Build a Fit-for-Purpose HRBP Operating Model

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.