Without understanding the qualities that a successful HR manager must have, it is impossible for anyone in the role to effectively provide the right human resources that a business needs to thrive in today’s economic climate. Successful HR managers are individuals who are skilled at fulfilling a wide range of roles and who can effectively encourage a company’s staff to be the best they can be. In this article, we will highlight what we believe are the top 10 qualities of a successful HR manager. Read on to see how well your own skills match up.
Knowledge and Expertise In HR
It goes without saying that a successful HR manager needs to have a firm educational foundation regarding the functions of human resources. In addition to having a robust education, an HR manager must display a willingness to remain abreast of the latest trends, best practices and ethics in their profession, which requires dedication and discipline. It is with this expertise and knowledge that they will be able to contend with the daily challenges that arise in any organization.
Engaging Presentation Skills
An excellent presenter is an individual who can capture their audience’s attention, maintain their engagement, deliver the message in a positive and effective manner. Effective presenters are lively and engaging. Presentation skills are particularly important to an HR manager because they must conduct training sessions for new employees and present a wide variety of information to management on all levels. Written presentation materials must be effectively written, have proper grammar and punctuation, and deliver a concise message – all while holding the reader’s attention.
Effective Multitasking Capabilities
On an average workday, an HR manager must deal with one employee’s personal complaint one minute, answer a maternity leave question the next and then develop an effective recruiting strategy for a hard to fill position. In human resources, if it is not one problem, then it is another. Every employee has issues that are important to them. A business’s needs and priorities are constantly shifting and evolving. Manager X who needs someone hired immediately doesn’t really care if you’re already helping Manager Y with another problem. You need to be able to handle both problems – at the same time.
Be Able to Deal With “Gray”
As an HR manager, you will be surprised at the number of issues you deal with that fall into “the gray area”. Is it harassment? Was it discrimination? How do you define “reasonable” accommodation? How much time are you willing to devote to securing intermittent leave for an employee? Human resource managers are often required to make decisions with the “best available” (incomplete) information and they must possess the wisdom to know when they should seek advice from lawyers, experts or fellow HR professionals.
Highly Ethical
In a similar fashion, HR managers often serve as the conscience of an organization. When it comes to following company policies and maintaining confidential information, you must have a strong sense of ethics. In order to effectively do your job, you must earn the trust of both employees and managers. Discretion and honesty are two critical components of any successful HR manager.
Strong Communication Skills
A key skill that all HR managers must have is the ability to communicate with both employers and employees. Both your written and oral communication skills must be clear, concise, and effective to individuals on all levels of the organization. Effective communication will sometimes include negotiation. When conflicts arise between co-workers or management and employees, an HR manager must assist both sides in finding a middle ground, so that a compromise can be reached.
Leadership Abilities
As an HR director, you are a leader – not a business partner. You must be at the forefront of all your company does. However, there are no instruction manuals or other benchmarks to measure yourself against when you are on the frontlines. If your organization is the first to be trying something new in your industry, it will be difficult, and there will be a certain level of risk involved. However, these are chances you must be willing to take.
A Great Motivator
The only effective workforce is a motivated one. You must understand what does and does not motivate your employees. Motivation is not about just offering incentives – it is about creating sustainable reasons to maintain a quality of work and to foster employees’ belief in the organization’s cause and their team. In particular, you must be able to successfully motivate your managers, who in turn will motivate the employees under them.
Strong Conflict Management Skills
Dealing with conflict is never pleasant. Conflicts within the workplace will generally do one of two things: a.) work themselves out, or b.) be blown out of proportion. As a human resources manager, it will be up to you to employ your critical thinking skills to appropriately manage the conflict. You must gather all pertinent information, pinpoint the issue, devise possible solutions, and then negotiate a compromise. Although conflicts are natural, you must have the right skills and abilities to ensure that your office runs smoothly.
Courage
There will be times when your career calls for you to stand firmly in the face of fierce opposition – whether it be having to conduct layoffs or opposing poor ideas from management. When faced with unpopular decisions or actions, you must be able to stand firm in your convictions and beliefs regarding what is best for your organization.
These ten qualities are crucial for the modern-day, successful HR director. If you would like to learn more, or want to deepen your knowledge on effective HR strategies, get in touch with the experts at Tusk Group Pty Ltd today.
