Key Qualities of an HR Manager

Human resources (HR) is a great field for driven, organised individuals who are interested in helping businesses reach their goals and helping employees reach their potential. Almost all companies have some form of a human resources department, and as the business world becomes more and more focused on developing human capital, HR professionals are in demand. If you are considering a career in HR, part of your job responsibilities will be to identify candidates for employment that have the characteristics that will make them successful in the role for which you are hiring.

Organization

One of the most important characteristics of HR professionals is the ability to get organised. This includes strong time management skills and the ability to complete tasks efficiently. On a typical day, you’ll be balancing a variety of different tasks, ranging from hiring and firing, dealing with employees’ personal issues and creating recruitment strategies for open positions. Multitasking is key, as well as self-discipline. You’ll need to set ethical and behavioural standards for others to follow, and make sure you are following them as well. HR professionals also manage deadlines and accomplish tasks quickly so that both employee and employer needs are met.

Ethics

In a lot of ways, the HR department of a company serves as its conscience. This means that you’ll need to have a keen sense of ethics when it comes to confidential information and following company policies. HR professionals have to earn the trust of company employees and executives so that they can effectively do their job; honesty and discretion are key components of any successful HR department.

Communication

A primary function of all HR professionals is facilitating communication between employers and employees. This means that both your oral and written communication skills need to be sharp so that you can relay information clearly and effectively to employees at all levels. Part of the communication requirements also involves negotiation. During the hiring process, or when conflicts arise between employees, successful HR pros are able to help opposing groups compromise and find middle ground.

Problem Solving

In order for businesses to function at their best, the HR department must ensure that individuals with different personalities can work together civilly and accomplish company goals. Also, in order to accomplish the other tasks required of you as an HR professional, you have to be skilled at conflict management and diffusing tense or combative situations.

Expertise

Successful HR professionals are experts on their company’s industry. This will enable you to make informed recruitment and hiring decisions, as well as have a context for company guidelines and policies. Sometimes it’s easy to overlook the fact that HR professionals are business professionals as well. Just because you won’t be working in the accounting department doesn’t mean you don’t need a clear idea of how your company works and the business processes that structure it.

Leadership

In many situations, employees look to HR professionals for answers and leadership. The nature of many HR positions is that you’ll be seen as an expert on a wide variety of company-related topics, so you’ll need to have the confidence to lead. This can mean anything from finding the answers to employee concerns to putting together a team to run a local 5K race for charity. The best HR professionals can balance being a friendly presence in the office with taking control and helping things run smoothly.