One of the main challenges for organisations is to engage their employees, aligned in the same direction towards results and quality of life.
This is because, due to a lack of assertiveness in communication between departments, various management failures often occur.
As HR plays an increasingly strategic role in companies, the Business Partner has emerged. A professional whose purpose is to strengthen the ties between HR and business areas, playing a fundamental role in fostering good relationships and efficiency in management.
In this post, learn what a Business Partner is, its importance, and how it contributes to more assertive strategies in the company.
Here’s what you’ll find:
- What is a Business Partner?
- Responsibilities of a Business Partner
- Importance for the company
What is a Business Partner?
The concept of Business Partner emerged in the late 1980s with the work of University of Michigan professor Dave Ulrich in his book Human Resources Champions.
The book specifically addresses the alignment of HR activities and people management with business, thus bringing in the logic of a business partner.
Therefore, a Business Partner is a professional responsible for aligning the business teams and HR within the company.
The main objective of this professional is to understand the entire operational structure of the business in order to act strategically, delving not only into technical knowledge.
The Business Partner is also seen as an internal consultant who goes beyond operational processes and focuses on people. Thus, they are related to fundamental aspects of current management strategies, including process innovation and strategic HR management.
Responsibilities of a Business Partner
Business Partners are responsible for providing a diagnosis of the company, operating at a senior management level and contributing to business development. In this way, they analyse both people management and the financial results that are achieved.
Among the main responsibilities are:
- Leading the recruitment process;
- Identifying solutions;
- Fostering team training;
- Providing support;
- Supporting and assisting in people management;
- Analysing demands and metrics;
- Advising directors, managers, and leaders based on business analysis;
- Proposing alignment policies between HR and Business;
- Reviewing plans;
- Promoting a good organizational culture;
- Providing feedback.
From these responsibilities, it is clear that the role of this employee is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the company, proposing improvements that range from organizational climate to costs and profits.
Importance for the Company
Having a Business Partner is of utmost importance for companies, as this role plays a central part for organizations aiming to develop strategic people management.
This is because the role goes beyond mere task administration, benefits, hiring, and terminations. The role of the Business Partner is to promote a healthy integration among employees.
As a result, it becomes easier to understand, mediate, and even prevent conflicts by identifying behavioural profiles that can contribute to the development of a high-performance team.
Moreover, the actions of this professional serve as support for leadership, aiding in assertive and comprehensive management.
Furthermore, their tasks allow for a better analysis of the team, enabling the suggestion of improved talent appreciation and retention programs to reduce absenteeism, make employees more motivated, and foster a promising career path.
Consequently, HR operations become more agile, leading to improved company performance.
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