Summary Notes: The HR Business Partner Role as a Talent Partner

On 8th May, CRF hosted an online discussion for senior members of the HR Business Partner (HRBP) Community – “HR Business Partnering – The Business Partner Role as a Talent Partner”. Chaired by Emma Lucas, CRF Learning & HRBP Community Lead, and Melissa Bull, Commercial Director at CRF, the session addressed how the HR Business Partner (HRBP) may be shifting towards a talent partner role and how to prepare HRBPs for this.

CRF Research Overview

• Recent CRF research highlighted how HRBPs are increasingly working in the talent space; 69% of respondents in a 2023 CRF survey said it will be become more important in the next few years for HRBPs to work as talent partners. This means HRBPs will need to become increasingly specialised in talent identification, development and learning (including succession management, increasing the flow and deployment of people internally and using flexible employment models) and will be measured on talent-related metrics.
• In CRF’s interviews with HRDs and CPOs, there was much discussion about the tight talent market, how hard it is to find the skills and experience needed and how the HRBP has a role in helping attract and retain talent. Amid the current competitive talent market, there is an increasing need for businesses to both grow and retain their own talent. HRBPs’ knowledge of what is happening ‘on-the-ground’ in organisations (more so than people sitting in a centralised function) can add value in this area. This includes supporting or coaching employees in ‘squiggly’ careers and lateral moves.
• Organisations are also becoming more skills-based; HRBPs can play a key role in helping businesses understand the skills they have and how to mobilise them.

Participants shared the below concerning the specific areas in which HRBPs are increasingly working as talent partners:

Capacity and Prioritisation

• A decrease in operational activity and the centralisation of information and responsibilities has led to HRBPs increasingly collaborating with senior teams to determine what initiatives will truly drive business transformation and values. Example focus areas include includes talent, skills diversity and succession planning.
• However, participants raised concerns about the capacity of HRBPs and their involvement in various areas beyond talent management, such as supporting line managers. They emphasised the need to prioritise where they add most value (such as cultivating meaningful conversations), rather than acting as an organisational ‘postbox’.

Influencing the Business

• Whilst there has been real development in the talent space in recent years towards a more transparent environment, actually delivering this can be a challenge. The HRBP role provides the opportunity to shift senior mindsets and can hold line managers accountable for honest reporting and being transparent about expectations.
• Mobility and flowing talent internally are fast becoming critical parts of talent management, with HRBPs uniquely placed to encourage leaders not to hoard top performers. One participant shared how their HRBPs are spending more time actively engaging the business in conversations about their talent, such as where talent is located and how they can be supported in their career growth. This includes exploring lateral moves, for which there is a growing appetite: as people become more aware of the benefits of moving laterally, they’re increasingly willing to embrace it. Whilst short-sighted leaders may resist change, the more leaders understand and experience talent mobility themselves, the more they can advocate for it.

Talent Assessment

• Members discussed their experiences of implementing the nine-box grid model, emphasising that it should be used as a tool to facilitate conversations, rather than as an absolute measure. For example, one participant said that they used the nine-box model as a starting point, after which they held calibration sessions with senior leaders. Members also emphasised the importance of ensuring that any model used is accessible and understandable for everyone involved.
• Others experimented with different approaches, such as launching a future leaders programme where employees can apply based on assessments against leadership behaviours and values. Another participant shared a talent assessment model they had developed with their Performance and Talent Manager in collaboration with their business partners. The model helps leaders be less subjective in their assessments through linking criteria to their core values and capability model.
• Participants also shared how HRBPs can provide managers with workshops and guidance on writing effective performance reports, helping managers understand the business needs and identify talent based on potential rather than just current performance.

Strategic Workforce planning

• Talent management needs to be aligned with the business strategy. Building capability, quality succession planning and talent are all essential for delivering the business plan.
• Emma Lucas outlined the role that HRBPs can play in strategic workforce planning (SWP). SWP involves understanding capability and resource needs for the business and is a crucial process for identifying gaps, deciding whether to build internally or externally, and adapting to changing workforce trends.
• While some aspects can be outsourced to a talent acquisition team or a SWP team, the HRBP is uniquely positioned to lead this conversation. HRBPs have an in-depth understanding of the business strategy and the specific needs of the talent required to execute it effectively, meaning that SWP could be a crucial aspect of the HRBP role.
• CRF’s strategic workforce planning model (see below) illustrates how HRBPs can translate strategy into capability and talent, which is vital for bringing strategy to life. Questions to consider include:
  • How do we retain the talent we have, especially for critical skills needed to execute our strategy?Recognising the increasing competitiveness in the market, should we enhance our reward strategy?
  • Do we need to reconsider our organisational design, considering the impact of AI on roles?

Further Resources
Amazing If. Squiggly Careers Toolkit
CRF. 2023. Reimagining HR Business Partnering
CRF. 2024. HRBP Community Summary Notes: Collaborating with Impact
CRF. 2024. Reskilling for Sustainable Growth

Further details for the next HRBP community event will be shared in due course. To register your interest, or if you have any further questions, please contact communities@crforum.co.uk