HR Business Partner Job Description

Hiring Success Glossary

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What is an HR Business Partner?

An HR Business Partner supports specific functions within a company; they work closely with management and employees "on the front line," providing hands-on and strategic input, insight, and advice on people-related issues: talent management, employee relations, coaching/development, compensation, conflict management, organizational development, and training.  An HR Business Partner plays an essential role in establishing and driving HR programs/talent initiatives forward within specific company functions, while always ensuring they align with a company's business objectives. 

What are the job roles + responsibilities of an HR Business Partner?

An HR Business Partner must possess deep business acumen; they must understand a company and its challenges to help address the organization and talent needs. An HR Business Partner must be able to work at all levels of the HR “stack” — strategic, operational, and tactical, influence effectively across all levels of a company, and navigate through ambiguity, recognizing when it is appropriate to introduce more structure and process without derailing current production. An HR Business Partner sets and aligns the global talent strategy with a company's business priorities to drive results, defines and drives the delivery of talent processes and programs, and actively participates in the functional leadership teams as a partner to the business.  An HR Business Partner's role includes the following responsibilities:
  • Partner with senior leadership to develop and implement effective HR policies and practices that will support the strategic growth of a business.
  • Offer thought leadership regarding organizational and people-related strategy and execution.
  • Provide timely information and/or education for all levels of a company on HR issues.
  • Educate, coach, and partner with managers on performance management and employee development goals.
  • Provide HR expertise in the areas of feedback, employee relations, development and coaching, compensation, and organizational development.
  • Participate in the continual development of HR programs, such as recruiting, retention, compensation, benefits, and Learning & Development.
  • Collaborate with the HR team to champion and accelerate a culture of excellence in which people feel engaged and inspired to deliver top business results.
  • Develop people strategies and design approaches for diagnosing and enhancing organizational effectiveness and employee satisfaction.
  • Lead core HR processes across products (performance calibration, compensation cycle, promotions).
  • Analyze and interpret various types of employee reports (e.g., compensation, job levels, and attrition) to guide decision making and provide proactive solutions to their client group.
  • Partner with Learning & Development to work on value-added programs in areas of training, development, career mobility, and job performance.
  • Educate team members on compensation practices, including compensation, performance feedback, performance calibration, and career transitions.

How to write an HR Business Partner Job Description:

  • Company Description:
    • Describe the genesis of the company.
    • Describe the company’s mission and vision.
    • Describe the company’s growth/achievements.
  • Job Description:
    • The location/if work is hybrid or remote.
    • The specific HR Business Partner role/client group.
    • The HR Business Partner plays an essential role in establishing and driving HR programs/talent initiatives forward within specific company functions, while always ensuring they align with the company's business objectives. 
    • The HR Business Partner must possess deep business acumen; they must understand the company and its challenges to help address the organization and talent needs. 
    • The HR Business Partner must be able to work at all levels of the HR “stack” — strategic, operational, and tactical, influence effectively across all levels of a company, and navigate through ambiguity, recognizing when it is appropriate to introduce more structure and process without derailing current production.  
    • The HR Business Partner sets and aligns the global talent strategy with the company's business priorities to drive results, defines and drives the delivery of talent processes and programs, and actively participates in the functional leadership teams as a partner to the business. 
  • Responsibilities:
    • Partner with senior leadership to develop and implement effective HR policies and practices that will support the strategic growth of the business.
    • Offer thought leadership regarding organizational and people-related strategy and execution.
    • Provide timely information and/or education for all levels of the company on HR issues.
    • Educate, coach, and partner with managers on performance management and employee development goals.
    • Provide HR expertise in the areas of feedback, employee relations, development and coaching, compensation, and organizational development.
    • Participate in the continual development of HR programs, such as recruiting, retention, compensation, benefits, and Learning & Development.
    • Collaborate with the HR team to champion and accelerate a culture of excellence in which people feel engaged and inspired to deliver top business results.
    • Develop people strategies and design approaches for diagnosing and enhancing organizational effectiveness and employee satisfaction.
    • Educate team members on compensation practices, including compensation, performance feedback, performance calibration, and career transitions.
  • Qualifications:
    • Basic:
      • [Type of] degree in related field, with a minimum [#] years of experience in the HR Business Partner role.
      • Successful experience as an HR leader in a [# of employees] employee company aligned to the specific HR Business Partner role/client group.
      • Demonstrated experience in the various HR functional areas, especially organization development, change management, and employee relations.
      • A deep knowledge of HR programs and practices, including applicable state and federal employment laws and regulations.
    • Preferred: 
      • Demonstrated analytical thinking, problem solving, and decision making skills. Critical thinker with success in developing innovative solutions to business issues.  
      • Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills, both verbal and written.
      • Demonstrated credibility and integrity in communications to ensure information flows upward and downward.
      • Ability to listen and understand the needs of the employees, together with those of the company.
      • Ability to stylistically adapt communication based on audience.
      • High integrity/will stop at nothing to safeguard compliance standards and company values  
      • COE background, i.e., Analytics, Compensation, HRIT, HR Ops.
      • Ability to manage multiple, complex issues and prioritize projects concurrently 
      • Lead management in organizational assessment and diagnosis to turn business strategies into action.    
      • Provide and demonstrate change management leadership.
      • Coach and influence to achieve business results.
      • Use knowledge of the business strategy or the ability to probe for required understanding of business strategy/context in order to properly align solutions or problem solving approaches.  
      • Make decisions that effectively incorporate global context and support necessary collaboration across org/geo boundaries.  
  • Additional Information:
    • Equal Opportunity Statement
      • Statement that the company is committed to diversity in its workforce and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.
    • Fair Chance Ordinance
      • Statement that company will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of a local Fair Chance Ordinance.
  • Data Privacy Notice
    • Provide a link to the document that provides transparency around the way in which the company handles personal data of employees and job applicants.
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