Is an HRBP a senior role?

Usually mid to senior. Postings commonly ask for six years or more, because the HRBP needs enough breadth to advise without checking every answer with a specialist.

Does a small company need an HRBP?

Rarely. Without a separate operations team the HRBP ends up doing administration. A strong generalist or HR manager usually fits a company of a few hundred people better.

What does an HRBP report to?

Often a dual line: to the head of HR for standards and to the business unit head for priorities. State both in the posting if that is your model.

Job description

HR business partner (HRBP): role, scope and posting template

An HRBP is attached to a business unit and helps its leaders make people decisions: structure, capability, performance and retention.

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Employees managed: 9,000+
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What the role is for

The HR business partner model splits HR into three parts: transactional operations, specialist centres (such as reward or L&D) and business partners who sit with the business. The HRBP is the third part.

An HRBP's success is measured by the business unit's people outcomes, not by HR process metrics. They spend most of their time with the unit head and their managers, translating business plans into hiring, organisation design, capability and retention actions.

Key responsibilities

Act as the first point of contact on people matters for the head of a business unit, function or region.
Translate the unit's annual plan into a headcount and capability plan.
Advise on organisation design: spans of control, reporting lines and new roles.
Use attrition, engagement and performance data to identify risks and propose actions.
Run calibration in the appraisal cycle and challenge rating inconsistencies across teams.
Identify critical roles and successors, and work with L&D on development plans.
Coach managers on handling underperformance, conflict and team changes.
Lead the people side of restructures, transfers and role changes, including consultation and communication.
Bring in specialist teams (compensation, recruitment, L&D, employee relations) when a matter needs them.
Flag employee relations cases early and steer them to the right process.

Skills and qualifications

Postgraduate qualification in HR or management.
Broad HR experience across at least two or three areas such as talent, performance and employee relations.
Understanding of how the business unit makes money and what drives its workforce needs.
Comfort with people data: reading attrition and headcount reports and drawing conclusions.
Influence without authority; credibility with senior managers.
Facilitation and coaching skills.

How this role differs from the roles next to it

An HR manager runs the HR function; an HRBP advises a part of the business and relies on HR operations and specialist teams to deliver. HRBPs rarely process letters, attendance or payroll themselves.

An HR generalist handles the full range of HR work for a site or group of employees, including administration. The HRBP role assumes that administration is handled elsewhere, which is why it mainly exists in larger organisations.

Adapting the posting to your company

Watch for itName the business unit, its size and leader, and say which shared services exist behind the HRBP. If there is no operations team and the HRBP will also process joinings and exits, the role is closer to a generalist and should be advertised as such.

Template

The template, ready to adapt

Replace everything in [square brackets]. Have your own legal or HR adviser review the final wording for your organisation.

Template

HR Business Partner, [Business unit]
[Company] | [Location] | Full-time

About us
[Two or three sentences about the company and the business unit.]

About the role
As HR business partner for [Business unit] ([number] employees), you will work with [Reporting to] and the leadership team to plan and deliver the people side of the business plan. You will be supported by our HR operations, recruitment and [other specialist] teams.

What you will do
- Advise unit leaders on headcount, organisation design and capability
- Analyse attrition, engagement and performance data and recommend actions
- Run appraisal calibration and succession discussions
- Coach managers on performance, conflict and change
- Lead the people side of restructures and role changes
- Bring in specialist HR teams when needed

What you will bring
- Postgraduate qualification in HR or management
- [Experience range] in HR, with exposure to several HR areas
- Experience advising senior managers
- Confidence with people data and reports
- Strong facilitation and influencing skills

How to apply
Send your CV to [Email] with the subject line "HRBP: [Business unit]".

FAQs

Questions about this page

Usually mid to senior. Postings commonly ask for six years or more, because the HRBP needs enough breadth to advise without checking every answer with a specialist.
Rarely. Without a separate operations team the HRBP ends up doing administration. A strong generalist or HR manager usually fits a company of a few hundred people better.
Often a dual line: to the head of HR for standards and to the business unit head for priorities. State both in the posting if that is your model.

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What the role is for

Key responsibilities

Act as the first point of contact on people matters for the head of a business unit, function or region.

Translate the unit's annual plan into a headcount and capability plan.

Advise on organisation design: spans of control, reporting lines and new roles.

Use attrition, engagement and performance data to identify risks and propose actions.

Run calibration in the appraisal cycle and challenge rating inconsistencies across teams.

Identify critical roles and successors, and work with L&D on development plans.

Coach managers on handling underperformance, conflict and team changes.

Lead the people side of restructures, transfers and role changes, including consultation and communication.

Bring in specialist teams (compensation, recruitment, L&D, employee relations) when a matter needs them.

Flag employee relations cases early and steer them to the right process.

Skills and qualifications

Postgraduate qualification in HR or management.

Broad HR experience across at least two or three areas such as talent, performance and employee relations.

Understanding of how the business unit makes money and what drives its workforce needs.

Comfort with people data: reading attrition and headcount reports and drawing conclusions.

Influence without authority; credibility with senior managers.

Facilitation and coaching skills.

How this role differs from the roles next to it

An HR manager runs the HR function; an HRBP advises a part of the business and relies on HR operations and specialist teams to deliver. HRBPs rarely process letters, attendance or payroll themselves.

HR Business Partner, [Business unit] [Company] | [Location] | Full-time About us [Two or three sentences about the company and the business unit.] About the role As HR business partner for [Business unit] ([number] employees), you will work with [Reporting to] and the leadership team to plan and deliver the people side of the business plan. You will be supported by our HR operations, recruitment and [other specialist] teams. What you will do - Advise unit leaders on headcount, organisation design and capability - Analyse attrition, engagement and performance data and recommend actions - Run appraisal calibration and succession discussions - Coach managers on performance, conflict and change - Lead the people side of restructures and role changes - Bring in specialist HR teams when needed What you will bring - Postgraduate qualification in HR or management - [Experience range] in HR, with exposure to several HR areas - Experience advising senior managers - Confidence with people data and reports - Strong facilitation and influencing skills How to apply Send your CV to [Email] with the subject line "HRBP: [Business unit]".