How to Become a Successful HR Manager

Any company would struggle to function in the absence of a HR manager, yet it can be tricky to become successful in this role. Many people believe that they’d be a good HR manager, simply because they’re a good person; however, HR goes much further than this. There are many qualities that employers are searching for when recruiting a HR manager, although every single criterion is so seldom met. From effective communication to clear leadership, listed below are some of the top qualities you need to become a successful HR manager. 

Expand Your HR Knowledge and Expertise

First and foremost, an expansive knowledge of HR and sound expertise is absolutely imperative for becoming a HR manager. A lot of the time, a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree is required but, above all else, knowledge is essential. Ultimately, a HR manager must express an unwavering willingness to keep on top of the latest trends regarding ethics and good practice. This requires a lot of discipline and dedication, which are two key qualities that are necessary for all successful HR managers. Being knowledgeable about the role means that a company can rest assured that you’ll keep everything in order. 

Practice Your Presentation Skills

Since HR is extremely communication-heavy, presentation skills are an absolute must. Although you may not spend the bulk of your time actively presenting, you’ll likely have to keep new employees engaged in the most tedious times of their employment. For instance, signing documents can be a laborious task on an employee’s initial day of work, and it’s the role of the HR manager to ensure that this is carried out. No one wants their latest employee to be bored before they’ve even started. Therefore, the presentation skills of the HR manager go into making the whole document signing experience a slightly less tedious one. 

Practice Multitasking

A HR manager must be an all-rounder, which is why an ability to multitask is essential. One minute of your day you might be dealing with an employee investigation and, in the next breath, you’re handling a maternity leave request. A company’s priorities and needs will constantly evolve, and a HR manager needs to be equipped in keeping up with such. Unfortunately, you can’t prioritise one person’s problem over another, and everyone’s concern needs to be held in equal regard. Therefore, you must deal with any issue that comes your way and, a lot of the time, you’ll be dealing with more than one problem at once. 

Handle Gray Areas Well

The sector of HR is in no way black and white, meaning that HR managers must be able to cope well with gray areas. As the name human resources suggests, HR is predominantly associated with people. Consequently, emotions and personal needs are concerned, which are rarely straightforward. Similarly, you may not know whether instances fall under harassment, discrimination, abuse, or otherwise. Your main priority is to handle the situation regardless of what it may be deemed as. Making a decision from a gray area is a unique skill to have and is one that is especially useful in a role that is so closely associated with human behaviour. 

Practice Good Ethics

The fact that you’re predominantly dealing with people also means that you must display strong ethics. As a HR manager, it’s your job to make your employees feel safe and secure, and much of this security will stem from an apparent set of ethics. The HR manager is the individual that employees should be able to trust more than anyone else, and it’s your role to make sure that this is apparent.