TORONTO – October 29, 2026 -- HR research and advisory firm McLean & Company has released a three-phase resource that tells HR leaders to establish whether an HR business partner (HRBP) operating model fits their organization before they design one.
The resource, Build a Fit-for-Purpose HRBP Operating Model, responds to growing organizational complexity and rising expectations that HR contribute to business outcomes. Lexi Hambides, director of HR Research & Advisory Services at the firm, said an HRBP model "should not be adopted by default or used as a quick fix for operational workload."
McLean & Company structures the guidance into three phases: assess, design and implement
The assessment phase has HR leaders review current strengths and pain points, strategic direction and external factors, and identify the driving need. It ends with a decision to proceed, pause or reconsider the model.
The design phase covers project team structure, design principles, goals and metrics, scope, governance, centralization and segmentation. It also sets out HRBP service levels, engagement standards, feedback processes and service level agreements.
The implementation phase covers aligning HR structure and functions, assessing organizational readiness, building a rollout plan and creating an HRBP profile. It also includes change communications, preparation for new ways of working and ongoing impact monitoring.
Firm warns that skipping the needs definition risks solving the wrong problem
McLean & Company states that organizations that do not first define the need for a stronger HR-business partnership risk building a model that delivers no meaningful value. It says effective models must be grounded in data, aligned to organizational strategy and backed by clear expectations for how HRBPs and business leaders work together.
The research also stresses leadership buy-in, governance and implementation planning. Engaging leaders early and preparing HR staff for new ways of working supports a smoother rollout and ongoing refinement, according to the firm.
McLean & Company also offers facilitated workshops, including Create an HR Strategy and Redesign Your HR Structure, as related support.