The health care sector is one of the largest and essential sectors in the country. The sector employs more than ten percent of the American workforce and accounts for over twenty percent of government budgetary spending (Nunn & Shambaugh, 2020) . The health sector's largeness brings forth the need for most of the organizations and businesses that operate within the sector to have a Human Resource Business Partner. This paper includes a definition of the HR business partner and the variances between them and human resource managers. The essay will also explains the various roles and characteristics that allow a HR business partner accomplish being a strategic contributor in a hospital setting.
The human resource business partner is a human resource professional who incorporates an organization's business strategy with people management practices. The HR business partner works closely with senior management to develop and direct an organization's human resource plan. Furthermore, the HRBP is included in conversations about the future, goals, and mission of a company. Despite the conspicuous roles the HRBP performs, they are often compared to a human resource manager. Some of the differences between the two positions are the HR manager oversees the HR department while the HRBP does not have administrative powers. The HRBP works with the HR department and executive team in developing human resource initiatives and strategies that will affect business operations. In contrast, the HR manager is responsible for recruiting, hiring, and ensuring that employees follow company policies.
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Understanding the difference between the HRBP and the HR manager allows us to focus on the roles that such people perform while accomplishing their tasks as strategic contributors within their organizations. HR business partners perform various roles within an organization, such as being responsible for knowing and coming up with an organization's strategy. A strategy is vital in any organization as it dictates the direction in which such an organization wishes to follow and further influence the productivity within that organization (Strata, 2016) . The importance of a strategy generates the need for the HRBP to be conversant with what the strategy entails. Also, the HRBP works in partnership with a company's executives in developing its strategy. Furthermore, the HRBP ensures that the hospital's strategy fits its set needs, goals, and aims required by the top management and the whole organization.
Talent is a rare and precious resource that has a defining outcome, especially in the health sector. Additionally, according to the 2020 state of talent optimization report, the health sector is one of the most competitive sectors in the country, comprising more than half of the most brilliant and talented minds in the nation (2020). The HRBP is responsible for searching and identifying new talent to benefit an organization's daily operations. New talent within a hospital creates a constant supply for replacement alternatives for the various positions within an organization, ensuring that there is pressure within position holders to perform to their optimum level, directly affecting a hospital's financial position. Furthermore, new talent allows a health organization to meet and achieve most of its set goals and objectives, directly permitting a HRBP to meet their role of being strategic contributors.
Data is essential in making critical decisions related to the overall progress, growth, and accomplishments of a hospital. A hospital that maintains proper records of its patient’s data is better positioned to use such information to its benefit. A HRBP should possess the necessary skills in reading and analyzing data. Raghupathi & Raghupathi (2014) state that hospitals that maintained proper data storage mechanisms enjoyed the ability to develop practical solutions to most of the problems they faced. Therefore, a HRBP can realize most of the hospital's strategic targets.
Despite the various roles that HR business partners perform within an organization, various common characteristics should be possessed by a HRBP for a hospital to achieve its set strategic goals and objectives. Examples of these characteristics are the HRBP should be skilled in listening to problems and ideas. The health sector requires all stakeholders to perform their duties with the highest degree of accuracy and speed, which is among the crucial factors when administering medical care (Vulpen, 2020) . Thus, HRBPs who have good listening skills are in a better position in considering some of the ideas presented to them for solving problems that arise within a hospital. Furthermore, listening allows the HRBP to accommodate and act on ideas presented to them by their colleagues.
A credible HR business partner ensures that an organization attains its strategic objectives. The American heart association documented an average of over five hundred million was allocated to the health industry every month during the ongoing fight to control the covid 19 pandemic (AHA, 2020) . The report also suggested that most of the allocated money was in danger of being misused due to credibility issues. Many health organizations search for HR business partners who are credible. A credible HRBP is vital to an organization as their opinions and advice are sought after by every person in their work environment, be it the executive members or junior managers. Furthermore, a credible HRBP ensures that all the allocated hospital resources are utilized effectively.
An effective HRBP is also characterized by having excellent stakeholder management skills. Stakeholders are people who have an interest in the operations of an organization. Stakeholders from a critical group responsible for dictating the directions of all organizations within the health industry. Therefore, effective HRBPs are marked to having good stakeholder management skills (Black, 2019) . Such skills are useful in ensuring that hospital services remain in operation. Additionally, good stakeholder management skills allow the HRBP to formulate better solutions to its various problems. Such solutions can directly influence the quality of care or the financial position of a hospital.
Change within the health industry is a constant and recurring phenomenon. The health sector records an annual growth rate of seven percent since 2014. The high rate of growth within the sector can be attributed to some changes in technology, medical procedures policies, and medication witnessed over the past decade (Beckers' hospital staff, 2014) . Thus, it is a requirement that an effective HRBP be able to adapt and adhere to most of the changes that occur in a hospital. Also, these people are responsible for ensuring that stakeholders such as executive members develop policies that align with the changes that are happening within their organizations.
Communication is crucial within the health industry. Research findings revealed that Communication failure accounted for more than 1500 deaths and loss of an average of 1.5 billion dollars between 2009 and 2013 (Budryk, 2016) . An effective HRBP must be good at communicating with others and tackling their objectives of bridging the human resource department and the whole business; an effective HRBP needs to have excellent communications skills that will allow for negotiation and transfer of information in the company (Vulpen, 2020) . Moreover, a HRBP who has good communication skills prevents their organization from incurring losses that result from communication issues.
In conclusion, an effective human resource business partner should be defined by being adaptable to change, should be credible, and be good at listening. These specific characteristics ensure that such a person can become a dependable contributor to the company’s strategy. Furthermore, the various roles that the HRBP plays in an organization, such as data management and talent recruitment, ensures that the HRBP accomplishes their tasks as strategic contributors in a health organization.
References
AHA. (2020, May). Hospitals and Health Systems Face Unprecedented Financial Pressures Due to COVID-19. Retrieved from American Hospital Association: https://www.aha.org/guidesreports/2020-05-05-hospitals-and-health-systems-face-unprecedented-financial-pressures-due
Beckers' hospital staff. (2014). 5 Factors That Influence Healthcare Spending Growth.
Black, A. (2019, January 31). What makes a true strategic HR Business Partner. Retrieved from Berwick Partners: https://www.berwickpartners.co.uk/what-we-think/leadership-insights/what-makes-a-true-strategic-hr-business-partner-12089/
Budryk. (2016). Healthcare miscommunication costs $1.7B and nearly 2,000 lives. Fierce healthcare.
Nichol, V. (2020). Seven stats on the importance of talent in health care. Retrieved from the predictive index: https://www.predictiveindex.com/blog/7-stats-on-the-importance-of-talent-in-health-care/
Nunn, R., & Shambaugh, J. (2020, March 10). A dozen facts about the economics of the US healthcare system. Retrieved from BROOKINGS: https://www.brookings.edu/research/a-dozen-facts-about-the-economics-of-the-u-s-health-care-system/
Raghupathi, W., & Raghupathi, V. (2014). Big data analytics in healthcare: promise and potential. Health information science and systems .
Strata. (2016, November 17). Strategic Planning in Hospitals. Retrieved from strata: https://www.stratadecision.com/healthcare-and-hospital-strategic-planning/
Vulpen, E. V. (2020). The HR Business Partner: A Full Guide. Retrieved from AIHR analytics: https://www.analyticsinhr.com/blog/hr-business-partner/
