HR is a vital part of modern business, with HR Managers responsible for ensuring the well-being of their team members across the company. Working closely with the leaders within the organisation to achieve strategic objectives, advance the capabilities of the team and the company, and ensure all regulations and legal requirements are adhered to in a responsible way. In short, its a busy career choice with many responsibilities, usually chosen by professionals who like people and have a desire to help those around them. Having great HR management skills means being effective in every part of your job, tackling difficult situations head on, having conversations that may be uncomfortable and/or upsetting, and at times receiving very little appreciation for your hard work.
During the COVID-19 pandemic the skills of HR managers are being tested like never before. With thousands of businesses working remotely, the challenge for many human resources teams are magnified considerably, unless your organisation is already set up to operate effectively in this manner. Looking after the well-being of your team members, many of whom may be feeling isolated and lonely, ensuring compliance with regulations, like GDPR and employment law, while supporting the rest of the business with achieving strategic objectives means you are likely to be busier than ever.
We have compiled our top 5 ways to help you succeed as a Human Resources Manager regardless of developments that are impacting on the daily operations of your business, such as the Coronavirus.
Focus On People
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The scary HR manager who sits in their office and only interacts with the employees when there is a problem is certainly not doing their job properly. It is not a good for employees to feel like they are going to see the headteacher when the HR manager calls them in.
Ensuring your employees are aware that you are there to assist, and protect, them is an important part of any HR manager’s job. You are responsible for the well being of your employees, in order for them to feel comfortable approaching you and opening up about any issues they have, they need to trust in you. In order to build this confidence, you need to be out and about in the workplace, chatting to people and getting to know each member of the team as an individual. This has a massive effect, the more your employees know and trust you, the better you will do as an HR manager.
Have A Vision
When going into any management position, having vision is a very important part of the job, when moving into human resource management it is even more important. Sharing your vision with the rest of the management team will enable them to understand your aims and objectives for the HR function within the organisation. You are also creating objectives for yourself to succeed in your new role. The best HR managers have a passion to turn their vision into a reality.
Any company you work for is going to have different goals they want their HR team to achieve. It is important that you work tirelessly to achieve those aims alongside your own objectives. Ensuring each member of your team understands what is expected of the HR function will ensure you are working towards a common target and able to achieve the strategic objectives of the business.
Working to achieve business and personal objectives is a great way to stay motivated, and will provide you with a sense of purpose, and of course, satisfaction, once those aims have been achieved.
Collaborate
Working closely with the manager, or head, of each department helps you identify what they each need. By being aware of what each department is aiming to achieve, understanding how you can support them to meet their goals will make you more effective.
As a HR manager, building effective working relationships with other leaders within the business will enable you to collaborate effectively and efficiently. You will also be more aware of potential issues or developing situations as these managers are likely to value your input and support and will actively seek your council. This means you can often provide guidance and advice that will stop the escalation of minor issues into major problems, leaving you with more time to focus on other areas.
A vital part of a HR manager’s role is to help all of the departments to perform to the best of their abilities, and develop their skills and capabilities to benefit the objectives and growth of the company.
Know When to Lead
As HR managers work with every department, within the business, it can be very difficult to tell when you are supposed to be in charge and when you are supposed to be helping.
Recognising when to let your fellow managers take charge will help you to become more effective in your role.
It can be hard to let other people take the lead when you are used to taking ownership, understanding your own strengths, as well as the capabilities of your colleagues, is a great way to establish who would be the best person to lead a project for maximum efficiency. Having the ability to recognise the strengths of others is what sets great managers apart, it is also a proven way for you to establish area’s for your own personal development.
As businesses continue to advance their capabilities, and expand their range of services, it is not possible to be an expert at all things. Focus on the fundamental responsibilities of your role, share your expertise, and be willing to learn.
Be Flexible
Not every one of your ideas is going to be successful.Techniques and technology are always developing and the way your company does things is more than likely going to keep advancing to take advantage of these new systems and processes.
As an HR manager the ability to adapt to change is key to the overall success of new ways of working, both within your team and the wider business function. Your colleagues will look to you for support with adapting to change, and therefore it is important to keep a positive outlook and frame of mind. This will also help you to avoid being disappointed if one of your own new idea’s does not work out the way you anticipated.
As a leader, in any department, there will be times you are asked to carry out tasks, or contribute in area’s that fall outside of your job description, this means flexibility is an attribute you should have. Understanding the needs of the business, and how you can support these objectives will enable you to see where you may need to be flexible in your approach.
People are a massive factor in every goal or project, recognising this, and being aware that your team, and colleagues, can alter the outcome or success of a project, will help you remain flexible and calm as projects change.
It is not possible to control everything. There will always be times when things happen, or expected developments fall short. Whilst it is not always possible to plan for every potential issue staying composed, staying flexible and working with the changes as they happen will prevent you from being overwhelmed.
To Conclude
HR managers are one of the most important employees a company has. They are responsible for protecting both the employees and the business, often working with every single member of the team at some point during their employment.
Being a successful HR manager means knowing the people you are there to help.
Understanding the aims of every department, while working to achieve your own goals enables you to stay ahead of the game and improve your levels of efficiency within the workplace. Remaining flexible and approachable is going to be key to supporting the business as it grows and advances and will provide you with the opportunity to develop your own capabilities and attain a sense of achievement.
Remembering these tips will help you to excel in your role as a HR manager.
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