The human resources department is an essential part of every company. In a way, they are the mediator between the top levels and the employees. Moreover, when hiring new people, they are the ones that decide who is the right fit and who is not. According to their own estimation and their ability to read people, they will decide who will have the chance to build a career in the company.
Human resources managers should be skilled in a few things, such as communication, as they will need to talk to a variety of people, and conflict management, as it is possible a conflict or two will arise over time in any work environment. Not only should the HR managers be great with employees, but they should also know how to deal with their bosses. It is like standing in a cross fire, and this is not a task to be taken lightly. In order to achieve success every HR manager should possess the following skill sets.
Communication
Being good with words and knowing how to talk to others, is really important for every human resources manager. You need to be able to talk to various types of people, as well as in smaller and bigger groups. This communication includes both oral and writing skills, plus your job description will include giving presentations. For this, too, you will need to know how to attract an audience’s attention and keep them focused on you. This is easily done if you are a good presenter and communicator.
As a HR manager your job will be to mostly talk to employees. Because of this, you will need to know how to express your thoughts or how to give out instructions. To do it in a clear, concise way is crucial. Plus, you will need to develop the right way of speaking. For instance, avoiding the use of fillers like “um”, “like”, “er”. Any good speaker avoids using them. Instead, they use dramatic pauses and develop a good vocabulary. When communicating with others you need to sound confident and professional.
Problem solving and conflict management
Working in a crowded place, with lots of different people can be difficult. Not everyone will get along with their co-workers, which can cause problems. Some will have different opinions in general, others will disagree on a project, and many other situations. The small bickering can grow into full blown fights and toxic behaviour.
When this happens, you step in the picture. Your job is to talk to everyone and try and resolve the problem at hand. As a HR manager, you have to be objective and be fair to everyone. Additionally, you have to deal with it like a mature person, with patience. You have to make a compromise that will suit to all and solve the problem, and you also have to stop the problem from appearing again.
Organisation
If you are a part of a big company that has a lot of employees and even more clients, you will need to have great organisational skills. This is necessary because the schedule can be hectic sometimes, and at those times you will wish you were an organised person as that trait could make everything more simple.
As a manager you must set an example for everyone else. You should be someone they look up to in terms of time management and general organisation. The HR personnel has to have the paperwork in order. Everything has to have its place so it is found with ease when needed. Also, the paperwork has to be filed correctly.
Furthermore, the meetings, training, and work schedule in general, have to be orderly set up ahead of time. Clearly, having great organisation skill will certainly be a lot of help for everyone, not only the HR manager.
Multitasking
Even though you might be well organised and have everything under control in your schedule, you will also have to be good with multitasking. Since your job will involve working with a group of people and dealing with several projects at a time, you will need to know how to handle all of that at the same time.
Even worse, your responsibilities could change from day to day, unexpectedly. This means you could get loaded with new projects that need to be finished ASAP, and you probably could not postpone the things you already started. Therefore, multitasking is the best option here. More importantly, however, you need to stay calm and not panic if something unplanned happens. In case the things get really busy, though, you can always use software that could take the load off your back.
Luckily, there are multiple HR software programs that are being used at the moment. It could help you track your employees’ performance or vacation days, among other things. The software can be chosen according to your needs and preferences.
Listening
There will be times when you will be in control, the main speaker, but there will also be times when others will take the stage, so to speak. When this happens, you need to be quiet and listen. This is a little bit like playing a therapist. When someone is talking to you, you need to able to catch every word that comes out of their mouth.
Moreover, you need to notice how they say it and in what way. All of this carries importance, even though some people do not realise this. Each word has its own meaning. Additionally, the rhythm and tone of voice are important, as well.
Another reason that makes listening important is the ability to let others have the word. You might be in a higher position than some employees, but as a HR manager you need to be able to let them express themselves. You need to enable them the right to express their opinion and concern.
Business acumen
Lastly, as you are working in the business industry, you will need to have the required business knowledge. It means you need to know the ins and outs of leading a business and keeping it on the top. Except being familiar with the human resources department, you will need to know about other parts of a company, as well. You have to be familiar with things like accounting, finances, marketing and everything else.
If you know all that, at least to a certain degree, you will have the full view of how a business operates. Moreover, it will give you a better perspective on what needs work and what doesn’t. Plus, your relationship with the employees will be much better if you understand what their job description is.
Obviously, being a human resources manager is not simple. All these skills, or at least a majority, have to be had in order to be better at your job. It cannot happen overnight, therefore, a lot of practice can do you good. You need to be patient and learn as you go along, but remember that it will pay off in the long run.
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