Certificate in HR as a Business Partner (HRBP)

TABLE OF CONTENT

Chapter 1. What is a Business Partnership?

• Traditional HR vs Business Partner
• HRBP Evolution
• HR Business Partner Models (→ Rename to "Ulrich's Three-Legged Stool & Four-Role Model; HR Operating Model: HRBP vs COE vs Shared Services)
• Talent & Capability Gap Analysis: Tools and Frameworks
• The Strategic HRBP vs Transactional HR: Where to Spend Your Time
• HRBP Competency Framework: Business Acumen, Data Literacy, Influence, Credibility
• HRBP Scorecard: Measuring Your Own Impact as a Business Partner

Chapter 2. Strategic Management

• Strategic Management Processes
• Environmental Analysis
• PESTLE Analysis
• SWOT Analysis
• Value Chain Analysis
• Competitor Analysis
• HR Strategy (HR Strategy Development, Cascading Business Goals into People Plans, HR Strategic Planning Calendar)
• Business Model Canvas & How HR Fits In
• Industry & Sector Analysis for HRBPs: Understanding Your Business's Competitive Position

Chapter 3. Strategic Decision Making

• Decision Making Process
• What is Strategic Decision Making
• Strategic Decision Making Models
• Data-Driven Decision Making for HRBPs: Using People Data to Inform Business Decisions
• Prioritisation Frameworks: Eisenhower Matrix, MoSCoW Method for HR Initiatives

Chapter 4. HR and Business Strategy

• Aligning HR and Business Strategy (HR Strategy Map, Translating Business Goals (Revenue, Growth, Efficiency) into Talent Priorities, Working with the P&L)
• Balancing Business Needs and Employee Interests: The HRBP Tightrope
• Building and Presenting the HR Business Case to Senior Leaders
• Understanding Financial Statements for HRBPs: Reading a P&L, Budget, and Headcount Plan
• Annual People Planning Cycle: Linking to Business Planning, Budgeting & OKRs

Chapter 5. Developing Personal Skills

• Developing Rapport
• Developing Empathy
• Establish and Maintain Trust
• Build Credibility
• Navigating Office Politics
• Influencing Leaders
• Executive Presence for HRBPs: Communicating at the C-Suite Level
• Stakeholder Mapping & Stakeholder Management Plans
• Difficult Conversations: Frameworks for Delivering Hard Messages (SBI, COIN, GROW)

Chapter 6.  Hone Your Consulting Skills

• Consulting Process and Styles (Internal Consulting Cycle (Contracting → Discovery → Diagnosis → Recommendation → Implementation → Review); Expert vs Facilitative modes)
• Manage Resistance
• Appreciative Inquiry
• Problem Diagnosis Tools: Fishbone, 5 Whys, Force Field Analysis
• Writing HR Proposals & Recommendations: Structure, Evidence, Risk & Options
• Contracting with Business Leaders: Setting Scope, Expectations & Success Metrics

Chapter 7. Enhance Your Coaching Skills

• Coaching Skills for HRBPs: GROW Model, Active Listening, Powerful Questions
• Implement a Coaching Culture
• Mentoring vs Coaching vs Consulting: When to Use Which Mode
• Coaching Line Managers: Supporting Leaders to Have Better People Conversations

Chapter 8. Managing Change

• Overview of Change Management
• Recognising Obstacles to Change
• Introducing & Managing Change
• Eight-Step Change Management Process (Identify this explicitly as Kotter's 8-Step Model; compare with ADKAR & Prosci for completeness)
• Leading Change & Leading Through Change
• ADKAR Model: Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, Reinforcement
• HRBP's Role in Organisational Restructuring, Mergers & Workforce Transitions
• Communication Planning During Change: Audience, Message, Channel, Timing

Chapter 9. Becoming an Employee Facilitator

• Facilitation & Team Effectiveness
• Facilitation Tools
• The Facilitator Process Model
• Managing Disruptive Behaviours
• Nurture a High Performing Team
• Running Effective Workshops: Design Thinking, Retrospectives, Offsites
• Team Diagnostics: Lencioni's 5 Dysfunctions, Tuckman's Stages, Team Health Checks

