Why you should love your HRBP?
Introduction
The most important competence for HRBP is leadership. They are the internal diplomats within the organisation. Some hate them so much for manipulating information and power. Some show indifference to them. But I would say, you should like them and treat them well. Here are my views.
1. Access to strategic resources
If you were working under a Chinese management like me, you might understand there are certain degree of power centralization.
“I need to wait for approval.” “Boss is making the decision.”
HRBP is so called a strategic role that convey senior management’s messages to the next or subsequent levels. Conversely, sometimes HRBPs may have chances to fight for additional resources by revealing departmental difficulties. Besides interested in actually departmental performance, senior managements are likely to take advice from HRBP based on their business understanding.
For example, i have a retention case that two managers are fighting for promotion. The director faced a dilemma that promoting one will lose the other one.
I suggested a talent development plan which dividing 1 existing vacancy headcount into 2 lower grade roles (1 Manager -> 2 Assistant Managers). Both managers will be responsible in recruiting and training up their successors.
The senior managements are contented with the solution regarding the manpower plan which help groom successors and meanwhile set up a challenging goal for both managers to achieve. On the other hand, director feel relieved because both managers could possibly get promoted as long as they successfully trained up their successors. More resources are allocated to develop and retain his team.
2. Liaison
I heard a case that managers are yelling at the a google spreadsheet which they are required to fill in a project form with tons of fields.
“Are they mad? Do I really need to fill in so many details at this stage!?”
After all the complaints, what a HRBP should do is not repeating word by word to the project manager. It is unwise, which possibly causing unnecessary negative emotion from the receiver. Active listening to both sides is of paramount importance. By asking “why” questions carefully and demonstrating “excessive curiosity”, you may easily get into the core problem. Most of the time, there should be something miscommunicated during the process (via IM, email or f2f, usually email!).
After I understood what was going on, I have to re-established trust between departments by explaining reasons and seeking for mutual understanding. It usually works but in the long run we still need team building. (I will explain it in another article)
3. A “Useful” Chatbot
I hate chatbot giving me empty answers. However, HRBP will certainly not disappoint you. Beyond business domain knowledge, HRBP will answer all possible operational questions just like a policeman directing traffic signals.
“You can find A for this. You can look for section B in the staff handbook. You can refer to PowerPoint C…”
Throughout the day, you can save lots of time by asking the right person. HRBP will always give you the answer you are looking for. Many managers may end up wasting their effort on browsing the intranet, contact list or searching the google drive.
I recall last time there is an advertising operation manager asking me about how to find the PIC for a third-party function inside the CRM system. What comes to my mind is that, how come a HRBP will know these kind of minor issue!? BUT, I DO. I know who is the PIC because of my network inside the company which keep updating me where the debates are happening.
My thoughts
This is my first writing in medium. I would like to share my view as a HRBP.
HRBPs: I am not writing to transfer you any knowledge or skills but help form your own HRBP style by sharing my own experience and cases that I have encountered.
Tech savvy & business managers: I hope you can be nice with your HRBP because most of the HRBPs I knew were a very helpful person genuinely.
More discussion in another topics:
- What are the difficulties for a operational HRBP to be more strategic? (Company level, individual level)
- Why my HRBP always talks about talent development but I did not receive any?
Please allow me by inviting you to comment below on which topics you are interested to know more about.
