Design Thinking. A New Mindset for HR Business Partners

As HR Business Partners (HRBPs), our role is evolving at an accelerated pace. We're no longer just overseeing HR processes; we're becoming integral players in driving business transformation. One of the most exciting ways HRBPs are embracing this shift is by adopting design thinking—a creative, human-centered approach to problem-solving.

You may not think of yourself as creative, but the truth is, we all have creativity within us. Design thinking helps unlock this potential, enabling HRBPs to tackle complex challenges in a structured yet innovative way. Let’s explore what design thinking is, how it can reshape our role, and how you can apply it to your HRBP practice.

What is Design Thinking?

At its core, design thinking is a method of problem-solving that focuses on understanding people’s needs and developing creative, user-centered solutions. This approach is iterative, meaning that it encourages constant refinement of ideas based on feedback.

Design thinking involves several phases:

1. Framing the Question – Defining the problem to solve.

2. Gathering Inspiration – Empathising with the people you're designing for.

3. Synthesising Information – Identifying key insights from your research.

4. Generating Ideas – Brainstorming a wide range of potential solutions.

5. Making Ideas Tangible – Creating prototypes to bring ideas to life.

6. Testing & Iteration – Collecting feedback and refining solutions.

7. Sharing the Story – Crafting a narrative to inspire action.

The Phases of Design Thinking in Action

1. Framing the Right Question

The foundation of design thinking lies in asking the right question. For HRBPs, framing a strong question is crucial. For example, instead of asking "How can we improve employee engagement?" try framing it as:

• “How might we create a workplace culture where employees feel genuinely valued and motivated?”This approach opens up a range of creative possibilities and encourages solutions that directly address the needs of employees.

2. Gathering Inspiration (Empathy)

Empathy is the heart of design thinking. For HRBPs, it means stepping into the shoes of employees, managers, and leadership to truly understand their experiences, challenges, and desires. Whether it's through interviews, surveys, or casual conversations, learning about the people you're designing for will give you deeper insights into their needs and motivations.

3. Synthesising Insights for Action

Once you’ve gathered data, the next step is to synthesise it. This means looking for patterns, themes, and key insights that help clarify the problem you're solving. In HR, this might mean identifying common employee pain points, recurring leadership challenges, or gaps in talent development. Your goal is to find insights that lead to actionable strategies.

4. Generating Ideas

Now comes the fun part: brainstorming. This is when you let your creativity flow. Think outside the box—consider new ways of designing your HR systems, processes, or even entire employee experiences. The more ideas, the better. In HR, this could involve coming up with fresh approaches to performance reviews, talent management, or employee well-being programs.

5. Making Ideas Tangible

After generating ideas, it’s time to create prototypes. These are rough drafts or mock-ups that help visualise your ideas. For HRBPs, this could mean testing a new onboarding process, creating a sample leadership development program, or piloting an employee engagement survey. Prototypes are designed to be tested and improved based on real feedback.

6. Testing & Iteration

Testing isn’t just about seeing if something works; it’s about understanding how people interact with your solution. By collecting feedback, you’ll learn what works, what doesn’t, and how you can make the experience better. As an HRBP, this iterative process helps ensure the solutions you create are effective, impactful, and aligned with organisational goals.

7. Sharing the Story

Finally, it's time to share your solution with others. But it’s not just about presenting the facts—it’s about telling a compelling story that inspires action. Whether you're presenting a new HR program to leadership or rolling out a new initiative to employees, your ability to frame the problem, share insights, and explain the impact will make all the difference.

Why HRBPs Should Embrace Design Thinking

The world of HR is changing, and HRBPs are at the forefront of this transformation. By embracing design thinking, HRBPs can move beyond traditional HR practices and step into a more strategic, problem-solving role. Here’s why it’s essential for HRBPs to adopt this mindset:

• Solving Complex Business Challenges: HRBPs are no longer just administrators; we’re becoming key players in business strategy. Design thinking helps HRBPs tackle complex challenges like employee retention, organisational change, and leadership development.

• Innovative HR Solutions: Design thinking encourages creativity and fresh thinking, leading to innovative solutions that go beyond the obvious or traditional HR practices.

• Employee-Centric Design: By understanding and empathising with employees, HRBPs can create solutions that truly meet their needs, leading to higher engagement and satisfaction.

• Agile and Adaptable: The iterative nature of design thinking allows HRBPs to experiment, test, and adapt quickly, making HR solutions more dynamic and responsive to change.

Applying Design Thinking to Your HRBP Role

You don’t have to be a product designer to apply design thinking to your HRBP practice. Start by framing better questions to guide your work, empathising with employees and managers to better understand their needs, and prototyping HR solutions that can be tested and refined.

If you’re ready to embrace design thinking in your HR practice, begin by selecting a challenge you’re facing—whether it’s improving employee performance, enhancing communication across teams, or redesigning the employee experience—and apply the steps of design thinking to craft creative, user-centered solutions.

The future of HR is people-centered, innovative, and agile, and design thinking is the key to unlocking that future.