Elevation Insights – June 2025

Business partnering is more than a support function – it’s a collaborative, value-driven relationship where subject matter experts, whether internal teams or trusted consultants, work closely with a business to understand its goals, offer tailored expertise and advice, and co-create solutions that advance strategic priorities. When it’s done well, business partnering becomes a vital catalyst for sustained success.

The evidence is clear; research by professional bodies such as the CIPD, CIMA, and ACCA shows that organisations with strong business partnering capabilities consistently outperform their peers across multiple dimensions:

• More agile and responsive – Business partners break down silos and enable faster, better-informed decisions.
• More strategically aligned – Functions like Finance, HR, IT, and Procurement actively drive long-term business goals.
• More effective at delivering change and innovation – Trusted partners help implement transformation and encourage continuous improvement.
• More engaging workplaces – Cultures built on teamwork and knowledge-sharing boost retention and morale.
• Stronger commercial performance – Mature partnering capabilities improve profitability and competitive advantage.

To support this, according to Gartner, companies with top-performing HR business partners improve employee performance by up to 22%, retention by 24%, revenue by 7%, and profit by 9%.

This focus on partnership is reshaping business models across industries. Many organisations, from multinationals to agile SMEs, are realigning internal teams to work as true business partners. A recent example of this trend is a leading circuit-board manufacturer that partnered with Accenture to elevate its HR function into a strategic, value-creating arm resulting in HR becoming a trusted adviser within business units – with a stronger talent pipeline and improved service efficiency.

In parallel, consultancies are also moving toward collaborative, insight-led engagements. For instance, the FT reports that Dejonghe & Morley – founded by former senior leaders from Allen & Overy – specialise in advising private equity and family offices on acquiring law firms. Sitting at the intersection of legal, financial, and strategic expertise, they exemplify business partnering by guiding clients through complex deals with commercial insight and sector expertise.

Future trends suggest that business partners will play an even greater role as technology and AI continue to transform the way organisations operate. The webcast Business Partnering in the digital era (AICPA & CIMA) and article Reimagining FP&A Business Partnering (FP&A Trends) highlight how automation and real-time analytics will enable finance business partners to focus on insight-driven decision support. Similarly, the  Corporate Research Forum’s HR Business Partnering Report emphasises how AI and data will empower HR business partners to drive talent strategy, inclusion, and organisational culture at scale.

As these trends converge, business partners will continue to evolve into highly skilled, tech-savvy advisers – driving value creation, innovation, and sustainable business success.

At Elevation Learning, we believe that effective business partners are much more than service providers – they are trusted collaborators who bring insight, influence, and strategic focus to every conversation. They challenge assumptions, uncover opportunities, and co-create solutions that drive sustainable performance. Achieving this impact requires a mindset shift and a diverse skill set, including:

Business and strategic acumen

• Curiosity – a genuine drive to understand the business, its strategy, and its pain points.
• Commercial acumen – a sharp focus on value drivers and the risks that matter most.
• Strategic thinking – working towards long-term goals, not just short-term wins.

Influence and relationship skills

• Influencing skills – shaping decisions and adding value, rather than just presenting data.
• Trusted adviser mindset – knowing when to challenge and when to support.
• Emotional intelligence – building collaborative, cross-functional relationships and breaking down silos.
• Communication and storytelling – turning complex information into clear, compelling messages that inspire action.

Personal effectiveness

• Adaptability and resilience – embracing change and uncertainty with a positive, solutions-focused attitude.
• Data literacy and digital fluency – using data, tools, and emerging technologies to gain insight and enhance decision-making.

Our business partnering programmes support this mindset shift. We focus not only on developing these core skills, but also on the fundamental behaviours that build trust and credibility – helping participants read the room, understand different behavioural drivers, and flex their style to connect with diverse stakeholders and foster more productive, impactful relationships.