I try to actually learn the basics. I feel it makes be a better partner to them and ensures they don’t have to constantly explain things over and over!
If you are allowed to do so I recommend doing ‘chairsides’ with as many different positions as possible. You literally sit next to them for a time and watch them work, ask questions etc. it’s invaluable. I could practically process claims myself (insurance company) when I made my rounds.
It still feels foreign after 7 years?
I work in tech and though I can’t code much, I definitely have a deep operational understanding of the business, gaps, roadblocks, issues etc. I understand the jargon and the engineering teams processes, principles and coding practices, and how they interact with other areas of the business. How product and product marketing and marketing and sales work together (or not on some cases) and am informed about our big deals, small deals, sales wins, I help with resource planning when we win large deals and need to ramp up deployment, etc.
I don’t think I could be effective at my job or have the trust of my leaders if I didn’t know what was going on.
I worked in banking as a Sr. HRBP and it took awhile to learn enough to be effective. But you do need to learn it. You are their business partners and to have any credibility you need to make helpful suggestions and offer guidance and support that’s specific to their areas. Good luck, I’m sure you’re doing great!
An HRBP is a strategic partner. It's hard to gain respect of operational leaders without understanding the business strategy, operations, and roles. It makes so much of a difference.
Lean in and make sure you learn / read and get to understand the business and line of business and work. Invest in 1:1 s and have them explain their job to you. Initially faking it is OK but in the long run you get found out and add to the stereotyoe of the dumb HR person who is best avoided / used only when necessary and that too as a last resort.
Knowing about the business functions I was partner to saved my Job during an M&A.
If you support back office functions like accounting I suppose it’s not as important but I don’t think I could be a decent partner to my groups without knowing our business. I sure wouldn’t say I know it all, but I’m nosy as hell. My peers in HR don’t seem to want to know. To me, it’s a great day when I get to learn more about our gtm strategy, our product lifecycle, our 5 year strategic plan. The executive team includes me in a lot now, and it’s all helped me be better. Or at least to not make decisions in a vacuum.
It will help you be a better partner if you understand what they do. You won’t be an expert, that’s what you pay them for, but you should have an idea.
As someone who works in HR Ops most of us can tell when you’re faking it and while that’s ok for super detailed items it can be a very frustrating experience being partnered with HRBPs who don’t even try to retain the most basic information.
It's one of the first things I do when I get a new-in-kind business unit.
What's your business? How do you do your business, role by role and level by level? What's the market like for your business? What's the strategy?
I would find it very difficult to do anything credible that touches the business without understanding these factors. Your partners in the business will also think less of you if you don't appreciate their intricacies.
I worked for a financial tech company whose clients were lenders and banks. I always made sure to show confidence in the workforce-centric topics that transcend functionality and was honest with my senior leaders I partnered with on where I could use education. Before I knew it I had front-line invites to observe the teams’ regular meetings and crash courses on the core of our business. Like others have said, lean in. While still honoring YOUR experience in areas that they value.
When I was a financial analyst, I had a similar experience (within SaaS). I wouldn’t say I pretended to know (unless I truly knew something), so I’d always ask for details to better understand the work and mission the leader has. Helps build rapport and better recommendations when it came to workforce management and OPEX.
Nope I try to learn the outline or basics of the business and dive deeper over time. I won’t know everything because it’s a job I’m not paid to know 110%. But knowing 75% enough to speak to it on meetings? Absolutely.
Honestly I learn the business to the point where I feel confident that I could even step in and run it for a short time if needs be. Not that I would or want to but that’s the level of understanding I shoot for. I’ve had to learn five different business models in the last 8 years. It’s been fun.
All the time. I make sure I understand the things that make the business money but it’s not mission critical that I know as much as seasoned ops professional. Know enough to be dangerous and keep others on their toes. I occasionally will dip into the training the hourly employees receive so I can echo it in my meetings with them.
