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1. HR as a business partner
   The HR business partner model can be assessed in four main areas described below:

   Strategic Partner a role which encompassed a vision of where the organisation (its people and its work) is going to be in the future. The HR contribution was to audit the organisation, to diagnose its strengths and weaknesses, and to translate strategy into actions.

   Change Agent a role where the HR contribution is to embed the concept that management exists to effect change. Whether the change is continuous improvement or dynamic, managers are engaged to make it so.

   Administrative Expert a role in which the HR contribution is first to engineer the HR processes to improve their efficiency, and then to engineer other processes to the same end.

   Employee Champion a role in which the HR contribution is advocate consultation when required, to preserve the natural and contractual rights of staff, to preserve the ‘psychological’ contract, and to design and support an environment where staff are motivated and committed.

   Assuming that you have a job incumbent experienced enough to have strategic and change impact, your assessment would be based on standards and objectives set in these areas.

   For example, for Employee Champion, you might look at retention rates, disciplinary and grievance management, and climate surveys to reflect a good employment environment, and consultation initiatives to show that employees are having an effective contribution to sound decision making. If these are being initiated and managed by the HR business partner with their local management, they should get credit.

   Not enough room here to do justice to this topic. Contact me at paul.str@btopenworld.com to discuss further.

   Paul Strange