Are you wanting to become a human resource manager? It’s a job that gives you unique opportunities to impact the lives of the company’s employees as well as the life of the company itself. You have the chance to be the key player in widespread success, and it’s exciting!

Your own success is important, and that is why we work so hard at #1 HR Experts to equip HR managers with the knowledge and training they need to be the answer to companies facing challenges. When we work with you, we will help you grow essential skills. Read on to learn a bit more about the skills we focus on!

Great HR Managers Have the Following Skills 

Organization

HR is a hub of sorts, with lots of information coming in and going out. Confidential information needs to be protected, important information needs to be passed on, and there’s pretty much no room for lags. A love for organized files and personal efficiency, paired with strong time management skills, can make an HR person practically unstoppable. Because HR managers have a lot of control over people’s careers and lives, they must be on-the-spot at all times. There is no such thing as procrastination in HR!

Navigating Gray Spaces

HR managers are the ones who get to ask the hard questions. Is this harassment? Is this discrimination? What does a reasonable accommodation look like? If someone keeps asking for intermittent leave, how far should you go to make that happen? HR managers have to be able to move forward with incomplete information and understand when it’s time to turn to attorneys and colleagues to find clarity.

Multitasking

There is nothing humdrum about HR work. You’ll be listening to someone’s personal problem one minute, building a recruiting strategy for a difficult position to fill the next, filing insurance forms the next, and answering a question about intermittent leave the next. Because pretty much everything in HR is top priority, great managers need the ability to prioritize and change direction on a dime. It can be exhilarating and tiring, but you’ll go home knowing you made a real difference for someone.

Communicating

Because you are basically the train station of your company (and your office may feel just like that), you need to be comfortable using every communication channel available to you. You’ll communicate upwards, sideways, downward, and even out to potential employees. You’ll write, present to groups, make phone calls, and use social media. While communicating, you need to be caring and believable.

Let #1 HR Expert Help

Some people learn about the HR job and want to tackle it. Others get intimidated by the concept that you somehow have to be everything to all people. The fact is, HR is just like any other job in that, with good training and support, you can get the opportunity to serve someone effectively. At #1 HR Experts, we fully understand the multiple challenges of working in HR, and we are here to help you prepare. We provide mentoring and teaching to help you put your best foot forward. Contact us for HR consulting in Ontario today!

Read Part 2