.
This may seem like a strange question, because obviously no HR software can do the job of an HR business partner. But the truth is that sometimes it doesn't make sense to hire an HR business partner, when with some HR software, you can act as the HR business partner yourself.
Both options come with pros and cons, so it's important to break down how to know which to choose.
An HR business partner is absolutely vital if you are dealing with any of the following four situations:
If any of the following three situations apply to you, it's time to get some HR software:
The hiring process can be intimidating for anyone who runs a business. Employees are likely your biggest expense, and you want to make sure you are spending your money wisely.
An HR business partner can help make sure you are hiring the right people for the right positions. They’ll also help identify what positions you need, what positions need to be created, and what positions need to be moved or eliminated.
Now is the time to set aside some time to review your current HR strategy. Is it something you can handle yourself, or would you be better served by a professional HR business partner to help guide you and your business? Only you can answer that question.
Our Small Business Expert
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