you can’t put in what god left out: the solution

© Henley Business School 2011www.henley.reading.ac.uk

Centre for HR excellence

You can’t put in what God left out – The Solution

Strategic HRBPs are a rare commodity

“In terms of our development environment we’re like a hairdresser with a rubbish barnet”

WHY?

CSFs

Issue 1

Sustained L/T Commitment to developing individuals and function (esp from CEO):

Issue 2

Depth vs Breadth

Issue 3

Maintaining time and space

despite pressure to downsize

Issue 4

How/what to assess and develop especially at senior levels

Issue 5

Strategy Guru vs Doing the Basics

ImplicationsIssue Organisational Individual

1. Long Term View

Time generating support vs designing/implementing HR development programme

Build a long term career view

2. Depth vs Breadth

Create career opportunities for both Move outside comfort zone

3. Time and space Invest even in the downturn Don’t be busy, busy, busy

4. Assess Invest in assessment and development

Understand what they’re looking for and build the relevant experience

5. Strategy vs basics Deliver the basics first

Get operational experience and develop a reputation for delivery

Conversation: What do you need to do personally and functionally?

‘I interviewed a lady recently for an HRBP role. She said she was a

strategic thinker, but when I explored what she meant by the term

strategic, for her it was reading the business plan every quarter. I

asked her about a longer time frame, and she thought I was

speaking in tongues!’

Cultural Fit

Conversation: Where could you find them?

Releasing the Pressure• Understand the pressure• Look for the tell tale signs• Provide resources and

support• Prioritise your asks• Support them to navigate

stakeholders• Keep the CofE off their

backs• Deal with the politics

Conversation: How do you relieve the pressure?