The most important HR skills include organizational skills for managing various tasks and deadlines, communication skills for clear and effective interaction, confidentiality skills for handling sensitive information, and adaptability skills for managing change and unpredictability. Cultivating these skills can enhance productivity and effectiveness in HR roles.
An experienced recruiter and HR professional who has transferred her expertise to insightful content to support others in HR.
Whether you’re kickstarting your career in Human Resources, or you’re a seasoned HR professional, developing good organization, communication, confidentiality and adaptability skills will help you manage your daily tasks and improve your productivity.
Here, we analyze some of the most important HR skills and offer advice on how to cultivate them:
Whether you’re new to HR or a seasoned veteran, making a commitment to honing your skills will help you have a fulfilling career where you can add value to your organization.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore proven methods for developing the skills you need to excel in HR and become a strategic business partner.
Embrace New Learning Opportunities
Adopting a mentality of embracing new learning opportunities wherever they might appear can help you develop your HR skills. Be curious, ask questions and look for ways to improve.
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Keep current on trends. Make it a habit to regularly read HR news, blogs, magazines, and books to stay up to date on changing workplace dynamics and best practices. Knowing what issues peers face will make you better prepared.
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Learn from experience. Treat each new task or challenge as a chance to build your capabilities. Reflect on accomplishments and setbacks to continuously refine your approach.
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Ask for feedback. Checking in periodically with your manager and colleagues on your performance provides valuable input on areas where you’re doing well and opportunities for growth.
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Step outside your comfort zone. Don’t be afraid to volunteer for assignments that stretch your abilities. Pushing past your boundaries is key for advancement.
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Watch others. Notice how successful HR professionals handle various situations. Emulate techniques that you admire.
Observe Experts
Carefully observing how skilled HR practitioners operate provides an excellent education. Here are some ways to learn from experts:
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Shadow an HR leader. Request to spend a few days closely following an HR director or VP. Watch their priorities, how they make decisions, and how they influence.
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Join your local HR association. Attending meetings gives access to experienced HR pros who can share wisdom. Many associations also offer mentorship programs.
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Learn from clients/vendors. Interactions with clients and vendors expose you to a diverse set of perspectives and best practices to integrate into your own work.
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Take a course from HR thought leaders. Many top consultants, authors, and academics offer online courses packed with their latest thinking and models.
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Follow influencers on social media. Monitoring Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook provides visibility into how respected HR leaders view current issues.
Pursue Additional Education
Enrolling in classes and programs explicitly geared toward honing HR expertise allows for targeted skill development. Options include:
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Degree programs. Earning a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Human Resources, Labor Relations, or a related field like Organizational Psychology provides comprehensive knowledge. Many programs offer flexibility for working professionals.
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Certifications. Completing certifications such as SHRM’s HR Certification demonstrates mastery of key competencies. Other recognized certifications are available for niche HR specialties.
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Conferences/seminars. Major multi-day HR conferences from SHRM, HCI, and others cover a huge range of topics. Look for conferences aligned with your interests.
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Online courses. From general HR knowledge to systems like Workday, there are thousands of a la carte online courses to choose from to address specific skill gaps.
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Organizational training. Tap into internal learning opportunities. If unavailable, advocate for implementing training on high-priority topics.
Collaborate with Other HR Professionals
Connecting with the wider HR community provides support and inspiration to continue developing. Ways to collaborate include:
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HR networking events. Attending HR Meetups and other networking events in your geographic area allows for meeting peers and exchanging ideas.
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HR associations. Joining your local SHRM chapter or other professional associations opens the door to workshops, shared initiatives, and mentorship opportunities.
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HR conferences. Large gatherings like SHRM’s Annual Conference & Exposition facilitate meeting hundreds of fellow HR pros and learning from their experiences.
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HR peer groups. Forming a small peer group that meets regularly helps you gain insights from how colleagues are advancing their expertise.
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Online HR communities. Participating in Facebook Groups, LinkedIn Groups, Slack channels, and forums connects you with HR peers worldwide.
Key HR Skills to Develop
Beyond general learning strategies, here are some specific high-impact HR skills worth focusing on:
HR Technology Skills
Having a solid grasp of HR information systems boosts efficiency and enables deeper data-driven insights.
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Learn your organization’s HRIS, ATS, and performance management systems inside and out.
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Keep up with AI and automation tools entering the HR space like chatbots, machine learning, and robotic process automation.
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Get experience with HR analytics to turn workforce data into actionable business intelligence.
Communication and Influence Skills
HR guides change, so being able to connect with and motivate others is vital.
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Master presenting to senior leadership and large groups. Take a public speaking course to improve.
