With the growing importance of recruiting and retaining the right knowledge workers in organizations, the role of the Human Resource executive has transformed drastically over the years. Modern HR professionals are not only expected to be subject matter experts but also demonstrate strong personality traits and qualities through mannerism, attitude, professionalism, quick thinking, decision making abilities etc. Let’s put it simply – when individuals attend an interview, the management expects certain qualities from the candidate that deems him/her fit for the job; similarly the management and employees expect HR executives as strategic business partners to demonstrate certain personality traits. So let’s take a closer look at five qualities and characteristics that all successful HR Executives should have:
Time management
Agreed, that HR professionals today have to multitask – from handing employee recruitment to training, maintaining employee relations, performance management and career development, compensation and benefit programs, etc. But all of this needs to be time-bound. Considering that time has always been a constraint and even with the use of technology and software, at times human interventions are mandatory, HR executives must be able to get work done in time. For example, the goal to – “Conduct induction of 100 new employees” is incomplete. A define time must be added to that goal. Eg. “Conduct induction of 100 new employees by 30th November 2015.”
Decision Makers
As strategic business partners, the ideal HR professional should be up-to-date on industry benchmarks, market trends and aware of ongoing processes in the organization so as to be able to take a call regarding matters. An HR executive should be able to make decisions in time, sometimes impromptu and even in grey areas, that require empathy, emotional intelligence, knowledge of laws and regulations and sensitivity. These would primarily include areas such as harassment, discrimination, employee grievances, complaints and even attrition/resignation.
Conflict Management
In families it’s usually the parent or an elder sibling with authority who resolves conflict among people. In organizations, this is a major responsibility of the HR professional – to keep teams free of conflicts so as to ensure high productivity and optimal usage of resources. It’s not unlikely that team members at times will not get along with other members, but in order for businesses to run systematically there must be civility between people. This requires therefore, HR executives to be trustworthy, impartial and attentive with problem solving abilities to manage conflicts efficiently.
Communication and Negotiation
Communication does not always mean verbal communication – it usually extends to writing and in the modern business milieu to social media as well. A Human Resource executive needs to be assertive and convincing when communicating to management, shareholders and employees. In most cases, this often requires them to have strong negotiation skills as often individuals have opposing views.
Ethics and Self Discipline
To lead by example – that’s probably the defining character of every HR manager and professional. A HR executive should be discrete and ethical in their approach and work towards safeguarding confidential information. This could be as simple as an employee complaint/grievance to serious management decisions. In this respect they should epitomize self-discipline which includes adhering to organizational policies and regulations so as to be able to monitor behavior in others and take appropriate action against employees wherever necessary.
It goes without saying therefore that the qualities that a HR professional should demonstrate is countless and not limited to the ones listed above. However, these are probably some of the common characteristics they should have in order to set an example and excel in their field of work.
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