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Human Resources Business Partner skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
5 min read
Quoted Experts
Dr. Vinh Nguyen Ph.D.,
Anthony Nyberg
Human Resources Business Partner Example Skills

Some of the most important hard skills a human resources business partner can possess include successful organizational development, cultural awareness and diversity training, and succession planning. It's important that human resources business partners have these skills because they address some of the main areas of concern in organizations' HR strategies.


When it comes to soft skills, human resources business partners should have strong networking skills, and be fluent in business language. Human resources business partners need to work closely with business leaders, so strong professional communication skills are crucial.

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical human resources business partner skills. We ranked the top skills for human resources business partners based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 8.2% of human resources business partner resumes contained employee engagement as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a human resources business partner needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 human resources business partner skills for your resume and career

1. Employee Engagement

Here's how human resources business partners use employee engagement:
  • Worked closely with Manager of Employee Health and Safety on difficult workers' compensation cases implementing ergonomic and employee engagement initiatives.
  • Designed and facilitated organizational development initiatives that align business strategy, leadership behaviors and employee engagement to achieve desired business results.

2. HRBP

Here's how human resources business partners use hrbp:
  • Monitored HRBP organization performance against client group expectations, planning for course correction as necessary.
  • Assigned client groups' HRBP (Human Resources Business Partner) to make final decisions in employee relations matters and terminations.

3. Succession Planning

Here's how human resources business partners use succession planning:
  • Facilitate succession planning and organization review sessions with company leadership, identifying and implementing strategies to mitigate or eliminate talent gaps.
  • Manage the talent management and the organizational development strategies to identify high potentials for promotion, recognition and succession planning programs.

4. Workforce Planning

Here's how human resources business partners use workforce planning:
  • Analyzed and revamped global compensation programs by incorporating revised job descriptions, salary reviews, workforce planning and diversity plan initiatives.
  • Consulted with management on workforce planning and change management initiatives and provided salary analysis and recommendations for promotions and new positions.

5. Business Objectives

Business Objectives refer to the goals and objectives which a company has set for itself. They could be related to profit, increasing growth of a business, or something else.

Here's how human resources business partners use business objectives:
  • Innovated performance management strategies/systems to help identify future business competencies needs and aligned employees by talent segmentation to meet business objectives.
  • Lead strategic development and tactical execution of Americas Human Resources programs and initiatives aligned with organizational strategic plan and business objectives.

6. HRIS

Here's how human resources business partners use hris:
  • Designed, implemented and communicated process for employee, compensation and reporting relationship changes in anticipation of manager self-service HRIS system.
  • Managed HRIS system migration to ExponentHR technology platform with full employee/manager self-service eliminating multiple homegrown systems and one service provider.

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7. Organizational Development

Here's how human resources business partners use organizational development:
  • Facilitated organizational development and efficiency through talent management and strategic collaboration.
  • Designed and facilitated organizational development off-sites.

8. Organizational Effectiveness

Here's how human resources business partners use organizational effectiveness:
  • Provide organizational effectiveness and employment coaching/counseling.
  • Work closely with Compensation, Recruiting, and Organizational Effectiveness teams/leaders to leverage expertise to advise and execute best practice solutions.

9. Excellent Interpersonal

Here's how human resources business partners use excellent interpersonal:
  • Recognized for excellent interpersonal skills, a professional attitude, and firm personality to manage projects independently.
  • Served as a key link between management and sales associates, utilizing excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

10. EEO

Here's how human resources business partners use eeo:
  • Conducted investigations relating to potential EEO, discrimination and/or employee relations issues and documented findings with recommendations for resolution.
  • Facilitated managerial decision-making by providing timely information and guidance to managers, particularly regarding EEO laws and regulations.

11. Employee Development

Here's how human resources business partners use employee development:
  • Supported employee development by collaborating with operations managers in succession planning, performance management, coaching, and work force optimization.
  • Created and facilitated career development programs enhancing employee development planning, increasing networking, and establishing 'job enrichment' opportunities.

12. Organizational Design

Here's how human resources business partners use organizational design:
  • Partnered with CFO on an organizational design strategy designed to streamline and simplify the organization model and expand shared service capabilities.
  • Provided consultative services to all levels of management in organizational design, change engagement, employee relations/legal compliance and leadership development.

