1) Human Behavior Expert and Analyzer. If he is not able to understand Human Behaviour, he will not be able to hire, retain and manage good talent.
2) Business Knowledge. If the person don't have zeal and interest in Business and operations of the company, he will not be able understand the revenue - profit equation. It is very important to know the business of the company, best practices in the industry to attract and hire best talent from the market.
3) Expert in Numbers, Statistics and Taxation. If HR manager don't have this skill, he will not be able to frame effecttive Compensation and Benefits metrics. He will not be able to analyze results of survey. He will not be able to Benchmark. He will not be able to give competitive edge to his company.
According to me...these are the important skills that a HR Professional should have to enter into this profession and be successful in his career.
Regards
Sanjeev Sharma