HR has greater role to play as business partner

September 2007

People are central to business success but still many human resource (HR) professionals struggle to make the transition from traditional HR to a strategic business partner, according to Shirley Dalziel, co-author of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development's (CIPD) toolkit, HR Business Partnering.

Dalziel says: "In today's knowledge economy it is in the interest of the business that HR are on the top table contributing to the strategic direction of the business. People are central to business success and HR can add real value to business by focusing on the wider business and outcomes as well as the traditional HR specialisms.

"When it comes to what makes a successful Business Partner, the difference often comes down to building business credibility, gaining influence and adding value. The traditional business view of the HR professional in their 'ivory tower' needs to be stripped away with a much more 'street wise' and strategically aligned HR professional."

CIPD toolkit, HR Business Partnering, will help HR professionals identify skills gaps, develop team capabilities and then apply those skills to become genuine business partners. But Dalziel warns HR professionals that having the skills is not enough - it is applying them in the chaotic and frantic world of work while still delivering the transactional duties of HR is the real challenge.

The CIPD toolkit includes development activities, practical implementation advice and case studies to show different examples of HR Business Partnering. It explores the following areas:

• Implementing HR business partnering - offers advice on creating the vision for HR, identifying future roles and the skills required to succeed.
  
  
• Developing as an HR business partner - offers advice on developing HR business partner competencies, managing change and using consulting skills.
  
  
• Operating within the business - offering advice on acting strategically, carrying out senior team review framework and managing talent.
  
  
• Accessing the effectiveness of HR business partnering - offering advice on measuring HR business partnering, assessing the effectiveness and reviewing the partnering model

Shirley Dalziel from develop uk, the leading specialists in Business Partnering and Hiedi Edgar a senior Business Partner in the financial sector, are running a short workshop at the CIPD Annual Conference, Harrogate on 'How Can I Become a Credible Business Partner?' The session runs from 14.30- 16.00 on Tuesday 18 September.

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