Six Essential Skills of HR Management

The 6 Essential Skills of HR Management—How Many Do You Have?

By Stephen D. Bruce, PHR
Managing Editor, HR Daily Advisor

HR Key Skill #1: Organization
HR management requires an orderly approach. Organized files, strong time management skills, and personal efficiency are key to successful HR function. As readers well know, there's a heavy load of regular work and that's to say nothing of the "emergencies." You have to make time and you can't be sloppy.

HR Key Skill #2: Multitasking
On any day, an HR professional will deal with an employee's personal issue one minute, a benefit claim the next, and a recruiting strategy for a hard-to-fill job the minute after. Priorities and business needs to move fast and change fast, and colleague A who needs something doesn't much care if you're already helping colleague B. You need to be able to handle it all, all at once.

HR Key Skill #3: Discretion and Business Ethics
HR professionals are the conscience of the company, as well as the keepers of confidential information. You are the corporate watchdogs, and you need the strength to push back when things aren't right. You have to be absolute in guarding the confidentiality of documents and information entrusted to you.

HR Key Skill #4: Dual Focus
HR professionals need to consider the needs of both employees and management. There are times you must make decisions to protect the individual, and other times when you protect the organization, its culture, and values. Going in either direction, you may have information you can't share. It's part of the territory.

HR Key Skill #5: Employee Trust
Employees expect HR professionals to advocate for their concerns, yet you must also enforce top management's policies. The HR professional who can pull off this delicate balancing act wins trust from all concerned.

HR Key Skill #6: Fairness
Successful HR professionals demonstrate fairness. This means that communication is clear, that peoples' voices are heard, that laws and policies are followed consistently, and that privacy and respect is maintained.

Above are some of the things an HR Professional does on a daily basis, not including the completion of projects like employee handbooks, job descriptions, developing policies and procedures and supervisory & management training. Let's not leave out, ESC & EEOC claims, FMLA/ADA/Workers' Compensation and talent management. Basically, an HR Professional's work is never done.

For assistance in any item mentioned above, please call or email me at:

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