13. Work Ethic

Here's how human resources business partners use work ethic:
  • Liaised with the Legal Department to ensure formal governance compliance and company work ethic culture.

14. Career Development

Career development is a term referring to the process and idea of furthering one's career or otherwise altering its path by a number of processes and methods. A career development plan can be unique to the individual and might simply be to continue working the job one does in a singular company and moving up, in terms of positions and salary. Or it might be an entirely different plan, such as moving on from the position, the company, and perhaps even the industry as a whole, and doing other work somewhere else.

Here's how human resources business partners use career development:
  • Conducted talent management/career development interviews with high potentials across North America and Canada to determine their career interests for future placement.
  • Increased employee engagement by fostering open communication, planning activities/recognition, promoting career development, and offering health and wellness initiatives.

15. Continuous Improvement

Continuous improvement is an ongoing process of improvement of products, services, and processes with the help of innovative ideas. It is an organized approach that helps an organization to find its weaknesses and improve them.

Here's how human resources business partners use continuous improvement:
  • Collaborate with company leaders to identify development needs, uncover talent gaps, and recommend effective solutions that facilitate continuous improvement.
  • Served in the Steering Management Committee including participating in Continuous Improvement Teams to develop and implement safety initiatives.
top-skills

What skills help Human Resources Business Partners find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on Human Resources Business Partner resumes?

Dr. Vinh Nguyen Ph.D.Dr. Vinh Nguyen Ph.D. LinkedIn Profile

Professor of Business Administration, Coe College

The most important skills for new graduates, particularly for HRM majors, are adaptability and problem solving. The ability to continuously learn and change is critical during this crisis and with on-going technological advancements. A willingness to face any problems and to find creative solutions is also highly desirable in this changing world. Thus, people who are highly aware and possess a growth mindset will stand out in the labor market.

What soft skills should all Human Resources Business Partners possess?

Anthony Nyberg

Department Chair and Professor, Program Director, Master of Human Resources, University of South Carolina - Columbia

In general, the "soft" skills are actually the hardest, and the most important of these skills involves strong communication and an ability to work in teams - most jobs and all companies require people to work together, and this is a very challenging skill, but imperative in the modern workforce.

What hard/technical skills are most important for Human Resources Business Partners?

Anthony Nyberg

Department Chair and Professor, Program Director, Master of Human Resources, University of South Carolina - Columbia

HR, like many work environments, is driven by using data to address challenges. This requires a strong analytical foundation.

What Human Resources Business Partner skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Sandi DornheckerSandi Dornhecker LinkedIn Profile

Vice President of Human Resources, Chicago Zoological Society

Using technology in a work setting (such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams) and a focus on soft skills such as collaboration and flexibility (being willing to learn and contribute any way you can) will become increasingly important.
Do you want to know more?
Read more about what experts have to say about Human Resources Business Partner

List of human resources business partner skills to add to your resume

Human Resources Business Partner Skills

The most important skills for a human resources business partner resume and required skills for a human resources business partner to have include:

  • Employee Engagement
  • HRBP
  • Succession Planning
  • Workforce Planning
  • Business Objectives
  • HRIS
  • Organizational Development
  • Organizational Effectiveness
  • Excellent Interpersonal
  • EEO
  • Employee Development
  • Organizational Design
  • Work Ethic
  • Career Development
  • Continuous Improvement
  • Objective Investigations
  • Labor Relations
  • Process Improvement
  • Leadership Development
  • Payroll
  • Employment Law
  • Strong Analytical
  • Conflict Resolution
  • Disciplinary Actions
  • Legal Risks
  • Exit Interviews
  • Business Results
  • Human Capital
  • Shared Services
  • Develop Recommendations
  • Human Resources Policies
  • Increase Productivity
  • Training Programs
  • Regulatory Compliance
  • Performance Management
  • Corrective Action
  • Compensation Planning
  • FMLA
  • Development Programs
  • FLSA
  • Strategic Thinking
  • Professional Development
  • Good Judgment
  • Organizational Structure
  • Performance Reviews
  • Performance Issues
  • Legal Compliance

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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