CEB Corporate Leadership Council™

Performance Evaluation
Matrix for HR Business
Partners
A Framework for Member Conversations
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How to Use the Matrix
This matrix of competencies and behavioral success indicators can be used to enhance or build a performance evaluation system for HR Business Partners.
The competencies shown on the grid below are those identified by CEB analysis as being the most critical to HRBP strategic effectiveness. For additional
resources, see our HRBP Self-Assessment, HRBP Competency Model, and HRBP Competency Workbook.

Knowledge Competencies Does Not Meet Expectations Meets Expectations Exceeds Expectations
Business Acumen ■■ Shows limited understanding ■■ Understands basic business ■■ Uses sophisticated business
Using insight of the of business terminology terminology and uses it to describe terminology and business impact
business environment the impact of HR programs to line analysis to secure line leader buy-in
■■ Struggles to apply knowledge of
to improve talent and leaders and commitment for HR programs
business challenges and business
business outcomes.
operating timelines to HR programs ■■ Works with line leaders to identify ■■ Leverages a deep understanding
opportunities to adjust HR programs of business needs and timelines/
■■ Plays no more than a supporting
to better align with business challenges procedures to influence HR programs
role in projects owned by the line
and operating timelines to make them more relevant and easy-
to-use for the line
■■ Plays a key contributor or consultative
role in projects owned by the line ■■ Owns and manages projects with both
HR and line contributors

Source: CEB analysis.

© 2014 CEB. All rights reserved. CLC8348414PRO

3
 Knowledge Competencies Does Not Meet Expectations Meets Expectations Exceeds Expectations
Organizational Acumen ■■ Shows limited understanding of ■■ Understands business unit annual goals ■■ Builds a thorough understanding
Using knowledge of the business unit challenges and goals and uses it to describe the impact of of overall business unit strategy
organization to improve talent initiatives with leaders and meets regularly with line partner
■■ Struggles to understand how HR
talent and business to discuss progress and updates on
programs serves the business ■■ Demonstrates ability to manage cross-
outcomes. strategy that impact talent initiatives
customers functional relationships to ensure
cohesive value delivery for customer- ■■ Works with a partner in a customer-
■■ Fails to connect talent strategy with
facing projects facing/customer service role to
organizational and business unit needs
understand customer needs
■■ Supports talent objectives with minimal
conflict between both business unit ■■ Shares instances of how talent
strategy and overall organizational decisions align to organizational
strategy mission and values in team meetings
and check-ins with line partners
Talent Management Acumen ■■ Has difficulty coordinating hiring ■■ Coordinates hiring requests from line ■■ Forecasts current and future talent
Applying workforce planning requests from line managers and managers and reviews staffing levels on needs
knowledge, engagement maintaining adequate staffing levels an ongoing basis to adjust hiring plans ■■ Maintains and updates a succession
strategies, and succession as necessary
■■ Struggles to contribute to plan and proactively identifies next-
management.
the organization’s succession ■■ Successfully contributes to generation leaders
management program the organization’s succession ■■ Proactively partners with managers
management program
■■ Fails to partner with managers to and provides them with resources to
address employee under–performance ■■ Partners with managers to address assess, manage, and improve employee
issues most employee under–performance performance
issues
■■ Struggles to assess and improve ■■ Assesses, monitors, and manages
employee engagement ■■ Assesses and monitors employee employee engagement on a proactive,
engagement and works reactively ongoing basis; identifies and works to
to address issues of disengagement address disengagement issues early

Source: CEB analysis.

© 2014 CEB. All rights reserved. CLC8348414PRO

4
 Skill Competencies Does Not Meet Expectations Meets Expectations Exceeds Expectations
Data Judgment ■■ Shows limited understanding ■■ Relies on the HR branch of the ■■ Meets with the analytics team (and
Applying judgment to data of available metrics tracked analytics team to identify sources cross functional peers) to identify all
to support business decision within the organization of data available in the organization the sources of data that are available
making. in the organization
■■ Reports talent metrics provided ■■ Identifies metrics tracked organization-
by central HR wide that are most relevant to report ■■ Takes an active role in selecting/
to business unit leader updating talent metrics tracked
by the business unit
■■ Includes data in conversations with
business unit leaders on upcoming
plans
■■ Monitors and reports progress
against goals using data
Leadership ■■ Partially contributes to making the ■■ Plays a core role in making the business ■■ Leads efforts to build the business
Persuading and influencing business case for talent management case for talent management programs case for talent management programs
line partners and other key programs to line leaders to line leaders to line leaders
stakeholders. ■■ Struggles to make informed decisions ■■ Makes informed decisions about HR ■■ Uses best practice research and
about HR program prioritization program prioritization based on past business leader/employee feedback
precedent and standard HR knowledge to make informed HR prioritization
decisions
Innovation ■■ Does not customize relevant HR ■■ Reviews relevant HR processes and ■■ Uses external perspective and best
Applying systems thinking processes to changing business needs adapts and tailors them to meet practice research in reviewing and
to identify new solutions for changing business needs tailoring HR processes to meet
■■ Relies on past precedent when
the broader enterprise. changing business needs
implementing HR programs ■■ Implements HR programs in new ways
to adapt to changing employee and ■■ Implements HR programs in new
■■ Does not solicit business
business needs ways based on creative thinking, best
leader feedback on design and
practice research, and business leader/
implementation of HR programs ■■ Asks business leaders for feedback on
employee feedback
how HR could improve implementation
of HR programs ■■ Regularly solicits feedback and
presents ideas to the business on
how to make HR more relevant and
consumable

Source: CEB analysis.