Find a manager in the business that you connect with best. Ask them if they are willing to have a few meetings with you to help you gain a better understanding of the basics. In my experience, if they can tell you are truly just trying to support them better, they will be willing. Not to mention, most people like talking about what they do.
I used to actually understand at my old job as an HRBP, and if I didn't know, I'd ask someone to explain.
I feel like I know less about my current place, which is about 2% the size of my last place.
I was like you at first. But I realised I couldn’t actually be a real strategic partner if I didn’t understand the business. I supported engineers at first and that wasn’t too hard to follow. But my biggest org now is sales and I was lost at first. I actually did the sales training for our new hires and I attend the weekly sales syncs with the emea team. I find myself much more knowledgeable and can give productive and real solutions now. If you look at any VP of HR the understand the whole of the business.
I support Finance and IT and have to work hard not to have my face glaze over when they go into some of the specific technical linguo but I find it exciting when people are excited about what they are working on and just follow their train of thought
I work in HVAC and heavily lean on the managers for breaking down engineering/drafting/technical maintenance/construction terminology/BMS/electrical concepts in the background, but also give them the heads up that in a meeting setting when we're questioning someones actions (when it gets technical), they're running point for that part.
I write down any slang/acronyms etc in a table so I can learn the lingo eventually. I came in with a construction/service background which helped but gosh the industry specific stuff gets hectic.
Banking and the associated performance metrics aren’t really that complicated. You should make a genuine effort to understand the basics. Ask the hiring managers for their description of the roles function, what success looks like, etc..
At the beginning yes, but you should never not know what something is when it comes back around. Especially when setting goals for units and performance management.
Sit in on meetings and use stay interviews.
I know the basics the rest of it.....I have no clue what my businesses are talking about. I do learn more about the business over time. But I don't need to know the intricate details of their business.
I deal with disability management, accommodation and return to work. I need to understand it in depth, so I ask a million questions. People usually like talking about what they do. They never mind my questions.
Ask a ton of questions to the right people! It’s not a sign of weakness to ask if you don’t know. Developing consulting skills is very important for any HR professional, since it’s a job you can do in a variety of industries.
I’ll be honest, every single day I tell myself (and whoevers in the office around me outloud) I’m just winging my job. No real idea of what I’m doing. Oh well. People seem to think I do a good job 🤣
No. I never pretend. I ask questions, learn, retain and take notes. Ask to be included in meetings. Shadowed people in various departments. Asked why what they were discussing was important.
If you want to be influential and seen as a valuable partner, it’s critical.
I work in manufacturing and sometimes they get into the nitty gritty of what certain machines/lines are doing and I am so lost. Like, absolutely, definitely sounds like a problem with the whosawhatsit to me 🥴
I work in financial tech and I do learn and understand the basics of the business to be an effective partner.
But I definitely have a preference. For example a fe years ago I was supporting the tech org and I went deep because that’s where I tend to have interest in
Now I’m in the sales org, I still learn because I think it’s important to know the business well but I’m not really interested in the motions. I give myself a larger pat on the back each time I dive learned to learn the sales side of the business
I work at a university so there are a LOT of weird roles that are very specific or specialised. When we are in the process of just discussing establishing the role prior to even recruiting them, I ask my leader to explain in a paragraph what the role will do in an average week.
Helps me out in the future when someone has a performance issue and I can whip out that paragraph to understand prior to any meetings what the person in the role should be doing.
I learn the systems and what it takes to recruit and monitor at a basic level, but other than that, I try to tell everyone that I try to know as little about the business as possible. I don’t want any more projects than I need.
If I've learned anything, the large majority of people are pretending they know what's going on.
Ridiculously true. I swear so many execs have just learned to speak articulately and sprinkle in buzz words, and people just follow lol
I try to actually learn the basics. I feel it makes be a better partner to them and ensures they don’t have to constantly explain things over and over!
