On Friday, March 1st, 2024, students of the Human Resource Competency Development class (GHRM MBA), instructed by Professor Chen, Shyh-Jer, and Professor Chang, Heidi, welcomed Tina Cheng from TSMC with a guest lecture on the topic of a closer look at HRBP. Ms. Cheng is currently a Human Resource Business Partner at TSMC with a Master degree in Global Human Resource Management from National Sun Yat-sen University. Her expertise includes full-cycle recruiting and performance management and development, and she has abundant HR experience throughout her career path at INNOLUX and TSMC.

Ms. Cheng began her session by providing a brief introduction to the company and her professional experience. The lecture covered various aspects of HRBP (Human Resource Business Partner) roles and responsibilities, focusing on performance communication, employee evaluation, and management strategies. She prepared case studies for students to have a full understanding of the practices. Through the case studies, she mentioned the importance of HRBP to provide guidance on handling low performance communication, keep records of poor performance, and provide support to help employees develop their strengths.

Then she introduced the performance management process. It involves a structured approach to discussing work performance, addressing employee concerns, and setting expectations for future performance. It emphasizes clear communication, empathy, and active engagement with employees to ensure a productive and supportive interaction. The purpose of the interview was to review work performance in the first half of the year and focus on key points for the second half, while also addressing employee expectations. The communication process involved clearly explaining the assessment results, listening to employee feedback, and providing guidance and support. The agenda included pointing out employee strengths and weaknesses, giving objective evaluations, and determining future directions and resource requirements. Ms. Cheng emphasized the importance of empathy, stress resistance, and effective communication skills for HR professionals.

Along with introducing several roles of HRBP, Ms. Cheng raised an important issue that HRBP often confronts through another case study. It highlighted the challenge of persuading employees to transfer when the manager is unconvinced. She also touched on the topic of labor regulations, business acumen, and stress resistance, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive understanding of these aspects. She mentioned the importance of paying attention to employees' work and family situations, proactively addressing their concerns, and providing solutions. It also suggests considering the company's position from the employees' perspective and finding points of persuasion through daily observation. A professional HRBP not only has to be good at communication, they also need to excel in observation skills.

Toward the end of the sharing, students liked how Ms. Cheng shared with them some tips on what a student could do to prepare for being a qualified HRBP. She shared the insight that the key point to success for HRBP is to believe that they are not just partnering with the business - but are themselves a vital part of the business.

The class enjoyed Ms. Cheng’s lecture and gained more insight into professional HR experience from her sharing about her career path as a HRBP at TSMC. Overall, participants gave positive feedback and had very interactive discussions. The class was grateful to have Ms. Cheng in their class and highly recommended this course.