Mastering Key Skills for Success as an HR Professional

Dear Friends,

According to you, what are the three skills that are required in an HR professional to be successful in his or her role? What makes a great HR? Share your thoughts and ideas.

Sanjeev

Hi Sanjeev,

Greetings for the day.

I personally feel the most important skill for any HR professional is "people handling." Along with that, he or she should be a good team leader and must be an effective communicator.

According to me:

1. Good listener and speaker.
2. Strong analysis skills.
3. Tolerance.

Shah Khan

Vrushali, I believe 'people handling' is very vague and broad term. Can you please explain this part?
Also, I also believe that being a “team-leader” is not a primary skill. There are limited numbers of HR people in leadership roles of any company. It is not very often that we hear about HR professionals as CEO of companies or HR professionals in the board-room.
Please explain this as well.

Sanjeev, Team leader it doesnt mean you should be a CEO or be a part of board room.
To lead your team, to tel your staff that you are with them, motivate them at work level, understand their problems,resolve it all these things comes under a team leader.
Gandhiji, Tilak never studied HR or not being a part of any board room or not a CEO. But they were great team leaded.A great potential to influence on people.Similarly now a days every dept staff having some dissatisfaction about their senior or reporting head such as production,marketing. In such a situation only HR who could understand them and act as a leader...I hope now its clear to you.
In case of people handling its a skill which differ from HR to HR . In my organization it is a very important skill for me. Might be not necessary for your org.

Vrushali,

I only asked for elaborating on "people handling". What do you handle in people? :) :) :)

Also, Vrushali, I think the core problem is not in leadership skills or the ability to lead the team... The problem is in seeking the role of team lead without understanding the basics. Seeking a leadership position within 0.5 to 1 year of experience. Therefore, leadership skills are required only after a certain level of experience and not at the beginning of a career.

Dear Sanjeev,

These are the three main skills which I feel a good HR professional should possess in today's scenario:

1. Recruiting & Interviewing Skills - finding the right person for the right job, which is a challenge in today's competitive environment. The HR professional should have a background in Operations/Business HR.

2. Employee Grievance Handling - HR should be proactive and capable of resolving issues promptly. They should be easily accessible to employees.

3. Employee Engagement - It goes beyond just fun and games. It involves linking engagement activities with career progression, personality development, work-life balance, integrity, etc.

Thank you,
[Your Name]

Dear All,

I am facing some problems regarding people handling in the organization. My seniors say an HR must not be friendly with employees; an HR should not sit and have lunch with them. They believe that by doing so, an HR loses its values. But I believe that HR must be good at employee relations. HR must be a link (coordinator) between employees and the employer. Kindly let me know what behavior and attitude an HR must carry.

I am working as an HR Executive with 10 months of experience.

Hi Sanjiv,

I don't think that to be a good leader, you need to gain some experience first. Leadership comes from within, due to situations, regardless of whether you started your job 1 day back or 10 years back.

A good HR professional should possess the quality of integrating into the system and aligning others within the system for the smooth functioning of the entire organization. This ensures that one could say, "Yes, the working of this or that company is the best," and that is the real appreciation and success of a good and successful HR.

Hi all,

I would like to add one more skill that is necessary for an HR professional, which is systematic documentation of every detail related to employees, training, performance, recruitment, appraisal, promotion, past records, etc., i.e., all the areas under the HRD. This helps us to work very efficiently and also helps the organization to operate smoothly even when we leave or switch our job.

Regards,
Richa

Hi Aparna Gaba,

Good question. Even I think that HR must be good at employee relations; otherwise, employees cannot express their problems, and we can't understand their issues. But I also want to mention that HR must maintain a clear boundary between employees and HR so that HR can make unbiased decisions.

I would like to hear others' opinions on this.

Regards,
Kinjal

Hi all my seniors,

I have completed my MBA in HR and Marketing and have 3.5 years of experience in the paints industry as a BDM and Branch Head in Patna. Now that I am married, after one year, I am looking to transition into HR. Please suggest if any HR training is required, which is offered by many institutions. I have a strong interest in HR and experience with job portals and end-to-end recruitment, as well as preparing daily reports.

Could you advise me on where to start in HR and which vertical I should focus on? Please provide any information that can help differentiate between HR sectors.

Thank you.