© 2014 CEB. All rights reserved. CLC8348414PRO

5
 Skill Competencies Does Not Meet Expectations Meets Expectations Exceeds Expectations
Leveraging Networks ■■ Does not leverage personal network ■■ Reactively leverages personal network ■■ Effectively and proactively leverages
Using professional networks to contribute to performance to contribute to performance personal network to contribute to
in strategic activities to individual performance
■■ Does not support network peers ■■ Supports network peers when asked
achieve better talent
in their daily work ■■ Finds methods of supporting network
outcomes.
peers in a method that positively
contributes to business unit goals
Problem Solving ■■ Creates a culture of individual ■■ Creates a culture where collaboration ■■ Creates a culture of collaborative
Developing and evaluating problem solving where new ideas is encouraged when solutions are not problem solving to design
solutions to problems and are unwelcome readily apparent comprehensive solutions
implementing solutions. ■■ Designs short-term and immediate ■■ Designs immediate solutions to address ■■ Proactively designs solutions before
solutions in times of crisis challenges, then reviews methods to problems arise
see if adjustments need to be made
■■ Escalates problems to managers ■■ Takes control of challenges that arise
immediately, easily overwhelmed ■■ Escalates problems to managers when and collects feedback from multiple
solution is not apparent, but provides sources to address the problem
ideas for discussion
Proactivity ■■ Struggles to proactively anticipate ■■ Addresses employee concerns at ■■ Regularly reviews talent data and
Anticipating and preventing challenges individual level, but tracks which trends metrics to identify trends that may
future problems, taking may be prevalent at an organizational require action
■■ Addresses employee concerns and
charge to bring about level
grievances on an individual level ■■ Regularly identifies employee concerns
change, and taking ■■ Documents roadblocks encountered and grievances that may be addressed
initiative within role.
■■ Does not maintain organized notes
in project execution for personal future at a business unit or organizational
of challenges addressed in the past
use level
■■ Documents roadblocks encountered in
project execution to build a catalog for
future reference

Source: CEB analysis.

© 2014 CEB. All rights reserved. CLC8348414PRO

6
 Skill Competencies Does Not Meet Expectations Meets Expectations Exceeds Expectations
Continuous Learning ■■ Does not leverage network for learning ■■ Leverages network for learning when ■■ Leverages networks effectively
Seeking opportunities to encountering a new challenge for self-driven ongoing learning
■■ Maintains status quo in decision-
learn new and necessary
making ■■ Inconsistently utilizes new insights ■■ Frequently utilizes new insights
skills and knowledge to
for decision-making for decision-making
perform work effectively.
■■ Only participates in required
development ■■ Reactively manages personal ■■ Owns and proactively manages
development following changes personal development
to corporate or business unit strategy

Matrix Management ■■ Does not spend time building and ■■ Fails to build strong working ■■ Builds effective working relationships
Managing individuals and maintaining professional network relationships with peers outside with line and functional leaders
processes. of the HR function
■■ Actively hinders transparency in work ■■ Creates visibility for others to see how
■■ Provides transparency into work s/he works within the function
■■ Defaults to corporate functional
when asked
guidelines even if it will negatively ■■ Balances business unit needs with
impact business unit ■■ Balances business unit needs with corporate functional guidelines when
corporate guidelines when goals are in making decisions
agreement, struggles to balance needs
in disagreement
Conflict Resolution ■■ Does not consistently enforce a formal ■■ Maintains and implements a formal ■■ Adapts strategies and techniques to
Ability to resolve conflicts conflict resolution policy conflict resolution policy resolve individual situations using the
between employees. formal conflict resolution policy as a
■■ Fails to communicate his or her role ■■ Communicates his or her role as a
guide
as a mediator to employees and mediator to employees and managers
managers ■■ Acts as a mediator by making him/
■■ Provides employees with basic
herself proactively available to
■■ Does not provide employees with resources to prevent or resolve
employees and managers for informal
resources to prevent or resolve interpersonal conflicts
or formal mediation discussions
interpersonal conflicts
■■ Provides employees with robust
resources to help them resolve
and prevent interpersonal and team
conflicts and adapt to different
employee and leadership styles

Source: CEB analysis.

© 2014 CEB. All rights reserved. CLC8348414PRO