HR: 7 ways to be a better partner

When I think of us all: candidates, hiring managers, talent acquisition specialists, HR Business Partners, HR specialists, one thing we all have in common: we need to be exceptional partners in our roles. We are all talking about ‘business partnership’ in our respective areas of expertise; I’m sure you’ve seen it’s quite the popular phrase among HR pros! But, are we defining what partnership means and how to achieve it? It seems to me that everyone is talking about partnership, but very few are doing it well.

Today’s working climate, especially in NYC, is moving faster than ever. Companies need agile, nimble employees who are able to pivot and think creatively. This requires strong collaboration and trust within and across teams. With globalization and the increase in freelance/remote employees, transparent communication has become more important than ever. With most HR departments looking to elevate their level of talent, and to truly perform as a strategic business leadership function, the ability to build and cultivate partnerships is crucial.

How do we improve? How do we build stronger partnerships with whomever we are collaborating? In recruitment, we strive for impeccable communication between all 3 parties (hiring manager, candidate and recruitment talent). In HR, we strive for seamless interactions between business leaders, HR leaders and HR COE’s. I’ve been observing what is working, and what isn’t. I’ve been so curious lately about what makes for a strong partnership. The following 7 items continue to arise as ‘must-haves’ when aiming to improve business partnership.

1. Make time for others

If I had a dollar for every time during the week I hear someone say “I’m too busy to talk/meet/connect”…It’s really a problem (maybe just a NYC thing?!). If you are ‘too busy’ for others that you need to be partnering with, you won’t succeed in building strong relationships. In order to excel at partnership, you need to carve out time for connection and communication. This can be in-person, on the phone, video…the key is: recognize someone else’s time is as valuable as your own. Recognize that building trust and collaboration requires time. As soon as you are about to say/type “I’m too busy…” stop yourself. It’s about time-management and prioritization. Shift priorities. Make time for others.

2. Get Curious

Genuinely ask questions of each other. This goes for everyone in HR/Talent Acquisition (and even job-seekers!) There must be a genuine desire to learn more about the other party in order for a trusting relationship to evolve. This is a shift for many HR pros, who may have been historically taught to be a little guarded/private with others. Today’s market begs for openness! People want to hear your story. They want to hear your challenges and your experiences. Open yourself up, share about yourself and ask about them. Yes, this takes time (see point 1!)

3. Build trust/rapport

Trust is built through rapport. Human beings want to connect with each other, and yet we get so programmed to rush through our day and forget to ask simple questions “How was your weekend?” (stop to hear the response) or “What can I help you with?” (wait to listen and then, actually help). I see so many people rushing through their day without stopping to build rapport, and then we wonder why it’s hard to build trusting relationships in business. One thing we can learn from the generation before us (and before them), is to slow down and actually get to know each other. A little humanity goes a long way (something I am always inspired by from @Steve Browne, who you should follow!)

4. Seek counsel/advice

To build a strong partnership at work, you have to be willing to admit you are always learning! This truly requires humility and the ability to ask the other party for help/advice. It requires a vulnerability and a willingness to improve. There is no room for ego when trying to build a strong partnership. In fact, it requires quite the opposite—walls need to be down, and people need to be willing to say “Hey, I’m confused/stuck/frustrated…and could use your advice”. I see people at the junior level of their career doing this super well, but often HR leaders hesitant to admit this level of vulnerability. I have found that those who build the best relationships, are the ones most willing to seek counsel and advice from others.

5. Trust the expertise of others

In order to seek the advice of others, you must trust them as the expert! In HR, this is especially relevant as many organizations have super siloed HR Departments. The head of Recruitment must trust the head of Benefits as the Benefits expert! The L&D leader must trust the Compensation pro as an expert! This sounds obvious, but so few do this well. Practice it. The next time you delegate something to one of your HR experts, don’t say sarcastically “Ugh, let’s hope they know what they’re doing” or “I guess I’ll give them a shot” but rather assume the best in them and say: “I’m entrusting them with this, they are the expert!” or “I’ll focus on my job, and let them focus on what they do best!”

6. Communicate transparently

I find this true especially in recruitment, there can’t be any secrets or surprises for a partnership to succeed. All parties involved (hiring managers, recruitment talent and candidates) truly need to inform the other of what is going on throughout the process. Historically, some of these dynamics were viewed more as a ‘competition’ than a partnership. This is never something I understood or agreed with, but I see it as (thankfully!) a dying perspective. Today’s market requires full transparency. All data must be shared among all parties. Everything needs to be out in the open. Feedback must be shared. People aren’t looking for vague or sugarcoated information, they want the truth. This is a shift of perception for some, but such a healthy one! Treating everyone with trust requires the ability to speak the truth-often and easily.

7. Embrace teamwork

Even in sports, the best teams are the ones that rely on each other to reach a common goal. In HR/Talent Acquisition, it takes a village to accomplish goals! Successful partnership requires a team mentality. The people who are building and cultivating strong partnership are able to delegate, they are able to rely on others and truly seek the power of a team. This means they recognize their own weaknesses, seek advice of others, trust others as experts, communicate openly, seek knowledge from others and make time for them!

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I’d love your thoughts: what you would add to this? What has worked best for you in building and maintaining strong partnerships? What have you found has been a hindrance, or something you’ve learned doesn’t work? Let’s work together to inspire others, and to hold ourselves and each other accountable: Let’s ensure we are improving communication, relationship-building and business partnership. Let’s continue to push HR and Talent Acquisition forward!

Let’s also connect on Twitter and Instagram! Find me @EastSideStaff