Hi Vishal,

The successful HR professional is the one who can solve the problems of an organization and knows all the threats to overcome any difficulty. They should be diplomatic, able to handle all queries, dissatisfaction, grievances, and all factors that motivate employees.

Hi all,

Being an HR professional, you should understand all the problems employees face during training and on working days. Only HR can closely understand employees' issues such as salary problems, increments, incentives, and relieving processes because HR hires candidates and handles formalities like relieving and employee exit feedback when candidates resign (proper resignation).

If the above thoughts are incorrect, please let me know.

Regards, Sunil Soni

In an interview, if asked the question, "What are your achievements as an HR professional?" what should be the answer to it? I have 6 years of experience in the HR field.

Suresh S

Dear all,

I am Suresh. I have completed BCA, DCA, and DLL. I have 5 years of experience in the HR field. Currently, I am working as an HR manager in the automobile industry. I am planning to relocate my family to Coimbatore. If there are any HR vacancies available in Coimbatore, please let me know. You can reach me at hrsures@gmail.com.

Thank you.

The main role of HR people is to evaluate and assess the right person for the right place at the right time. Apart from this, employee satisfaction and engagement are also main concerns for HR personnel.

It is true that HR people have to maintain some non-friendly relations with employees concerning the maintenance of proper code of conduct and etiquettes. However, HR also acts as a liaison between employers and employees, hence they must maintain good relations with everyone.

A positive attitude held by the employee towards the organization and its values. An engaged employee works with colleagues to improve performance within the job for the benefit of the organization. The organization (HR) must work to develop and nurture engagement, which requires a two-way relationship between employer and employee.

Here is a list of some contributing factors from the HR end that need to be noted and followed:

- Understanding of corporate goals/mission
- Understanding of the job and how it contributes to overall corporate goals
- Clear communication of goals, expectations, directions
- Job design
- Job fit
- Support and tools
- Independence and innovation
- Relationship with boss/direct reports
- Clear feedback on performance
- Recognition
- Learning and development opportunities
- Opportunities for advancement
- Pride in the organization
- Employee input
- Employee involvement in decision making
- Work-life balance
- Workplace culture/morale
- Reward, appreciation, and other activities for employee engagement
- Co-worker relationships and a good team environment
- Fair HR practices

Regards,

Hiten Dalal
Officer HR & Personnel

Hi Sanjeev,

Greetings of the day.

I believe an HR professional should:

1. Be a good listener, for which he should have good patience.
2. Be an effective liaison officer.
3. Be a leader, of course, but also a good role model.
4. Also, good convincing skills are important. Imposing things doesn't yield effective results.

Thanks!!

Regards, Supriya Kabra

Hi Sanjeev,

According to me, the three skills that are required in an HR professional to be successful in his or her role are:
1. He should be a good leader.
2. He should be a good decision-maker.
3. He should be a good communicator.

Thanks & Regards,
Shailesh

According to me, good HR is a person who does not discourage others, who does not dominate, always motivates and encourages individuals working under him or her. They shouldn't continuously point out faults but rather be polite, give respect, offer proper training using videos and PowerPoint presentations for explanations, and utilize a board for giving training. It's important not to simply dismiss someone for not doing proper billing.

Thank you.

HR personnel have to be people's persons - humane, flexible, and firm at the same time, depending on the situation and requirements. The HR role varies from organization to organization, but the basics remain the same.

Thank you.

Regards, Aspirations

Hi All,

In my opinion, an HR professional has to:

1) Have a human approach towards all (top, low, or middle-level employees).
2) Have clear knowledge and understanding of company operations and policies (which helps HR in recruitment, training, devising PMS, and addressing employee queries).
3) Be honest in their work and understand that "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" (meaning - to enjoy and create a good and healthy work environment. This does not imply a breach of company policies based on friendship or relationships, etc.)

Of course, the other qualities mentioned by others should also be considered. I may be right, wrong, or neutral. Please do reply so I can know your thoughts.

"Thanks all"

Hi Aparna,

I don't believe that having a good rapport with all staff in a company devalues HR. It will give you a good idea of the character of each individual member of your company. Sometimes, you get to know the root of some HR issues which helps you to rectify for the better of the company and staff. We, people working in HR, must understand each individual staff working under our company in order to maintain a healthy relationship between colleagues. HR people should know our area of what we can talk or discuss about for different levels of staff. We should be able to handle ourselves without creating any differences between our colleagues. As long as we always remember the role we play in our companies, it doesn't matter if we have lunch or breakfast with them.

Although the above is my opinion, different companies have different cultures and different ways. See in your case if you can figure out a way to balance both sides.

Regards,
Muna

Hi all,

I joined this site quite recently and am currently working as an Assistant Manager for Admin & HR at a company. Even though I am new to this network, I would like to share my view in this regard. We cannot define HR by only three skills. Those who have been in this field for a long period will know that most of the tasks involving HR require more than three skills. All the skills mentioned above play a very important and vital role in our application of HR in the work environment. Even a minor skill or fact can be of great advantage in different circumstances.

Regards,
Muna

Very well noted, HR professionals already made excellent comments on Sanjeev Himachali's question. In my opinion and to keep it simple:

A = Attitude (Appropriate attitude, empathy, unbiased, impartial towards the Human Capital of the entire organization)

S = Skill (Adequate skills in Communication, Negotiations, Conflict Management, and various other skills as required by HR professionals)

K = Knowledge (Thorough knowledge of HR policies, company philosophy, culture & practices, etc.)

Those who are good at the above three "ASK", I think they can really be professional HR.

Thank you, friends, for your feedback and for sharing your thoughts. As someone mentioned, the skills required for HR professionals to be successful in their role cannot be limited to just three numbers or three pointers. Based on my experience and knowledge, three traits or skills that have defined my success (assuming I am considered successful) are:

1) Good Communication: HR professionals are expected to be great communicators. They must be able to read and write in an understandable manner.

2) Collaborators: Not all HR professionals need to be great leaders, but they are all expected to be excellent collaborators. They are required to facilitate collaboration between management and employees and among various departments, branches, and regional offices.

3) Subject Matter Experts: All HR professionals are expected to have a strong grasp of their area of specialization, whether it be Training and Development, Talent Acquisition, Compensation and Benefits, Talent Management, Employee Relations, etc. Ideally, they should excel in at least three of the aforementioned specialized areas.

These traits and skills have helped me carve out a path for myself.

Thank you.

I feel that team handling skills are mandatory for HR professionals. They should inspire, motivate, drive, and guide people in a proper way. A good decision-maker is also essential.

Poongodi Subramaniam

Thank you, friends, for your feedback and for sharing your thoughts. As someone mentioned, the skills required for HR professionals to be successful in their role cannot be limited to just three numbers or three pointers. Based on my experience and knowledge, three traits or skills that have defined my success (if only I am considered successful) are:

1) Good Communication: HR professionals are expected to be great communicators. They must be able to read and write in an understandable manner.

2) Collaborators: Not all HR professionals need to be great leaders, but all HR professionals are expected to be awesome collaborators. They are expected to facilitate collaboration between management and employees and also among various departments, branches, and regional offices.

3) Subject Matter Experts: All HR professionals are expected to have a strong grasp of their area of specialization, whether it be Training and Development, Talent Acquisition, Compensation and Benefits, Talent Management, Employee Relations, etc. In fact, they should be masters of at least three of the above-mentioned specialized areas.

These traits and skills have helped me carve out a route for myself.

Hi,

As far as my knowledge is concerned, it is really quite difficult to explain the exact way of execution in actions as well as in attitude. We need to keep ourselves in the system in order to change the system. Hence, active participation, coordination, and cooperation are inevitably integral parts to establish the role. Additionally, an effective communicator can convey the exact message to the target, which is an important characteristic of an ideal HR Manager.

In relation to that, last but not least, discipline in actions and attitude will motivate others to follow your words. Discipline doesn't imply that we should not have lunch with workers or mix with them. Our body language should convey a message to other workers to motivate them to work. Furthermore, I welcome all other suggestions if I am missing something about HR.

Besides this, being legally sound is most important not only to act smartly and confidently but also to enable us to cope with situations accordingly, without which it is quite difficult to survive in the manufacturing industry, given the bitter truth of life, "Survival of the fittest."

Thank you,

Amar Nath Sharma

Dear Sanjeev,

Such a challenging question you asked. In my experience, the following three skills are needed for an HR professional:

1) Commanding Skills
2) Neutral and Peaceful Mind
3) Caring Nature

I am giving priority to the above top 3. The reason why I put soft skills last is that the top three themselves encompass soft skills when we have them separately.