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Learn storytelling techniques to compel and inspire through messaging.
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Study emotional intelligence principles to build rapport and discern needs.
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Brush up on your coaching skills to counsel managers and employees through transitions.
HR Compliance Skills
Handling legal and regulatory issues with precision is table stakes for any HR pro.
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Keep current on employment law and HR compliance best practices to avoid missteps.
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Learn how to conduct efficient investigations for sensitive employee issues.
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Develop consistency in documentation and implementation of policies and processes.
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Get fluent in HR metrics to monitor legal and regulatory compliance risks.
Business Acumen
Grasping the fundamentals of business operations allows HR to better align their efforts with organizational goals.
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Take courses on accounting, finance, marketing and other core business disciplines.
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Understand your organization’s business model, competitive landscape, and strategy.
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Learn how to speak the language of business to earn credibility with company leadership.
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Develop financial analysis skills to quantify the ROI of HR programs.
Create Your HR Skills Development Plan
Here are steps to create your own strategic HR skills development plan:
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Self-assess – Reflect on your current skills and knowledge. What are you good at? Where do you need growth?
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Gather feedback – Ask managers, peers, and mentors for input on your strengths and areas for improvement.
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Determine top priorities – Decide 2-3 high-impact skill areas to focus your development efforts on first.
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Define goals – Outline specific, measurable goals for achieving proficiency in your priority areas within a set timeframe.
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Research options – Identify educational programs, training, courses, and other options that align with your goals.
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Make a schedule – Plot out a schedule detailing what, when, and how you will learn over time.
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Get support – Inform your manager of your development goals and enlist their support.
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Execute – Follow through on your plan. Continuously evaluate progress and adjust as needed.
Ongoing HR Skills Development Is Vital
In today’s rapidly evolving, competitive business landscape, organizations rely heavily on their HR teams. For HR professionals to have fulfilling, impactful careers, being intentional about continuously developing new skills is essential.
Hopefully this guide provided you with a framework and specific ideas to advance your expertise. The strategies and best practices outlined above will serve you well at any stage of your HR journey.
Remember, your learning should never stop. Commit to being a lifelong student of HR. With determination and an openness to grow, you’ll build a skillset that allows you to thrive and add tremendous value as an HR leader.
How you can improve your organizational skills
- Use calendar management tools to schedule upcoming meetings and send notifications so that you don’t miss anything.
- Measure how much time each task requires (e.g. by using tools like RescueTime) and book timeslots to focus on specific responsibilities.
- Organize your daily agenda and prioritize your duties with to-do list applications, like Todoist and Evernote.
- Invest in Human Resources Management software and Applicant Tracking Systems to keep important data and files in one place.
Want to learn how an applicant tracking system can help you hire better, faster and more cost efficiently? Find out with Workable, the worlds leading ATS.
Why it’s important to be confidential
HR teams manage confidential information, like compensation. They also discuss personal, sensitive matters with employees. To make sure they respect privacy, HR professionals need to develop the following:
- Discretion. Disclosing an employee’s personal data (e.g. medical history) can put that employee in an uncomfortable position and raise your business’s legal risks. Good HR staff handles sensitive information with care.
- Ethics. HR team members have access to corporate information, including contract terms, budgets, salaries and offer letters. It’s important that they refrain from gossiping about this information and maintain their professionalism at all times.
- Trustworthiness. HR professionals need to inspire trust. Employees who may disagree with a company policy or have an issue with their manager will talk to HR. But, they need to feel secure enough that raising a concern won’t affect their employment status.
Top 5 HR Skills Every HR Professional Should Have
What are HR skills?
HR skills are capabilities that help human resource professionals carry out key responsibilities. Examples include interpersonal skills, recruiting, and effective communication. These elements are also known as “human resources skills” and “skills for HR.” These abilities can include executive skills.
Why should HR professionals learn & develop HR skills?
Human resources skills help HR professionals develop their abilities and become more competitive job candidates. There are hundreds of potential HR skills to learn, each with its own purpose and advantage. Understanding how to learn and develop HR abilities can help professionals advance in their career and gain more competitive skills.
What skills do HR professionals need?
Communicating with stakeholders, the CEO, managers, and employees, at different levels of authority and influence, requires different language and tone. This is why the ability to connect well with all kinds of people and leave a professional and positive impression is an essential skill for HR professionals.
Should HR professionals learn people centric skills?
Both leaders and team members can benefit from learning the people-centric skills common to HR professionals—especially during challenging times such as the current pandemic. To that end, 15 experts from Forbes Human Resources Council share some key HR skills that all leaders and professionals should work on and why.
