HR Business Partnerships and Leadership Development

September 30, 2011Mark Stevens

Director, Human Resources

AgendaIntroductionBusiness Partnership basicsLeadership Development

Who is Mark Stevens?Director, Human Resources; St. Luke’s Magic

ValleyHR experience includes

Employee/Labor Relations, Talent Acquisition, Comp/Benefits, Leadership Development

Supported a variety of businesses/industries Biomedical, Transportation/Warehousing,

Healthcare

Business Partnership BasicsWhat is a “business partnership”? BenefitsChallengesPractical tips

What is a “business partnership”

At it’s core, is an alignment of the “business” of HR around the core of the businesses we support

It’s a relationship-based approach to HR;Connecting operations to HRProviding proactive, strategic service to the

organization and staffIt’s a shift from “traditional” functional HR

programs

“business partnership” cont.David Ulrich’s (Professor of Business, Univ. of

Michigan) well known model centers around the relationship HR needs to have with the organization:Strategic PartnerChange Agent/ChampionEmployee Advocacy/ChampionAdministrative Expertise

Business Partners (HRBPs)aren’t simply “generalists”; they need to be skillful business executives who can tie business results to human resources programs

BenefitsBetter Relationships with operational leadersImproved strategic planning with HR

included in the plan; “a seat at the table”More proactive understanding of human

resource needsMore engaged and developed leaders

(outside of and within HR)Better business outcomes

ChallengesWhat can impede designing a business

partnership with HR?1. HR Department size (staffing)2. HR skillset/competency/business acumen

a) HR staff will need to develop skills beyond traditional HR

b) HR staff will need to function in multiple rolesa) Strategic Partnerb) Employee Relationsc) Staffing/Work-force planner

Challenges continued3. Time Investment4. Budget5. Teaching operations what “it” is and how

they benefit6. Unwilling leaders7. HR’s unwillingness to change from

traditional roles

Practical Tips for implementationDespite business or HR department size

there are some practical approaches to establishing or advancing an HR Business Partnership

Tactical-level practices can help advance HR as a “value-added” partner

Higher strategic-level benefits may require more staffing or more HR infrastructure to truly realize the benefit

Seek to Understand…You must first establish a trust-based business

relationship with the leaders you support:1. Learn their industry2. Learn about their department/focus area3. Learn about their needs4. “Seek to understand before you wish to be

understood”5. Then teach them about HR and how it applies6. Link HR programs to the results they seek

Don’t be the “policy police”“All HR does is tell me what I can’t do!!!:

Traditional HR has taught us all to say “no”We need to learn to say “yes”

“Now that I understand your needs, let me show you some ways I believe we can work together to get the outcomes you’re looking for.”

Be “Data Driven”Be able to show information to your operational

partners and show the context:

Examples include:Turnover (what it means, not just the number)Corrective action dataStaffing dataEngagement information

Hold “business” meetingsSchedule regular “business partnership” meetings:1. Example: 1 per month or every 5 to 6 weeks2. Approach the leaders vs. responding to

requests3. Discuss:

Business results Tie results to staff needs / HR Programs

ER Staffing (proactive vs. reactive) Compensation Staff Development

“Business” meetings continuedDrive Proactive HR support3. Help the leader assess the health/quality of

his/her team:a. Performance/Talent managementb. Proactive discussions of turnover or staffingc. Master staffing strategies and planningd. Workforce planning and staff role

development4. Align HR programs to business objectives or

obstacles

HR Organizational StructuresWith a larger HR department, use a service/support approach;

Arm the HRBP with decision-making authority on ER, Compensation, Staffing The HRBP becomes the face of HR to operations

Provide support to the HRBP through backroom support E.g.; Compensation provides support on market surveys,

pay ranges and practices; the HRBP helps set salaries Recruitment manages the hiring process; the HRBP is

the liaison to the manager or leader on staffing/workforce planning

Is this right for you?Business Partnerships in the large, “corporate”

sense might not work for smaller businesses

However, relationship-based HR/Operations partnerships have their place in all businesses

Be thoughtful about implementation

Competency GrowthFuture HRBPs have to be dedicated to growing

themselves in order to be successful; without the right competencies, the HRBP model is difficult to implement:Conflict ResolutionStaffing/Workforce PlanningBusiness AcumenLeadership Development/ODInnovationAnd more…

Leadership DevelopmentLeadership CompetenciesDevelopment tools

Leadership CompetenciesLeadership Competency models help to identify

what a leader “should look like”

They can be designed around a consistent framework or set by “level” within the organization

Models are available from numerous sources including:PDI (Personnel Decisions International)Lominger Limited, Inc.

Talent ManagementHR and OD should work with the organization

to identify not only the competencies which are important but the methods for identifying, assessing, and growing leaders (Talent Management)

Talent Management should include:Talent AcquisitionPerformance ManagementSuccession/Workforce planning

Simple Leadership ModelSelf Leadership (how you lead yourself)Team Leadership (how you lead others)Results Leadership (how you ensure

outcomes)

More defined options might include:Thought LeadershipStrategic Leadership

Developmental StrategiesCreate competenciesTie competencies to performanceUse “development” as a means of growing all

leaders, not just under-performing onesEncourage a feedback culture where the

agreed upon competencies become the basis of growth

Inventory the talent of the team (for succession and developmental purpose)

Encourage, design mentoring programs,

Personal DevelopmentAssess your own leadership style and skill sets. In context to the leadership competencies of your organization ask:

What needs do you have or weaknesses do you need to mitigate?

What strengths can you leverage?Who to ask:

YourselfOthers (peers, leadership, subordinates)

Personal Development, cont.Create your own “development plan” with:

List of Strengths/Opportunities (2 each maximum)Actions designed to enhance or mitigatePartners in your developmentTimelinesMeasurements

ClosingDesigning an HRBP model can help to tie your

efforts more directly to the business

Focusing on your own development and that of other leaders within your organization can help to ensure that your company has the talent it needs to reach its objectives and be positioned for future needs

Questions?