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?