Coloring Outside the Lines – HR as a Real Business Partner

Part 1: Get out from behind the desk!

“HR Business Partner” is both a title and a role. For all the appearances the term makes these days, how often does HR look to the business of their organization? And how many HR departments just perform HR functions instead of really looking for ways to partner?

Experience in multiple industries has shown that our greatest value comes from getting out there and getting exposed to the day-to-day business of the organizations we serve. In my most recent role, at a large social enterprise, we ran programs for people with disabilities and others with barriers to employment, supported by a retail operation primarily engaged in selling donated used goods. As CHRO, the only way to maximize impact was to see all of the moving parts in person. The retail operation encompassed over 40 stores in two states, and our programs had dozens of locations. Was HR to become expert in every retail location we ran or in every program providing services? No, but HR wouldn’t truly understand these functions by sitting behind desks. At best, HR would have a superficial, second-hand view received from those who brought concerns to us.

Is that so bad? Perhaps not, but we could do better. Personally visiting locations, listening to staff and managers, hearing concerns and seeing what their day looked like let HR—and top management, guided by senior HR management—adjust to best serve the workers who drive success. But it goes beyond that. By being out there and having more intimate knowledge of what the organization does, we could look for opportunities on a grander scale. We could “color outside the lines,” going well beyond the typical HR functions, whether that applied to top-level HR engaging in strategic planning, or other HR staff pursuing intra-organizational recruiting opportunities or development possibilities for staff members who were consulting with them.