BUSINESS STAKEHOLDER

INTERVIEW GUIDE

What it Does:
This Business Stakeholder Interview Guide helps you engage with your business stakeholders to develop a deep
understanding of business strategy.

How to Use It:

Interview business partners to understand the HR budget’s role in the business strategy and HR’s historical
budget performance.

Instructions:
 The questionnaire is structured into three parts:
- Understanding business strategy and assumptions
- Clarifying resource requirements for different business initiatives
- Assessing the HR function’s historical budget performance
 Use the script and questions below to guide your conversation with business partners.
 Document the responses in the space provided at the end of each question.

CEB Corporate Leadership Council

© 2015 CEB
 BUSINESS STAKEHOLDER
INTERVIEW GUIDE

1. Understand Business Objectives and Assumptions

1. What are the key business initiatives for the next two to five years?

2. What are business leaders’ expectations from HR through this year’s budgeting exercise?

3. Which key business decisions should the HR budget support?

5. What are the key assumptions made in the business cases for each initiative?

6. How has the business environment changed over the course of the last year?

CEB Corporate Leadership Council

© 2015 CEB
 BUSINESS STAKEHOLDER
INTERVIEW GUIDE

2. Clarify Resource Requirements

7. What are the three to five critical resources required for business unit success?

8. What positions/skills will become less/more important for supporting the business strategy?

What are the business partner’s expectations from this year’s budgeting exercise? What needs to
evolve or improve from last year’s efforts?

9. What share of the business unit’s budget is allocated to HR?

10. What are some of the areas where HR can improve to more effectively support the business?

CEB Corporate Leadership Council

© 2015 CEB
 BUSINESS STAKEHOLDER
INTERVIEW GUIDE
3. Assess HR’s Historical Budget Performance

11. How did the HR function perform against the goals and objectives established by the previous
year’s strategic plan? What worked and what didn’t?

12. How significantly did the HR budgets deviate from actual numbers?

13. How would you rate the collaboration between the HR and the business?

14. How can HR improve in the budgeting process?

CEB Corporate Leadership Council

© 2015 CEB