1. Business partnering: key points
HRM developed from personnel management in the 1980s
Personnel management was subject to criticism, including that it was largely administrative and reactive
HRM was regarded as more strategic, proactive and aligned to the needs of the business
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2. HR in practice: key points
Surveys* suggest a change in the aspiration of the HR function, i.e. how it would like to be
Such surveys* also provide some evidence for actual change in the function
The changes include moving from a reactive role to one that adds business value and has a more strategic perspective
* See for example CIPD, 2003, Where we are, where we’re heading Survey Report
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3. Role(s) of the HR Manager: key points
Various attempts to classify personnel management and HR roles
Examples of personnel roles include an administrative role, a welfare role and an industrial relations role
Storey’s (1992) adapted model outlines four roles for HR:
service provider
regulator/internal contractor
adviser
changemaker
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4. HR business partnering: key points
Ulrich’s original model outlines four HR roles:
administrative expert
employee champion
change agent
strategic partner
This was later updated to five
Ulrich’s ideas have been influential, particularly with regard to the strategic partner role
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5. Ulrich’s model in practice: key points
Evidence of implementation of the model by organisations, but often only partially
One implication has been restructuring of some HR functions
An example of restructuring is the ‘three-legged stool’: shared services, centres of excellence and strategic business partners
Key reasons given for implementation: efficiency and cost savings, competitive pressures and rising expectations of HR
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6. What then is business partnering?: key points
Ulrich sees the business partner as being part of each of his four (or five) roles
In practice, the term has tended to be used either for more senior strategic HR posts or for HR middle managers working with business units
In practice it is argued that a business partner is someone who is part of management team, understands the business and ensures that people issues are taken into consideration
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7. Implementing business partnering: key points
Organisations need a clear rationale for implementation
Key drivers can include: to align people management practices to business goals, to be accessible to managers and to improve service delivery
Needs proper planning and preparation
Line managers in particular need to understand the implications
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8. Requirements of business partner role: key points
The role is different from traditional ones and therefore has different requirements
Organisations may have difficulty recruiting people with the right skills and abilities for the role
Requirements include: strategic thinking, consultancy skills, business and financial understanding, change management skills, networking, influencing and political awareness skills
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9. Issues and possible problems: key points
Possible difficulties in application of the model
May be difficulties in recruiting the right people for the role
Cultural shift needed
Splitting HR function into three may create ‘boundary problems’
For HR business partners to be successful, it is necessary that the other elements of HR are fully functioning and efficient
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10. Unlocking Human Resource Management Chapter 13
Learning summary
By the end of this chapter you should know:
The key ways in which HRM can be seen to differ from personnel management
The key roles of Ulrich’s model
What business partnering looks like in practice
How to successfully implement business partnering
The key requirements of the role
The potential issues and possible problems and how these can be tackled
Unlocking Human Resource Management Chapter 13