HRBP - Partnering Leaders

In a HRBP role, you partner senior leaders. Why should they see you as a valuable partner?

If as a HRBP you are thinking about what will give you success or satisfaction, you are on wrong track. At best you will be tolerated.  You need to think ‘what’s right for business?’ and need to be perceived as ‘thinking about business’.

As a HR partner, you are going to have sometimes sensitive/confidential conversations with leaders. These conversations can only happen in a ‘safe space’.   Hence think of how to build ‘trust’ in partnership.

With different leaders, different styles of partnering work. Some like to use you as a sounding board, some prefer getting recommendations, some are more action oriented, some prefer thinking through problems before acting.  You need to spend time with leaders in various forms – individual meetings, staff meetings, town halls, etc  - to start understanding what style of partnership might work with him/her.

These are some of principles I find relevant when I partner leaders.

What are principles you use? What’s been your experience?

 

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Sourav