Core Skills Organisations Seek in an Hr Professional

Core skills organisations seek in an HR professional

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Posted by Admin on Oct 1, 2014

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Modern day HR professionals are expected to take on multiple roles and demonstrate competence and effectiveness in each role. While it demands a combination of both soft and hard skills, there are certain key competencies HR professionals must demonstrate to be effective and to have an impact on business performance.

There is no doubt that human resource strategies are now a major factor in business growth. Yet many HR teams lack the skills or the data they need to understand the constantly evolving business environment and the impact of technology on its functioning. This is one of the biggest challenges identified by companies worldwide, making the need to re-skill the HR function a primary concern.

Meher Sarid, president, corporate affairs, Oxigen Services (India) Pvt Ltd shares five key areas where HR needs to build core competencies and skills:

Business acumen: HR needs seriously consider its functioning as a business partner to the organisation. The team must possess knowledge of the business, of the company and understand the drivers of its success; so they have the required skill-sets to deliver innovative programmers to drive business strategy and thus create an impact.

Building strategies: HR must have the ability to translate corporate goals into operational terms for its employees and strategise to have a rewards programme that links performance and compensation.

Training & mentoring: Constantly focusing on leadership development by identifying young talent. HR must groom and empower the youth with the required skill-sets to take on large roles for the benefit of their careers within the company.

Tech talk: Re-skilling the HR functions to improve the understanding, be it in the shifts of technology and/or mediums of communications deployed by HR. This would help in retention and talent engagement using social media.

Hence, the determination of skill-sets for HR personnel would be as follows:

Personal

• Communication skills
• Decision making and problem solving
• Business acumen
• Credibility and professionalism
• Leadership skills
• Relationship management
• Adaptability

Organisational

• Knowledge of the environment
• Knowledge of the industry/sector
• Knowledge of the organisation
• Impact assessment
• HR as a business partner of the organisation

Managerial

• Management of self
• Management of people
• Management of resources
• Management of operations, including outsourcing
• Management of information
• Change management

Functional

• HR planning and staffing
• Performance management and development
• Employee relations
• Compensation and benefits
• Health, safety, welfare and security
• Systems and information management
• Organisational design and development