Regards,
Mageswaran S V

Sanjay:

A true HR professional is many rolled into one: analytical, diagnostic observer, and appraiser. They must be objective, a good listener, and an effective communicator. They are part of the organization yet stand as an outpost of all-weather shelter. They should be able to hear beyond what they listen to, see what may be shielded, and understand the conflicts that may arise while acting as a pacifier philanthropically. A mentor rather than a preacher, they must be a friend who can indicate shortcomings, willing to call 'a spade a spade' without uttering the word 'spade,' and indeed a no-nonsense person.

Regards,
P. S. Ramaswamy

Strategic Orientation, Organization, Multitasking, Discretion, Business Ethics, Dual Focus, Employee Trust, Fairness, Dedication to Continuous Improvement, Team Orientation, etc. One needs to prioritize these skills as per your organization's needs. HR professionals should know what your respective organization's strategy is and what will make your organization's business thrive and grow.

Hence, have a tailored approach accordingly.

Dear Sir,
As we don’t work on Saturday and Sunday in this case, can appointment letter date and joining date be of Saturday and Sunday or not?
Requesting you to kindly let me know.
Regards
Tarannum

In most companies, the practice is to keep Monday as the joining day. However, the joining day can be any day of the week except weekends. If your company does not work on Saturday and Sunday, they cannot keep these two days as joining days.

Hi Sanjeev,

Good evening. According to me, the three main skills that an HR must possess are:

1. Leadership skills
2. Maintaining effective employee relations
3. Listening and problem-solving

Regards,
Poongodi

@ Poongodi, you listed some really nice points, however, I need to understand few things:
1) Leadership Skills: Why everyone in the HR department needs to have leadership skills? What do they lead? Employees of the organization are lead by department heads and department heads are lead by the management or the board. I believe all HR professional needs to have the skill of collaboration.
2) Problem Solving: Whose problem solving – the company or the employees?

Dear Sanjeev Sir,

Thank you for your reply. I would like to clarify the appointment letter's date (mentioned at the top). Can it be issued on Saturday or Sunday (weekends)?

Regards,
Tarannum

@ Tarannum, you can issue an appointment letter on any day of the week, including Sunday, at any time of the day, be it midnight or any other time. However, you cannot ask someone to join on the weekend, Saturday, or Sunday if the company is not working on those days. Joining can only be on weekdays or working days of the company.

Hi to all,

To be a successful HR professional, one should possess a variety of qualities. A company can only operate effectively with skilled HR professionals in place. An HR individual should play a key role and possess the potential to analyze situations, exhibit managerial qualities, demonstrate leadership skills, make informed decisions, and more.

1. Leader with good ideas
2. Follower of good ideas
3. Who can implement good ideas immediately

Sunil

Hi All,

In my opinion, HR must be friendly with the workers. They always have many problems both official and personal. Sometimes it can be very tough, but it is beneficial.

For the past 20 years, I have been working in this field. I enjoy being in constant contact with the workers, and in return, they also appreciate my approach.

Regards,
Mohan

Hi All,

A good HR professional is required to know the pulse of the employees and the employer. Sharp memory, knowledge, experience, and self-discipline are the qualities that will automatically make things fall into place for the smooth functioning of any organization.

Regards,
Lita Sarkar

Hello Sanjeev,

Although the question is very common and posed very frequently, the answers to it are normally very vague and numerous. It's very confusing as to what exactly the answer is. At the same time, when all the answers listed by everyone here are correct, it should be noted that an HR's ultimate goal is to enable the company and the employees to meet their goals. A company exists to make profits, and the employees work for the company to earn their livelihood and improve standards of living. So, the HR is someone who acts as a catalyst to strike the right balance between the employer and the employee, which means the HR requires skills that would enable him to make it possible. The HR's skill requirement would vary from company to company depending on the business of these companies.

Hi,

I believe the most important skill for an HR professional is empathy with employees followed by good listening, analysis skills, and systematic documentation.

Three basic skills required for any good HR professional are:

- Good communication skills
- Leadership skills
- Strong convincing power

These skills are essential for effectively managing and leading teams in a human resources role. Good communication skills help in conveying information clearly and fostering positive relationships. Leadership skills are vital for guiding and motivating team members towards achieving organizational goals. Lastly, possessing strong convincing power aids in influencing decisions and driving positive change within the organization.

Hello Sanjeev,

I hope you are doing great.

