HRBP : A FAD OR REALITY

INTRODUCTION
HRBP WHY ?
INCEPTION
• “Human Resource Champion” – book by DAVID ULRICH (David
Ulrich Model, 1996)
The Ulrich Model: Is it still working?
Principles of Ulrich Model
• Define a clear role for HR As the Ulrich model turns
• Sustainable Competitive of age, it’s time to ask if it
advantage derived from has successfully reached
the role of HR to the adulthood or whether it’s
organization already past its prime. If
• Structure that delivers this is the case, there may
value be a call for early
• Then measure it retirement.
TRADITIONAL HR OPERATING BUSINESS LED - PEOPLE OPERATING
MODEL MODEL
HRBP MATURITY MODEL

While three out of four CHROs expect their HRBPs to be strategic partners to the line, less
than one-fifth of line leaders say that’s happening
HR Magazine, “People too often see the structure part of his theories as a ‘solution’ –
something which, once implemented, will automatically deliver brilliant HR. As with
anything, the reality is of course much more nuanced. As with anything, it’s often not
what you do, but how – or rather how intelligently – you do it,” said Ulrich.
MISTAKES ORGANISATIONS MAKE
• Launched the business partner(BP) role before introducing Shared Service Centers or
outsourcing their service delivery
• Lack of Integrated system for HR leaving gaps in administrative efficiency and
management information, key pillars of the Ulrich Model
 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS

DAVID ULRICH’S HR MODEL

DAVE ULRICH’S HR
Identified 4 roles for HR

MODEL
• HR Business Partner
• Change Agent
• Admin Expert
• Employee Advocate

THEN FURTHER MAGNIFIED THE ROLE OF HRBP Competencies required

for HRBP
• Strategic Role
• Forms strategic partnership and relationship with specific
internal clients. Acts as SPOC for internal clients and
manages services.

HR Structure
• Identification of key talent and influences organizational
design
• Runs cross functional projects and supports innovation.
• Incorporates business objectives with internal clients and
incorporates it into daily goals.
• Facilitates continuous feedback for talent development.
 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS

Collaboratively discuss, develop, and

propose organization plans, strategies
and/or tactics to solve challenges and
take advantages of opportunities.

Strong HR Business Partners are able to determine how is

the current state of the business from the HR perspective
is helping or hindering the organization’s ability to
address challenges and opportunities.
The strong HRBP can identify new talent that is agile and able to innovate faster,
cheaper, and better. Having, Business Acumen skills are critical especially when
discussing the long-term potential financial impacts of not solving the challenge.

Questions about entire business environment like competitors, customers, the supply
Comprehensive Framework to identify the
chain, the business strategy, the value proposition to customers, the goals and objectives,
and the tactics planned by the business line managers to execute the strategy best fit HRBP for an organization
 PRIMARY RESEARCH HRBP
Questionnaire

Procter & Gamble

“I devised a solution to counter low inventory in “Major part of my job involves transactional duties
our stores by modifying the org structure of the like maintaining employee records and processing
sales function.” -Ankur Sawhney , HR BP - Sales payroll” – Prameet Lahiri, HR BP –Sales

“Organisation goals are derived from the individual “I look after recruitment of new employees and
goals that my team and I define for each their HR onboarding. My job is majorly repetitive
employee.” –Richa Bakshi , HR BP - Talent in nature” –Vandana Teotia, HR BP – Talent

“EE data prepared by my team plays a dominant “Performance Review & filling of internal vacancies
role in deciding the future of the organisation constitutes a chunk of my job as an HR BP”
strategy.” –Mridula Shukla, HR BP - Operations –Srabanee Sarangi , HR BP - Operations

“I represent HR in meetings with internal clients “I create HR policies for the organisation to ensure
and decide on best softwares to automate the HR legal compliance and also look after grievance
process –Shreya Dugar , HR BP Purchase redressal –Rifatul Siddique, HR BP – People Ops

Awarded as No.1 of "Fortune's Most Admired For HR Globally" by The Hay Group
 SECONDARY RESEARCH

HRBP LIFECYCLE MODEL – 3 STAGES

EXPERTS SPEAK
Most of the HRBP role is that of the HR Felt the role of HRBP is as important as
Managers and Senior Generalists. There is CEO but most of the work is still
a huge difference between the role of an transactional-Hand Holders and order
advisor and HRBP. HRBP are continuously Takers
meant to drive change.
Nick McPhee,
Ami Bartrip, HR business partner
HR business partner at South eastern
at Financial Times Railway • Maintaining: The

Developing an effective partnership :

Maintaining, excelling and/or Maladaptation

Exploration
• Assess the • Participants need to have a stake
readiness acknowledging at the key business
for the the importance issue
“And just as a CFO is accountable for the HRBP of competencies • Excelling HRBPs
I considers my role to add value to the profit and loss, a Talent Value Leader approach. identified with reiterating the
business and understand the business • Need for a building trust in importance of
should be measured against and held the HRBP–LMP
catalyst to becoming ‘proactive
model. The business partner model responsible for talent outcomes and the initiate relationship & intuitive’,
sounds good in theory but falls down in value they drive”. “A Talent Value Leader the • This stage influencing &
change underpins the challenging their
lot of organization because of hiving off wouldn’t play that service role but would whole concept of LMPs on a wide
of administrative role to a shared service be a business leader who says “no” HRBP, and for range of business
center role. some issues.
occasionally, pushes a difficult organisations • Maladaptation
perspective and influences other there was a :HRBPs integration
Johnny Nicholls, managers and executives.” temptation to into line department
HR at International feel that the roles , is leading to
transition to the emergence of
Law firm Bird and Bird. HRBP role is relationships based
complete when on over-reliance and
this stage has dependency
been reached
FINDINGS OF THE STUDY
Key Insights:

1) Key organizational barriers:

• Application barrier
• Partnership barrier
• Functional barrier
• Enterprise barrier

2) Reimagined HRBP Role:

• Remove operational responsibilities

• Empower Talent Value Leaders
• Close contact with executive leadership-
• Contribution to organization goals, mission and vision
 KEY LEARNINGS
HIGH PERFORMANCE HRBP COMPETENCIES
strategic partner, employee mediator, emergency responder

STRATEGY FRAMEWORKS VALUED PARTNER

& RESEARCH ACROSS THE BUSINESS

BUSINESS ACUMEN EXECUTE STRATEGIC

TALENT PROJECTS

HR Business Partner
 REFERENCES
• https://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/ey-the-call-for-a-more-strategic-hr/$FILE/ey-the-call-for-a-more-
strategic-hr.pdf
• https://www.gartner.com/en/human-resources/role/hr-business-partners
• https://hbr.org/2012/07/why-hr-still-isnt-a-strategic-partner
• https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/job
descriptions/pages/humanresourcesbusinesspartner.aspx
• https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/the-organization-blog/the-critical-
importance-of-the-hr-business-partner
• https://www.bamboohr.com/hr-glossary/hr-business-partner/management
• https://hrmagazine.co.uk/article-details/leading-hr-in-the-future-the-hrbp-view
• https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/the-organization-blog/the-critical-
importance-of-the-hr-business-partner
• https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/where-did-the-business-partner-model-go-wrong/
Thank You