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HR Business Partner

Northern Trust · Chicago, IL · $114,500–$194,700 a year · Full time

Posted Sep 4, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a time you moved a leader from reacting to HR issues to planning for them.

What they are checking: Ability to be strategic and proactive rather than an order-taker.

Tell me about a difficult employee relations issue you handled and how you kept it fair.

What they are checking: Whether they stay objective, follow process and document carefully when an employee case is sensitive.

Tell me about a time you disagreed with a business leader on a people decision.

What they are checking: Courage to challenge leaders while maintaining the partnership.

What would you do

You'd support Business Services groups within the Enterprise Chief Operating Office. How would you get to know your client leaders in the first few months?

What they are checking: Whether they learn the business, its people issues and priorities before offering solutions.

How do you decide when to handle something yourself versus bringing in a Center of Expertise?

What they are checking: Knowing how to coordinate with COEs and HR Consulting rather than duplicating or bypassing them.

A senior leader wants to reorganize their team next month and has told no one in HR. What do you do?

What they are checking: Slowing a rushed decision enough to cover legal, communication and people risks without blocking it.

How do you coach a leader who is a strong operator but struggles with giving feedback?

What they are checking: Practical coaching skill and the ability to build trust with senior clients.

You support several leaders whose needs peak at the same time. How do you prioritize?

What they are checking: Managing competing demands as an individual contributor with clear priorities and communication.

About the work

What data would you bring to a leader to start a conversation about attrition in their group?

What they are checking: Using workforce data like turnover, tenure and engagement to make HR advice evidence-based.

How would you help leaders through a talent review and succession planning cycle?

What they are checking: Understanding of talent processes and how to make them honest rather than ceremonial.

Practice this interview out loud.

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The full job description

As published by Northern Trust.

About Northern Trust As a global leader in innovative wealth management, asset servicing, asset management and banking services, Northern Trust (Nasdaq: NTRS) is proud to guide the world’s most successful individuals, families, corporations and institutions. Since 1889, we have aligned our efforts with our three guiding Principles That Endure: Service, Expertise, and Integrity. Together, they reflect the three cornerstones of business conduct which we strive to instill in our employees, whom we call partners, and to provide to our clients and the communities we serve worldwide. With more than 135 years of financial experience and over 24,000 partners, we serve the world’s most sophisticated clients using leading technology and exceptional service. Job Summary: Reporting to the Head of HR Consulting for COO Business Services, Technology, and Chief Data & Analytics Office, this individual contributor role will support client groups within our Business Services groups in the Enterprise Chief Operating Office. This role serves as one of several HR Business Partners aligned with senior leaders within this organization to ensure effective coordination between business clients, the HR Consulting Function and HR Centers of Expertise (COEs) to strategically and proactively deliver HR solutions. Key responsibilities: • Strategic Business Partnering: Partners with leaders to understand business goals and challenges; brings people and workforce implications into business decisions early and proactively. • Workforce planning and talent foresight : Translates business strategy into workforce needs (skills, capacity, roles, timing); anticipates risks and gaps rather than reacting late. • Organization design & effectiveness: Advises on team design, role clarity, spans of control, and ways of working; supports reorganizations and improvements to how work gets done. • Leader coaching and talent decisions: Coaches leaders on performance, development and difficult talent decisions; builds leader capability rather than taking ownership away from leaders. • Change leadership & transformation: Supports or leads change initiatives by translating enterprise change into local impact; focuses on readiness, adoption, and sustained outcomes. • Data analytics and AI enabled insights: Uses people data, analytics, and AI‑enabled tools to surface insights, tell a story, and inform decisions; shifts conversations from reporting to meaning and implications. • Succession and Leadership planning: Partners with leaders on identifying critical roles, assessing readiness, and defining development actions; senior HRBPs shape longer‑term succession strategy. • Culture, Engagement & Inclusion: Helps leaders understand how behaviors drive culture and engagement; embeds inclusive practices into everyday people decisions. • Risk Management & Employee Relations: Facilitates navigation of complex employee cases with support from ER SMEs; balances policy, risk, fairness, and employee experience while identifying systemic issues. • HR Solution integration with COEs (Centers of Excellence): Acts as the integrator between the business and HR COEs (Talent Acquisition, Talent, Learning & Development, Rewards, DEI), ensuring solutions are practical, aligned, and business‑relevant. • Enterprise influence and facilitation: Facilitates leadership and talent discussions and represents HR credibly in business forums; influences outcomes through trust, insight, and judgment. Skills and experience: • Education: Bachelor’s degree in business administration or related field • Experience (8+ years) operating in a HR Business Partner or comparable role. • Strong consulting and advisory capability with proven experience coaching senior leaders. • Ability to analyze data, assess risk and apply sound judgment to inform and influence decision‑making. • Deep domain expertise across HR policy, practice and process, with a strong understanding of how HR disciplines integrate. • Highly collaborative relationship manager with foundational knowledge of workforce planning and organizational design. • Effective communicator with the ability to explain complex or sensitive information, build consensus and lead change initiatives. • Demonstrated ability to solve complex problems, apply best practices and act as a resource for less experienced colleagues. • Experience leading or contributing to small projects with manageable risk and resource requirements. • Strong awareness of the external market and competitive environment. • Experience in Workday preferred Salary Range: $114,500 - 194,700 USD Salary range is a good faith estimate of base pay. Northern Trust provides a comprehensive benefits package including retirement benefits (401k and pension), health and welfare benefits (medical, dental, vision, spending accounts and disability), paid time off, parental and caregiver leave, life & accident insurance, and other voluntary and well-being benefits. Northern Trust also provides a discretionary bonus program that may include an equity component. Work Authorization Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future. Northern Trust will not sponsor applicants for U.S. work visa status for this opportunity (no sponsorship is available for H-1B, L-1, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, F-1, J-1, OPT, CPT or any other employment-based visa). Working with Us As a Northern Trust partner, you will be part of a flexible and collaborative work culture, which has a strong history of financial strength and stability. Movement within the organization is encouraged, senior leaders are accessible, and you can take pride in working for a company committed to an inclusive workplace and assisting the communities we serve. Philanthropy is deeply rooted in Northern Trust’s history and is an essential element of our culture. Employees around the world give their time and talent to work for the greater good of their communities. Reasonable Accommodation Northern Trust is committed to working with and providing adjustments to individuals with health conditions and disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please email our HR Service Center at MyHRHelp@ntrs.com , or alternatively you can discuss your individual requirements with the recruiter you are working with.

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