Not only are HR managers responsible for maintaining employer/employee relations and asserting that workers are happy, but they also have to deal with the hiring and firing side of workers, as well as dealing with compensation and benefits issues, training, listening to employee complaints and implementing and explaining in-house policies. What a job.
Given the gruelling and intensive social nature of HR management, it goes without saying that the core of this profession needs one to be authentic and transparent, but what additional skills are required, and how can you stand out?
Excellent communication skills is a must have for a successful HR professional. The ability to make a well structured presentation or speech with confidence, without having to include all the 'ums' and 'likes' and 'errs' will set you heads above the others around you. It is worth all the time, money and effort to learn to master this skill.
One of the most important attributes that make a successful HR professional is that they must be amicable and authentic for every level of the business. Making yourself available will ensure that you will be able to keep your finger on the pulse and have a holistic understanding of your organisation.
The ability to 'read' people is another key HR skill. Most of the people who have been around have developed an ability to read people. They acquire the ability to sense if someone is lying or trying to deceive them. They have a feel for body language and what it may be telling us about attitudes. This, however, is something we can all get better at with training. You can learn to notice and understand some universal expressions, postures and micro-expressions that reveal subtleties about an individual that will then allow you to better understand how to deal with them.
It's no lie that not all workers always get along with everyone else. High productivity demands that people work together at least civilly. As a HR manager you have to find ways to allow that to happen. And that also goes for all the countless other problems that hit HR's in-box - you can't be effective without problem-solving ability.
Effective networking plays an important role in meeting the needs of management. Being able to form and develop partnerships to the overall benefit of the business will enable HR to gain external credibility. This also demonstrates an ability to merge the needs of the workforce with those of the business, a crucial attribute of a successful HR professional.
Being a great manager means more than nodding your head when an employee comes to you with an issue. You must have the ability to put aside your agendas and to listen and hear what someone is saying and how they are saying it. Employees must feel they can approach the HR manager with their problems. They want to know that you truly listen to them and will help them find viable solutions to their issues. If an employee has a problem at work, it will likely affect his job performance. If the HR manager seems unapproachable, the employee will be reluctant to go to her. If she lacks compassion, he won't trust her with his problem.
Above all, HR professionals are the conscience of the company, as well as the keepers of confidential information; often seen as police by the organisations' employees. Great HR managers rise above this image by creating an atmosphere of trust, they build and maintain the confidence of their employees through honest and straightforward communications interactions.
Being in HR and doing it well is not an easy job. To be a good HR professional you need to possess exceptional skills including, for example, the prudence of Nostradamus, the vision of Isaac Asimov, the acumen of Solomon, the courage of Nelson Mandela, the speaking ability of Cicero and the boldness of Theodore Roosevelt. With so much information on the internet one does not necessarily have to get a coach to help them learn these skills, simply search for tips on how to be a good HR professional. It's that simple!
