Human resource (HR) managers play a number of roles, depending on the size and organization of a company. They are the main link between employees and employers and they do everything from hiring and managing benefits to mediating employee disputes and developing training curriculums. You need to have a few key qualities in order to succeed as an HR manager.
Communication
Communication and active listening skills are vital for HR managers because you need to be perceived as friendly, approachable, and attentive. You must be able to communicate complex concepts to people in other departments. You must also have the ability to deliver messages or news in a concise and comprehensive way. Active listening is important because it shows employees and other people within the company that you are hearing, assessing, and responding appropriately to different concerns.
Leadership
An HR manager is a leader in many regards. You need to know how to lead a team of people and how to be authoritative when dealing with workers. You must also know how to delegate responsibilities to others so that work is done quickly and efficiently. Firm leadership allows HR managers to be successful in demanding and busy companies.
Decision-Making Abilities
HR managers have to make tough or complicated decisions every day, and some of these decisions can affect large groups of people within the company. You will need to have strong decision-making abilities. This means the ability to assess a situation and then come up with the best decision for the company or for an individual. This requires decisiveness, especially when you are making decisions without any input from others.
Creativity
You need to be creative when working as an HR manager in some companies. This position can be about more than just enforcing rules and developing policies. It can be about coming up with creative solutions to deal with issues like recruitment, training, and organizational changes. You might be asked to come up with completely new ideas in order to improve the workforce or to deal with something like changing benefits. Creativity will help you to succeed because you will be able to solve problems in new and innovative ways.
Conflict Resolution Skills
The role of an HR manager often includes dealing directly with employees or coworkers who are having some type of dispute. The dispute could even have legal ramifications in some companies. You will need to have good conflict resolution skills to handle these cases. You must be able to remain calm and objective, even when employees cannot. You must have empathy and be able to negotiate amicable solutions. Good conflict resolution skills let you hold the workforce together without inciting animosity between employees.
Organization and Multitasking
You need to be organized and able to multitask as an HR manager. You are likely to be inundated with different projects and tasks that span the entire business. You need to be able to remain organized so that nothing is lost or missed. You will also have to multitask on a daily basis. You might go from a budget meeting, to an interview, to a training development session, all in a few hours. The ability to multitask combined with strong organizational skills will contribute to your success.
