Companies with capable HR departments are doing better economically than others. This is an undeniable fact. Capable HR departments no longer have just an administrative function. They possess skills that encourage innovation, develop leadership talent change corporate cultures and increase profits.
Traditional HR responsibilities such as recruitment, employee training and evaluation remain important. However, there is a new major strategic area HR should focus on - employee potential development. If HR professionals want to succeed in their strategic role, they should develop the following key skills identified at Talentmgt.com.
1. Deep knowledge of HR
HR professionals are still undervalued in many companies. Many managers believe that they could handle the job of HR managers themselves without problems and that the role is actually a useless cost center. It is up to you to prove them otherwise.
2. Knowledge of business
Your knowledge of HR should be demonstrated in a way that will be understandable to your strategic partners in top management. HR professionals must understand not only, corporate business operations, but also the external environment in which the company operates. Simply put, you must know how the company makes money and the role of each individual employee and other people play. You must also understand, be able to explain and especially to quantify the impact of various HR practices on the company's profit. This requires knowledge of economics and finance, sales, marketing, and also technology.
3. Communication skills
HR professionals must perfect spoken and written communication. Otherwise, they could hardly manage to interact with employees, top management and suppliers. They must be able to present the same content in different ways for different audiences. They must also know how to listen, share and receive feedback.
4. Interest in continuous learning
Good HR professionals are always learning more about their companies, branches of business, profession, employees and the outside world. They are open to new challenges and look for new ways to benefit their companies. They read professional books and web sites, participate in seminars and conferences or join professional organizations. They try to gain experience in a wide variety of sectors. They travel a lot to learn about other cultures and habits.
5. Courage and ability to show it
Being courageous as an HR professional means not being afraid to report bad news, hear criticism or defend your views in front of authorities. HR professionals must be able to enforce unpopular measures, otherwise they would not generate any change. Only a courageous HR manager may have a significant impact on a company's business.
6. Ability to evolve
The transition from the reactive to the strategic role of HR professionals requires conscious and continuous work on developing the five skills described above.
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