One of the most important and highly required profile in any business organisation is of Human Resource, being the most captious position of all yet it is forsaken often times. There is always a constant need to give equal attention to all the departments while implementing any change or bringing in new addition to the organisation whereas the business partner role, being very essential in growth of the business is paid mustard seed attention. The cardinal discussion of this paper is how to bring in the finesse of strategic business partner – HR to congruously uplift the business with proficient prowess.
Most of the times and in many businesses, it is often noted that among all the departments, the HR department, although being one of the important departments, but which seldom adds any cherry on the cake over the main agenda of the business. If a minute change in conviction of business owners towards the HR, not just as a role necessary for the business but a personnel quite essential for strategizing in the initial development of it in will see a gradual shift from simple clerks to Talent and acquisitions professionals.
HR personnel tries to effectively run the whole machinery of the business by reducing service cost, efficiently managing the manpower as well as the technological power, whereas the companies or rather the top level management of the starts a search for HR Shared Services thereby making an adverse effect on what the internal manpower has done.
There are three elements of leading practice service delivery model for HR.
- First and foremost, the prowess on organizational governance and program designing
- Secondly, handling the manpower inquiries within the organization and transactional process
- Lastly, providing routine support to the business.
The moment an HR personnel is handed over the responsibility of a business partner , there can be a seen a substantial shift in the mannerism of delivering a consultative approach towards the business. By this, it is meant that a paradigm shift in imparting different HR programs and the role of HR with the business and employees in case any strike or riots situation arises. The role migration prepares a HR to be more in-tune with operation workforce needs.
Stepping up onto a major business role requires an altogether systematic approach towards the delivery of the services in the organization which includes surpassing and aggrandising the Business partner role itself.
Lamentably , while introducing and applying the new changes within the business, the management keeps the headlights on the designing and launching the newly acquired portal and foresee to brace the changes made to business partner role. Most of the times, it is assumed that the HR turned business partner is capable with proper training and technological know-how that they can perform their newly appointed duties with full competencies whereas the actual scenario lays a different story.
Amidst these transition the whole HR community is somewhat at the receiving end of assumption that they are on the same page as the other departments, and they must be aligned with the impacts and changes through their HR leaders, who are not necessarily invited at the table of discussion regarding the implementation.
Transforming the HR Business Partner
Transformation of the any role in an organisation must be done with enough R&D, after proper planning and applicable approach that sets at par with the requirements of the business. When it comes to the role of HR business partner, the changes can occur at any point in time. It is advisable to drill and grill the concern person before giving away the chair to the new model.
It is always advisable to prepare and educate the HR business partner regarding the migration that his job profile is about to enter. The top level management should ensure that he is well verse with responsibility of the new role and has desired set of skills to impart the services. Ensuring that the business partner understands their new role, as well as has the skills to perform their new role, will help reduce the HR business partner’s desire to remain involved in all administrative details. As it is rightly said that “ jack of all ,master of none” – the HR business partner must know that he can’t cater to needs of all employees which often will lead to non deliverance of new service model. He should understand the new role effectively and efficiently.
HR business partner transformation also qualifies as a change management activity, because it makes HR employees feel valued as they will recognize the investment your company is making to ensure success of the model.
This is considered as one of the major activity for any business house – the transition of HR business partner, therefore it requires intensive research work and fundamental training of the HR business partner otherwise it will be equivalent to White House falling down. To ensure the complete success of implementation of new model as well as the major Transition, the management must keep in mind to make the HR business partner aware that with “great power comes great responsibilities.”
An eagle’s eye view of this entire metamorphosis will result in chalking out the loopholes in skills and competencies of the employee as well as the management ensuring better implementation of formalized performance plan.
Human Resources Personnel needs to be up-to-date and keep in order so that it has the required skills to be included in top level together with the various other prowess that imbibes him with designing and measuring business strategies based upon analytical metrics.
HR’s main vision towards his role justice as well as to be equally justifying his position in the organization should be to include measuring, understanding and communicating strategic talent connections. More than often, it might be supportive to have an established service team onboard which will add on its expertise in building a high level of functional expertise.
Dr. Saniya Chawla
Assistant Professor
