HR Managers are some of the most valuable employees in an organization. But what skills does every HR manager needs to have?
An HR manager is a cornerstone of a reputable and desirable company. Any employee would love to be part of a company with great organizational development, employee relations, employee wellness, and employee training opportunities. A professional HR manager is the one who leads HR practices that provide an employee-oriented, high-performance culture with an emphasis on productivity, quality, empowerment, and ongoing development.
Take a look at the 7 skills every HR manager needs to have in order to become truly successful.
Skill #1: Recruitment Skills
Did you know that successful recruiting doesn’t only entail having candidates applying to your job post? It also incorporates people’s skills, a positive approach, and the ability to present the company in a memorable manner. Any candidate will be put off by a non-responsive recruiter who conducts an interview in an uninviting fashion. But any candidate will respond well to a confident, well-spoken, and convincing recruiter.
What’s more, a great HR manager spends less time on paperwork and more time finding the right employee. Managers who work on their recruitment skills can efficiently manage job openings and candidates, create workplace diversity, and hire a pool of qualified individuals. They use practical recruitment tools that come with countless benefits, including Glassdoor, LinkedIn, Greenhouse, Jobvite, and Gender Decoder, among others.
Skill #2: Communication Skills
Are you an outspoken communicator who appreciates working with different people, understands their characters, and manages the workplace in a considerate manner? Whether it’s by mail, on the phone, or face-to-face, employees value a manager that is tactful, accommodating, and cooperative.
If you wish to maintain a positive company culture and personal reputation, you need to choose your words wisely. Instead of saying “We don’t need your skills at this company”, say “You are an impressive candidate but this is not the right company for your great skills to be put to use”.
As a manager, you’ll be dealing with a lot of people day in and day out, listening to their issues. You’ll need to possess the right communication skills, both written and oral, to deal with your employees’ demands, conflicts, and relations. Try to manage everything in a diplomatic way, expressing yourself in a polite, civil, and compassionate approach.
Skill #3: Training and Development Skills
Henry Ford is thought to have said: The only thing worse than training your employees and having them leave is not training them and having them stay.” This is still true, even today.
As a professional HR manager who cares for employees’ progress, you need to create an atmosphere of growth. You should be aware of the fact that there’s more to employee satisfaction and retention than a good salary. Any ambitious and skillful employee is not afraid to leave the job if they feel like their career is stagnating. You need to give employees new opportunities, set them up with challenging tasks, and cater to their professional needs.
An accomplished HR manager provides education courses, offers counseling services, mentors employees, and creates development programs. Investing in employee training and development is beneficial for both sides. Your employees will feel appreciated and cared for, which will lead to increased productivity, creativity, and performance. For your company, it will mean decreased turnover rates, a competitive advantage over other companies, an and increased reputation.
Skill #4: Organizational Skills
Can you keep track of numerous records and files related to each employee efficiently? Having great organizational skills is included in every manager’s job description, if not bolded. As an HR manager, you’ll handle piles of paperwork related to hiring, firing, and employee benefits. That’s why possessing strong organizational skills is essential for effective HR management. Keeping everything organized and accessible will help increase your efficiency as an HR manager, and you’ll be able to handle multiple tasks simultaneously.
Your responsibilities also include filling out tons of documents so it’s necessary to have great attention to detail. Let’s not forget that you’ll attend and run many meetings, so keeping an organized schedule is another task that you must perform flawlessly if you wish to avoid missing a gathering.
Skill #5: Emotional Intelligence Skills
Nothing is as difficult as understanding and managing your own emotions, and those of the people around you. For HR managers, having emotional intelligence is essential for success. At the end of the day, it’s the manager who calmly assesses the situation is more efficient than the leader who shouts as his team.
The emotionally intelligent manager is trustworthy, ethical, a great listener, easy to talk to, and makes careful decisions. These managers are well-liked by their employees, resolve conflicts in a considerate manner, and don’t let their emotions take over control.
According to Gallup, 75 percent of people quit because of their managers. Managers who lack emotional intelligence will only discourage the people around them. They can also make life a living hell for any employee that just wants to keep on advancing. As an HR manager, you must use a human-to-human approach when dealing with employees, get to know them, and be flexible. Treat employees well and you can earn their loyalty for many years to come.
Skill #6: Budgeting Skills
If you chose to get a degree in HR to avoid math problems, there’s bad news coming your way. As an HR manager, you’ll be in charge of compensations and benefits, creating turnover reports, and communicating with number-oriented people.
Moreover, you’ll manage training and development, social activities, performance reports, etc. All these activities need to be calculated into your company’s strategic planning and budgeting. You’ll be dealing with numbers every so often, and one of your primary roles will be to limit expenditures and not overspend on unnecessary activities.
Skill #7: Legal Skills
A good understanding of basic employment law is one of the most important skills every HR manager needs to have. You don’t need a lawyer’s degree, but you should know when you should say no to a request, or when it’s time to call the employment law attorney.
A professional HR manager makes sure the company complies with existing governmental and labor laws, maintains minimal company exposure to lawsuits, and protects the interests of employees and the company in accordance with company Human Resources policies and governmental laws and regulations.
Final Thought
If you wish to succeed as an HR manager, you need to have the proper set of skills. None of these skills are easy to adopt, but with genuine dedication, motivation, and practice, you can grow to become the manager that every employee appreciates and respects. Isn’t this what every HR manager needs to strive for?
