Switching from TA into HR Business Partnering - A bumpy road or a fast track to success?

Tell us a bit about yourself, about your journey so far and your current mission!

With almost 14 years of experience in HR, I started my career in RPO recruitment before moving on to internal recruitment functions. After a few years with large companies, I joined an EdTech start-up in Poland as its first Talent Acquisition Partner. As the company grew, my interest in other aspects of employee experience grew as well, leading me to my first role as an HR Business Partner, supporting tech and product teams. After moving from Poland to Berlin, I briefly worked as a recruiter for HR roles before returning to my focus on employee journey in SaaS and EdTech startups.  I've recently joined DeepL as a People Partner, where I'll be supporting one of their departments. On top of that, I also help shape and grow the People & Culture function during the company's intense growth. 

Why did you decide to move from TA into HR?

When I joined my first startup as their first recruiter, I started looking after other elements of the employee journey - and found that this was a far more fulfilling aspect of the people experience for me. Recruitment will always be close to my heart, and I've since taken a bit of a detour when I took on the role of Talent Acquisition Partner, looking after HR functions, just to confirm that I'm really passionate about supporting people managers and making sure we create an environment where people really thrive.

What did your transition journey look like?

As a recruiter, I started to take on more responsibilities than just recruitment and was also involved in a number of projects aimed at building the People & Culture function. My role also allowed me to get to know all the departments very well - how they worked, the managers, their challenges, I was also just curious about what they were working on. As a result, I was offered the opportunity to focus on supporting one of the business functions as their HR Business Partner.

What were the biggest challenges in your transition? 

Firstly, I started my role in an organisation where we didn't have many processes or established roles and expectations for HR Business Partners. I couldn't just fall back on established processes and guidelines. And also because I didn't set out to be an HR BP, but rather took on the role more organically - I had to find out how it was different from what I was doing before, what were the best practices and what else should I learn to be better at. Another thing is that People Partnering doesn't give you the sense of instant gratification or success for a job well done. As a recruiter, you can clearly see your results - number of offers accepted and people starting new jobs. As an HR BP, you often work on projects that take months to deliver results. Or some parts of your work, even when well done, are not necessarily a moment to celebrate - like managing the employee exit process.

How different was your new role from what you have imagined it would be?

I didn't have any particular expectations, I guess - but I was still surprised that as an HR BP you have to be on your feet, because every day brings new challenges and situations to solve.

What are the essential skills and knowledge needed to be successful in an HR BP role?

The role itself is different from organization to organization, and so the required skills may vary depending on the size, growth phase, or maturity of the company.  I would list the following:

• Communication: we need to engage with a variety of stakeholders, including employees, managers, and leadership. This requires leading discussions, resolving complex situations, and communicating guidelines and initiatives with confidence. By doing so, we can ensure that everyone is on the same page and working towards common goals. We must ensure that our messages are not only transmitted, but also understood.  

  
  

• Business acumen: understanding the organization's goals, strategies, and challenges is crucial to our success. By aligning HR initiatives with business objectives, we can demonstrate our value as strategic partners rather than just support functions. We need to analyze data, identify trends, and translate HR metrics into actionable insights that drive business performance. 

  
  

• Empathy is crucial in this role as it involves understanding and empathizing with the concerns, needs, and challenges of managers and employees. It enables you to navigate sensitive situations, such as conflicts, performance issues, or organizational changes, with compassion and understanding. Moreover, it equips you to help managers anticipate certain situations or see things from a different perspective.

  
  

• Project management: HR BPs often lead or contribute to various projects, from implementing new HR programs to managing organizational changes. Effective project management skills are essential to make sure things happen on time and that the relevant people are involved.

  
  

• Curiosity and keeping up with industry trends: HR is constantly evolving, so staying curious and keeping up with industry trends is essential to provide valuable support to the business. This involves actively seeking out new ideas, best practices, and emerging technologies, as well as staying informed about changes in labor laws, regulations, and industry standards. By continuously learning and adapting to new developments, we can anticipate future challenges, identify innovative solutions, and position ourselves as trusted advisors to the business.

  
  

How did your background in recruitment impact your success in the new role?

I believe it had a significant impact in many ways.  Firstly, it provided me with excellent knowledge and understanding of the field I was supporting. I don't think you can be a successful HR BP without understanding how the business unit you're supporting operates, its ways of working, industry standards, and its specific language. As a tech recruiter, I gained a lot of insights into the tech and startup environment. This knowledge continues to serve me today.  I have also learned a lot about the importance of candidate experience. This translates to paying attention to employee experience later on.

Imagine you are the Head of an HR department and have a recruiter in your team who would like to move into HR BP role, how would you design such a transition journey for them?

I'd prioritize gradually increasing their responsibilities. To kick things off, I'd recommend some insightful business books, blogs, and newsletters to broaden their perspective. Next, I'd arrange for them to shadow experienced HR BPs or explore mentorship options. Once they're feeling more comfortable, I'd assign a project aligned with HR BP duties. Pairing them with an experienced team member for guidance and feedback would be crucial. This way, they can smoothly transition from recruitment-focused tasks to broader HR BP responsibilities, with clear milestones to track their progress.

Looking back - what would have been the best way for you to prepare for the new role?

I would reach out to people in the community for mentorship or to ask for a coffee chat to learn from their experiences. This approach helped me grow in my career and still provides immense value.

Any advice to the recruiters who are considering such a switch?  

If you don't see options for changing your function within your current company, consider a smaller organization, especially a growing startup. In these environments, you're often given more autonomy and responsibility, which can accelerate your growth and provide opportunities to lead impactful projects. Additionally, smaller companies may offer a more supportive environment for transitioning into new roles.

For more insights on HR Business Partnering and Talent Acquisition - follow Ola on Linkedin here.

The original post was published on the HRnuggets.io blog.