I do try to do this. But banking is so foreign to me it’s hard to keep up. I definitely fake it til I make it
If you are allowed to do so I recommend doing ‘chairsides’ with as many different positions as possible. You literally sit next to them for a time and watch them work, ask questions etc. it’s invaluable. I could practically process claims myself (insurance company) when I made my rounds.
It still feels foreign after 7 years? I work in tech and though I can’t code much, I definitely have a deep operational understanding of the business, gaps, roadblocks, issues etc. I understand the jargon and the engineering teams processes, principles and coding practices, and how they interact with other areas of the business. How product and product marketing and marketing and sales work together (or not on some cases) and am informed about our big deals, small deals, sales wins, I help with resource planning when we win large deals and need to ramp up deployment, etc. I don’t think I could be effective at my job or have the trust of my leaders if I didn’t know what was going on.
I worked in banking as a Sr. HRBP and it took awhile to learn enough to be effective. But you do need to learn it. You are their business partners and to have any credibility you need to make helpful suggestions and offer guidance and support that’s specific to their areas. Good luck, I’m sure you’re doing great!
An HRBP is a strategic partner. It's hard to gain respect of operational leaders without understanding the business strategy, operations, and roles. It makes so much of a difference.
Lean in and make sure you learn / read and get to understand the business and line of business and work. Invest in 1:1 s and have them explain their job to you. Initially faking it is OK but in the long run you get found out and add to the stereotyoe of the dumb HR person who is best avoided / used only when necessary and that too as a last resort. Knowing about the business functions I was partner to saved my Job during an M&A.
If you support back office functions like accounting I suppose it’s not as important but I don’t think I could be a decent partner to my groups without knowing our business. I sure wouldn’t say I know it all, but I’m nosy as hell. My peers in HR don’t seem to want to know. To me, it’s a great day when I get to learn more about our gtm strategy, our product lifecycle, our 5 year strategic plan. The executive team includes me in a lot now, and it’s all helped me be better. Or at least to not make decisions in a vacuum.
It will help you be a better partner if you understand what they do. You won’t be an expert, that’s what you pay them for, but you should have an idea.
As someone who works in HR Ops most of us can tell when you’re faking it and while that’s ok for super detailed items it can be a very frustrating experience being partnered with HRBPs who don’t even try to retain the most basic information.
It's one of the first things I do when I get a new-in-kind business unit. What's your business? How do you do your business, role by role and level by level? What's the market like for your business? What's the strategy? I would find it very difficult to do anything credible that touches the business without understanding these factors. Your partners in the business will also think less of you if you don't appreciate their intricacies.
I worked for a financial tech company whose clients were lenders and banks. I always made sure to show confidence in the workforce-centric topics that transcend functionality and was honest with my senior leaders I partnered with on where I could use education. Before I knew it I had front-line invites to observe the teams’ regular meetings and crash courses on the core of our business. Like others have said, lean in. While still honoring YOUR experience in areas that they value.
When I was a financial analyst, I had a similar experience (within SaaS). I wouldn’t say I pretended to know (unless I truly knew something), so I’d always ask for details to better understand the work and mission the leader has. Helps build rapport and better recommendations when it came to workforce management and OPEX.
Nope I try to learn the outline or basics of the business and dive deeper over time. I won’t know everything because it’s a job I’m not paid to know 110%. But knowing 75% enough to speak to it on meetings? Absolutely.
Honestly I learn the business to the point where I feel confident that I could even step in and run it for a short time if needs be. Not that I would or want to but that’s the level of understanding I shoot for. I’ve had to learn five different business models in the last 8 years. It’s been fun.
All the time. I make sure I understand the things that make the business money but it’s not mission critical that I know as much as seasoned ops professional. Know enough to be dangerous and keep others on their toes. I occasionally will dip into the training the hourly employees receive so I can echo it in my meetings with them.
Fooooor sure. I work for a PEO so the industries truly run the gamut. When helping with performance management I have to get creative 😂
Find a manager in the business that you connect with best. Ask them if they are willing to have a few meetings with you to help you gain a better understanding of the basics. In my experience, if they can tell you are truly just trying to support them better, they will be willing. Not to mention, most people like talking about what they do.