Chapter 10. Being an Employee Champion

• Employee Engagement Models (Gallup Q12, Aon Hewitt, Kahn's Engagement Theory, eNPS)
• Enhancing the Voice of Employees
• Improving the Employee Experience (Expand: Employee Experience (EX) Design, Moments That Matter, Lifecycle Touchpoints, Persona Mapping)
• Psychological Safety & Building Speak-Up Cultures
• Pulse Surveys & Continuous Listening: Tools, Cadence, Acting on Feedback
• DEI as an Employee Champion: Belonging, Equity Lens, Inclusion Initiatives

Chapter 11. Leverage HR Analytics

• HR Analytics Basics
• Talent Life Cycle
• Key HR Metrics for HRBPs (Talent Acquisition, Engagement, Attrition, L&D, Compensation)
• HR Data Collection Process
• HR Data Analysis Process
• Building an HRBP Dashboard: Metrics Selection, Visualisation, Storytelling with Data
• HR Balanced Scorecard
• Measure ROI
• Predictive Analytics for HRBPs: Attrition Risk, Succession Readiness, Hire Quality
• Workforce Planning Analytics: Headcount Modelling, Scenario Planning

Chapter 12. Labour Law Compliance

• Factories Act 1948: Key Provisions, Applicability, HRBP Obligations
• Maternity Benefit Act 1961 (amended 2017): 26-week leave, Creche, Work from Home provisions
• Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act 1970: Contractor Compliance, CLRA Register"
• Safety and Health
• India's 4 Labour Codes: Code on Wages, IR Code, SS Code, OSH Code — Key HRBP Implications
• POSH Act 2013: ICC Constitution, Policy, Investigation Process, HRBP Role
• Shops & Establishments Act: State-Level Compliance, Working Hours, Leave
• Disciplinary Procedures: Show Cause Notice, Domestic Enquiry, Suspension, Termination

Chapter 13. Compensation Compliance

• Minimum Wages Act
• Payment of Wages Act
• Labour Welfare Fund
• PF Act (EPF & MP Act 1952)
• ESI Act
• Gratuity Act
• Bonus Act
• Professional Tax Act
• CTC Structure & Salary Design: Fixed vs Variable, Allowances, Tax Planning
• Total Rewards Framework: Beyond Salary to Benefits, Flexibility & Recognition
• Pay Equity & Gender Pay Gap: Analysis, Reporting & Remediation

Chapter 14. HR Problem Solving

• Managing Employee Indiscipline: Progressive Discipline, Documentation, Due Process
• POSH Compliance & Handling Sexual Harassment Complaints: HRBP Role in ICC & Investigations
• Managing Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Challenges: Bias, Microaggressions, Representation Gaps
• Identifying & Addressing Toxic Culture: Bullying, Psychological Harm, Escalation Paths
• Employee Retention (Retention Risk Analysis, Stay Interviews, Counter-Offer Policy, Manager-Driven Retention Actions)
• Grievance Handling Framework: Process, Escalation Tiers, Resolution Documentation
• Managing Underperformance: PIPs, Coaching Plans, Separation Options
• Workforce Restructuring & Redundancy: Process, Legal Obligations, Redeployment

Chapter 15. HR Operational Excellence

• Operating in VUCA / BANI Environments: Agility, Resilience & Strategic Clarity for HRBPs
• Driving Operational Excellence (HR Process Improvement (Lean HR), Standardisation, SLA Management, HR Shared Services Interface)
• Managing HRBP Relationships: Business Leader Expectations, Service Agreements & Feedback Loops
• HR Technology for HRBPs: HRIS Navigation (Workday, SuccessFactors, Darwinbox), Self-Service Tools
• AI & Automation in HR: What HRBPs Need to Know and Where to Stay Human

Chapter 16. Talent Management & Workforce Strategy 

• Talent Acquisition Strategy: HRBP's Role in JDs, Hiring Panels, Offer Decisions
• Performance Management: OKRs, Goal Cascading, Calibration Sessions, Bell Curves
• Succession Planning & 9-Box Grid: HRBP Facilitation, Talent Review Meetings
• Learning & Development Strategy: Skills Gap → L&D Calendar → ROI
• High Potential Identification & Accelerated Development Programmes