Women generally are perceived to be good at human resource management. And as broadly observed, many organisations across sectors prefer to employ women as HR heads and executives. Now human resource management has been a growing professional field for years and the trend shall continue as HR demands on businesses of all sizes are increasing.
SATURDAY FARE spoke to a couple of industry experts to understand the essential qualities of good HR professionals.
Namrata Gohain, a career counselor based in Mumbai says that great communication is 'the most' important quality that is needed to become a successful HR professional. She explains, "A core function of every HR professional is to act as an organisation's facilitator of effective communication between employees and management/ownership. This role requires quality written and oral communication skills. The full spectrum of modern written communication methods (including social media) should be properly put to use. Above all, communications from HR must be open, transparent, caring and trustworthy. In order to build strong communication within their organisation; a good HR manager should be as personal as possible. Moreover the HR personnel should focus on employee needs and their personal lives whenever possible inorder to build trust and believability."
A good HR professional should always be aware of ethical responsibilities. "Successful HR managers understand and embrace their role as the conscience of their organisations. HR professionals are entrusted with many different types of confidential information and nothing less than the absolute security and protection of that information from unauthorized disclosure is acceptable. HR professionals must exhibit complete honesty and discretion while working with every member of their organisation," reiterates Gohain.
Aradhana Paul, a placement consultant says that while HR managers do work directly for the managers and owners of their company, they have a duty to faithfully ensure that all actions towards employees and staff are above board, legal and fair. Therefore understanding the organisational chart and chain of command is also essential for a good HR professional.
"Another hallmark of a good HR manager is full confidence in their leadership abilities. Employees often look first to HR for answers and clarity on many company issues. HR is typically considered the expert and quality leadership on delivering information and promoting employee satisfaction can and should be handled at the HR level whenever possible. Leadership for HR professionals means promoting friendly and helpful relations in all cases while maintaining company objectives and policies," explains Paul.
An HR professional should also be adept at conflict management. "Whether that involves working out disagreements among co-workers or explaining why particular company policies are important, HR managers should always be prepared to handle interpersonal relationships. Mediation and conflict resolution training can help develop the skills needed to help people get along at work," adds Gohain.
HR professionals should also be experts in organisation and multitasking. "Every HR department requires strong organisation and HR professionals need strong work habits and time-management abilities inorder to be successful. HR offices should set an example for an entire organisation, so sloppy filing or office management should be avoided. Both employees and management expect timely and proper handling of routine tasks and effective organisational skills can help keep things running smoothly," observes Paul.
An ordinary day for an HR professional includes a wide variety of tasks and duties, including hiring, firing, recruiting, conflict resolution and management meetings. Self-discipline and multitasking are an essential part of the job. "The needs of management and employees shift moment to moment and prioritization on the fly is essential to success. Effective training with technology and delegation can help HR professionals to develop the power to multitask on the move," concludes Gohain.
Also Read: Know about Parenting Styles
Also Watch: