Human resource management plays an enormous role in the health and prosperity of any organization. Having an individual or staff well-versed in the many facets of HR can help a business enjoy incredible success in recruiting employees and helping them to remain satisfied and productive workers. HR representatives often times wear many hats. They are the ones who are often responsible for finding quality potential hires, interviewing candidates, training employees in how to navigate within the corporation’s policies and procedures, dealing with conflict resolution between coworkers, and possibly having to carry out the difficult task of terminating positions within the organization. The HR Manager is one who oversees tasks like these and will often consult “with top executives regarding the organization’s strategic planning and talent management issues. They identify ways to maximize the value of the organization’s employees and ensure that they are used as efficiently as possible. For example, they might assess worker productivity and recommend changes to the organization’s structure to help the organization meet budgetary goals.”
There is no doubt that the HR manager position is an important one that has the best chance to thrive being supported by a foundation of solid work experience and education. Human resources managers will often get their start as working within an organization as a human resource specialist. They will most likely have received an undergraduate degree in human resources or relative field like business management, finance, or information technology. Some of the mist accomplished human resources mangers will commit to seeking a higher education and perhaps attain an online MBA in human resource management. This excellent degree will often equip the human resources professional with an understanding of and the ability to provide leadership in topics like compensation and benefits plans, employment laws at the local, state, and federal levels, and HR programs and software.
While education and experience are very important in the development of a human resources manager, there are also some factors associated with the position that those researching this field should be aware of. Here are just a few of the characteristics, qualities, and skills that make an HR manager successful.
Human resource managers must be good communicators. An HR manager will often be the conduit for information and communication getting from one coworker to another, a supervisor to a subordinate, or an employee to an employer. An HR manager not only needs to be able to speak and write clearly and effectively, they must also be able to listen. Listening often means not only hearing what is being said but also processing and translating in order to know what the true meaning of the message is.
An effective HR manager will have solid interpersonal skills and work tirelessly to build trust among the staff and build bridges between HR and the rest of the organization. To be viewed as helpful, an HR manager must be considered accessible and empathetic. As the saying goes, trust can often take years to build and just moments to destroy. For an employee to seek the guidance or aid of an HR manager, trust and credibility must be revealed as a constant.
HR managers must be self-disciplined and able to manage time well. While the HR manager may be responsible for rolling meetings, weekly-report preparation, ongoing information gatherings, and expected results, there are also many days when plans have to be adjusted on the fly in order to deal with conflict as it arises. Some days may be smooth sailing through expected appointments while others seem are riddled with emergencies in all shapes and sizes. It does not take long for projects and reports to get pushed to the backburner and schedules to fall way behind. It is the HR manager’s job to make wise decisions for how time and resources will be spent on a day to day and week to week basis.
These are just a few of the qualities and characteristics involved within the role of a human resources manager. Though the position can look sometimes look like a daunting one with many demands and stressors, it can also be a wonderful opportunity for a person who desires to help other maneuver successfully within an organization. Business will always need competent HR mangers.
