Outsourced but not forgotten

Outsourcing is now commonplace in HR: centres of excellence (CoEs) provide expertise in every aspect of HR, from compensation to recruitment, while shared service centres (SSCs) provide a cost-efficient way of dealing with transactional HR. And that leaves HR Business Partners to focus exclusively on strategy and planning. Right?  wrong.

Our recent research* highlights the danger of HR Business Partners concentrating solely on strategy. The service provided by some SSCs and CoEs has been criticised as being generic and slow. Often a reason for this service is the lack of information about the business available to the SSC and CoE staff. HR Business Partners, with their unique understanding of both sides of this problem, are perfectly placed to help fill the knowledge gap. But they can't if they just concentrate on strategy.

The most successful HR Business Partners acknowledge the two-way nature of their role, and their responsibility to educate HR staff in the culture and style of the rest of the business. They know that they are responsible for the service that the business receives from the other HR functions. They make it part of their job, even though it's rarely actually part of their job spec. And rather than approach it as simply a task to get done, they use their client management and relationship skills to build trusting relationships with their counterparts in SSCs and CoEs - much like they would with a business client.

How do you go about it? It could be as simple as sharing the HR strategy with all your staff (including those in SSCs and CoEs abroad), or perhaps arranging a regular catch-up meeting, conference call, the odd 'learning lunch', or a shared problem-solving session.

The results can be immediate - more responsive HR staff, an appreciation of the various cultures in different departments, the ability to respond effectively to these different cultures, and an understanding of the strains that others can be under when dealing with issues.

*Interested in seeing our research results? Look out for our next newsletter, or give us a call on 07766805552.