Blog: HRBPs as Business Leaders – A Shift in Identity

By Nick Holley, Director of CRF Learning

The role of the HR Business Partner is evolving – and the shift is not cosmetic. It is a fundamental redefinition of what it means to lead in HR.

The biggest insight from CRF’s recent research on the Changing Role of the HR Leader is today’s HRBPs are expected to be business leaders first, HR experts second. That doesn’t mean turning away from the core of HR. It means using HR insight to deliver commercial impact. The organisations that thrive in today’s environment are those where HR is directly contributing to strategic decision-making – not simply implementing policies from the sidelines.

This shift demands a change in mindset, language, and focus. HRBPs need to:

• Understand how their organisation creates value, generates revenue, and manages risk.
• Translate HR activity into tangible business outcomes.
• Influence conversations at the top table with data, insight, and business relevance.

Strategic and commercial acumen has moved from a ‘nice to have’ to a core requirement.

As one HRD put it in the research: “It’s not about the people agenda. It’s about the business agenda and how people can enable that.”

Many HR professionals are being asked to play a bigger game than the one they were originally trained for. The question is no longer how to deliver HR efficiently – it’s how HR contributes to business performance.

Being commercially minded isn’t about having all the financial answers. It’s about asking better questions, seeing the business through multiple lenses, and positioning HR as a lever for growth, innovation, and transformation.

This is the purpose behind CRF’s HRBP Business Catalyst programme – a practical opportunity to explore how HR can play a leadership role in shaping strategy, delivering value, and building the organisational capability needed to succeed.

The role of the HRBP is no longer just to support the business. It is to help lead it.