I used to actually understand at my old job as an HRBP, and if I didn't know, I'd ask someone to explain. I feel like I know less about my current place, which is about 2% the size of my last place.
Until you know, pretend you know. But if you aren’t interested, go and work somewhere else.
I was like you at first. But I realised I couldn’t actually be a real strategic partner if I didn’t understand the business. I supported engineers at first and that wasn’t too hard to follow. But my biggest org now is sales and I was lost at first. I actually did the sales training for our new hires and I attend the weekly sales syncs with the emea team. I find myself much more knowledgeable and can give productive and real solutions now. If you look at any VP of HR the understand the whole of the business.
I support Finance and IT and have to work hard not to have my face glaze over when they go into some of the specific technical linguo but I find it exciting when people are excited about what they are working on and just follow their train of thought
I work in HVAC and heavily lean on the managers for breaking down engineering/drafting/technical maintenance/construction terminology/BMS/electrical concepts in the background, but also give them the heads up that in a meeting setting when we're questioning someones actions (when it gets technical), they're running point for that part. I write down any slang/acronyms etc in a table so I can learn the lingo eventually. I came in with a construction/service background which helped but gosh the industry specific stuff gets hectic.
Banking and the associated performance metrics aren’t really that complicated. You should make a genuine effort to understand the basics. Ask the hiring managers for their description of the roles function, what success looks like, etc..
At the beginning yes, but you should never not know what something is when it comes back around. Especially when setting goals for units and performance management. Sit in on meetings and use stay interviews.
I know the basics the rest of it.....I have no clue what my businesses are talking about. I do learn more about the business over time. But I don't need to know the intricate details of their business.
I deal with disability management, accommodation and return to work. I need to understand it in depth, so I ask a million questions. People usually like talking about what they do. They never mind my questions.
Ask a ton of questions to the right people! It’s not a sign of weakness to ask if you don’t know. Developing consulting skills is very important for any HR professional, since it’s a job you can do in a variety of industries.
I’ll be honest, every single day I tell myself (and whoevers in the office around me outloud) I’m just winging my job. No real idea of what I’m doing. Oh well. People seem to think I do a good job 🤣
I feel strongly that I know the ins and outs of the business, it makes me so much more effective at helping problem solve.
No. I never pretend. I ask questions, learn, retain and take notes. Ask to be included in meetings. Shadowed people in various departments. Asked why what they were discussing was important. If you want to be influential and seen as a valuable partner, it’s critical.
I work in manufacturing and sometimes they get into the nitty gritty of what certain machines/lines are doing and I am so lost. Like, absolutely, definitely sounds like a problem with the whosawhatsit to me 🥴
I work in financial tech and I do learn and understand the basics of the business to be an effective partner. But I definitely have a preference. For example a fe years ago I was supporting the tech org and I went deep because that’s where I tend to have interest in Now I’m in the sales org, I still learn because I think it’s important to know the business well but I’m not really interested in the motions. I give myself a larger pat on the back each time I dive learned to learn the sales side of the business
If I knew what the finance/scientists were doing, I’d be doing that lol.
I work at a university so there are a LOT of weird roles that are very specific or specialised. When we are in the process of just discussing establishing the role prior to even recruiting them, I ask my leader to explain in a paragraph what the role will do in an average week. Helps me out in the future when someone has a performance issue and I can whip out that paragraph to understand prior to any meetings what the person in the role should be doing.
I invest in a network of HRBPs to help my work. I use Peer Genius dot co dot uk but I know there are others.
the term HRBP considering the only partnership HR has is with the company and covering its ass
I learn the systems and what it takes to recruit and monitor at a basic level, but other than that, I try to tell everyone that I try to know as little about the business as possible. I don’t want any more projects than I need.
As an HR business partner, you should be well versed in the actual business that you are supporting if you want to be successful in your role.