HR as Business Partner

E-HR a new wave of HR transformation

Challenges for HR management
Whether it is the back office record keeping function, administrator or the modern HR; the core
function remains the same, it is the enabling environment for human capital for the growth of the
business.
Unfortunately the HR function remained a police force in the organization to adhere with the
policies and procedures born within the close compartments of the HR department. The real
functions of HR which can serve the purpose of providing skills, knowledge and information to
resources who can contribute to the growth of the business were rarely considered.
In todays challenging businesses, business managers need faster cycle time of their work product,
the workforce provided by HR should be smarter and efficient for the strategies they are making.
No longer the business managers has time to do the hiring for themselves, similarly they need to
make workforce decisions on such topics as succession and career planning, recruiting,
development programs, compensation, education and separation.
Now HR associates need to look more towards becoming team with rest of the business and
contribute as a partner for the growth of the organization.
Businesses were lacking the Strategy for increasing productivity for not only the HR
representatives but also for entire workforce of the organization.

E-HR Transformation:
In todays HR practices; HR directly owns the resources across the organization; resources who
are directly contributing in generating profit and value for the organization. HR inventory must
have the most loyal, engaged and innovative workforce who not only rewarded due to their
performance but also accountable if required.
HR is also directly responsible for creating an environment where workforce is actively contributing
to achieving individual and team goals that turn to the success of the business.
Companys 30 to 60 percent of revenue spent on human resources, the stakeholders also want to
capitalize this investment. They are now increasing focus on HR department as a regular pillar in
parallel with Marketing, Distribution, Production, Quality, Technical or other sections of the
organization.
HR is now thinking beyond the boundaries of operational issues and directly working with
respective business managers and help providing smart resources, development opportunities,
healthy and enabling environment. If it is a project kick off meeting or business review meetings
HR is now considered as equal partner for providing effective input to help the resources pay more
focus on their key skills and deliver the best output.
With the HR business partner strategy HR has to divide its focus on the following key areas.

The HR workforce now divides in three major areas with the following:-

Strategic Planning(40%)
HR Operations
(30%)

Specialized Services
(30%)

The number is based on the maturity of the self service operations in the
organization, for instance if an organization already implemented number of
automated tools where employee and manager can perform most of the
operations on self services bases the HR Operation section will become in
focus and Strategic Planning will become high.
Strategic Planning (Demand)
o Partnering with Business and presenting HR representatives to other
verticals of organization to provide customized, personalized and localized
services to their departmental needs.
o Provide efficient and up to date information to business managers to make
effective decisions about their staffing needs.
o As a partner HR will contribute to the growth and success of the
department, by considering the workforce and specific solutions required to
the respective department.
o Providing required data, effective reporting, customized solutions, special
HR processes for specific units, faster response from specialized services and
operations units are the core challenges in this area.
Challenges in
Specialized Services(Supply)

o Strategic Planning output become input here, where the back-office HR

experts will form the solutions and provide the bonding to the department.
o This unit comprises with specialized HR professionals who are competent in
creativity and building innovative HR solutions based on the diversified need.
o Conflicts, redundancy, prioritization and shorter cycle time are the likely
challenges this unit will face. Also special care is required for not ending up
isolated automated solutions; the best practices of one department should be
reflected in other departments of the organization.
HR Operations (Supply)
o This unit comprises with the HR transactional services; Specialized services
output become input here. Specialized services unit can further suggest if the
automation is required or if it is a change in the policies.
o Most of the automation and self services are required here; HR
representatives must have less operational load in order to get them
engaged in providing customized and personalized services.
o The more HR gets close with the business the more critical this unit
become; since if the basic services to the employees does not align with the
employee expectations the employee participation and acceptance will
become low.
o This unit is also directly responsible for employee query resolution through
the HR department. Traditionally the entire HR focus was on this unit, now
with E-HR concept HR workforce is being reduced from this unit and engaged
as business partner and specialized services unit.
Under the demand umbrella HR is opening new doors of partnerships with
other departments and divisions and directly working under their domain to
understand their problems and providing effective solutions so the right
person can complete the job on right time.

This creates tremendous response from the employees and HR managers

often bombarbaded with loads of requirements.
The specialized services and HR operations are however carefully designed to
cater the increasing levels of demand.
Strategy for E-HR
Defining, Optimizing and integrating all HR processes based on the common
HR data is the core strategy for E-HR.
Effective automation strategy for entire HR will help improve the productivity
of HR transition services in the organization.
Isolated pools of automation in HR can destroy the reputation of automation
and create a wave of resistance in the organization. Instead the entire
organization should step up and participate in stepping in the next generation
of change.
Departmental base automation will have more acceptability but will not serve
the purpose of integrated transformation.
A strategy of HR department which not only define but integrate and
automate entire set of employee life cycle and its related functions.
For example, the new HR should automate complete employee life cycle and
its related functions, provide required data, tools, dashboard and analysis to
support business managers to make effective decisions for recruit,
compensate, evaluate, build, separate, accountable and appreciate the
employees.
Managers and Directors need all the information about their workforce at
their fingertips which will be provided by their HR partners. The entire HR
solution automation is however required.
Becoming partner with business moves the HR closer to the business and
helping increasing productivity of the resources but also providing expert
solutions.