No matter what profession you work in, it's important to be an expert in your trade. In order to achieve this success, you must possess a wide variety of social skills including workplace professionalism, honesty, integrity, good manners, and a good attitude. When you are a Human Resources Professional, you not only need those skills, but also a few others that are niche to the industry. Students enrolled in the online masters in communication program who decide to pursue an HR career will find the 4 traits below useful in their career path.
1. Strong Communication Skills
As the saying goes, sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. When it comes to human resources, this could not be farther from the truth. Your words have impact on everyone around you. If you are unable to properly communicate what an employer wants from an employee or vice versa, either parties could easily be hurt by your words. As a successful Human Resource professional, you must use your words effectively to communicate with all parties involved.
2. Strong Ethics
As a Human Resources Professional, you have to be beyond reproach when it comes to your ethics. You are trusted with confidential employee information and your employer needs to know that you will not share. For example, a friend who is also an employee might ask about another employee's pay. As her friend, you may want to tell her, but as a Human Resource Professional your ethics will prevent you. Additionally, it is your job to set the ethical standards and promote them in the workplace.
3. Strong Conflict Management Skills
It is never easy to deal with conflict, and conflict in the workplace has a way of either being quickly worked out or blowing up. It's up to you, the Human Resource professional, to use your critical thinking skills quickly and manage the conflict. You will need to gather all the information, identify the problem, come up with possible solutions, and negotiate a solution. Conflict is natural, but with the right conflict management skills and ability to shift perspective, you can keep the office running smoothly.
4. Strong Organizational Skills
When you work as a Human Resources Professional, you will have many duties within the office: hire, fire, maintain office records, deal with workplace conflict, and educate your team. You not only will play a large role in employee day-to-day life, but will also have to keep up with a large amount of paperwork. Furthermore, the laws and regulations are continually changing, which makes organizational skills a necessity for you to keep up with your duties. If you are looking for a great resource to stay on top of changes and for finding organizational tools, check out the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM).
Although these four traits are not all-inclusive characteristics a Human Resource Professional should have, they are the traits most sought after by employers. So if you are looking into Human Resources for your career, brush up on your social skills, focus on communication, ethics, conflict management, and maintaining organization.
Find out how our online Master's in Communication Management degree can help you advance your career.