In my opinion, HR professionals must possess the following skills:

1. Advocacy: They must be able to balance individual expectations with organizational goals and aspirations.
2. People Handling: This involves understanding employees' issues, taking necessary steps to solve them, building trust among employees, and maintaining good morale among the team.
3. Integrity and Trust: HR professionals should demonstrate honesty and reliability in their work.
4. Perspective: They should be able to view issues and challenges from the broadest possible perspective.

Thank you.

Subject: Re: Successful HR Professional

Hi All,

I am working as a "Sourcing & Induction Executive." I would like to know:

1) How will the above-mentioned points help me?
2) What extra roles/skills should I acquire for this post?

My job role involves maintaining relationships with freelancers and a variety of skilled people. Besides verbal communication, what written and maintenance skills should I focus on?

Richa mentioned the importance of systematic documentation covering all aspects under the HRD, such as employee details, training, performance, recruitment, appraisals, promotions, and past records. I would appreciate further elaboration on this.

Regards & Thanks,

Harshita

Dear Sanjeev,

I have recently joined a Singapore-based MNC as an HR Executive. I started my job as an HR trainee, which I did for 6 months, and then joined a leading Freight forwarding company as a Sr. Officer in Finance. The problem is that in this company, I am the only person in HR, and I am finding it very difficult to put together all the HR activities due to the lack of practical knowledge about the same. Please help me in putting everything together and starting a proper HR department. I am posting this question here because I am not able to open a new thread. :(

Please help.

Thanks in advance,
Swetha Kha

Hi Swetha,

First of all, congratulations on the job (though late). I have been working as a Sourcing and Induction Executive at an IT service provider company for 4-5 months now. I may not be able to provide an exact solution to your problem, but I believe the following suggestions might be helpful.

Firstly, I would like to understand the scope of work you are responsible for. If you are currently not involved in recruiting, prioritize other tasks that need immediate attention and completion. If recruiting is part of your responsibilities, start by recruiting for roles where you are struggling to find time.

Please let me know the specific tasks you need to manage, and I will be happy to offer further advice.

All the best!

Regards,
Harshita

Dear Harshita,

Thanks for your reply.

At present, I am working on tasks related to job portals: posting jobs on the site, screening CVs, shortlisting candidates based on requirements, calling candidates for interviews, scheduling interviews, handling employee needs and grievances, managing formalities for new joiners, issuing ID cards, and other administrative activities.

Currently, I find myself in a situation where I am required to follow my manager's instructions without a clear definition of my role. How can I proceed to clarify my position as an HR executive?

Please help. :(

Hi Sweta,

Please arrange the data on your computer as follows:

a) Recruitment
1) Database (Excel sheet) for all candidates, including the following attributes:
- Sr. No.
- Name
- Purpose for recruitment
- Contact number
- Address
- Email
- Reference
- Contacted/not
- Response
- Interview scheduled (date)
- Appeared/not (if not, then when next/why)
- Result of interview (1st round, 2nd round, etc.)
- Joining date
- Salary fixed

b) Admin
- Database for i-card with attributes like sr. no., name, contact details, address, email, designation, joining date, issued on, etc. (as per your requirement)

c) Handling queries:
1) Post job on site as soon as received
2) Maintain a list/database of inquiries yet to be posted or those with replies and the source of the reply
3) Track when inquiries were received, closed, and who provided them

d) Attend calls when possible; if not, make an excuse and email them.

e) Schedule interviews 2-3 days in advance, send a reminder a day before, and ask for confirmation of attendance.

Remember to take breaks, have meals on time, stay hydrated, and take short rests after lunch. It's essential to maintain a healthy routine.

Try implementing these steps and observe the outcomes. Stay organized and let me know how it goes or email me if you have any questions.

Regards,
Harshita

Dear Harshita,

Thank you a lot for this wonderful piece of advice. This would really prove to be of great help to me. I will surely email you the outcome for the same. :)

Kind regards, [Your Name]

He should generate systems, follow them, and ensure they are followed with patience and intelligence.

H.R. Manager
B.L. Agro Oils Ltd

Dear Satish,

To become a successful HR professional, certain qualities are essential. An individual in this role should possess good interpersonal skills, showing empathy towards employees to effectively solve their problems. Additionally, they should have the ability to work collaboratively with others as a team to achieve the organization's goals.

I hope this helps.

Best regards,
[Your Name]

Successful HR professional who can develop competency, culture, and motivation.

Thanks and Regards,
Shraddha Jadhav