The world of work is on the brink of automation and yet some jobs are still human-centric. Human resources is one of those professions that hasn’t been automated yet. This is because the job market for HR is promising and those who work in this field have developed skilled that cannot be adopted by machines. The HR profession comes with some basic requirements: you must be human, and you must always be resourceful at work. Beyond the two, however, there are several human resources skills that those who wish to excel in their career must adapt.
Discretion
HR professionals have access to sensitive data related to employees’ personal and professional lives. As an HR professional, it is important to manage certain matters with utmost discretion. This could be matters related to staff layoffs, disciplinary action, or even yearly appraisals. In order to excel in your job as an HR professional, you must be capable of handling sensitive matters without eroding the employees’ trust.
Empathy
As we’ve mentioned earlier, the first and foremost requirement to excel in your profession is to be human. You’ll be the single most trusted individual in the organization to whom employees can turn to when they have questions. Most HR professionals maintain an open-door policy and create an inviting space where employees can come and air their grievances.
It is clear that part of any HR job requires one to be compassionate towards their peers. Whether you’re speaking to an employee on a one-to-one basis, or delivering a tough message to workers such as mass layoffs, it’s important to conduct every aspect of your job with empathy.
A job done with empathy helps in creating trust with employees and thus, leads to increased engagement, productivity and collaboration.
Communication
Lastly, HR professionals must develop strong written and verbal skills. Transparent communication will you help build loyalty and trust within the workforce, which can ultimately help increase productivity and long-term success.
With the right mix of above mentioned HR skills, you can be better equipped as an HR professional.