This informal CPD article ‘The Qualities of a HR Professional’ was provided by London Optimum Training & Consultancy (LOTC), a UK-based training and consultancy provider committed to professional development and organisational performance.
A successful HR professional possesses a range of qualities, many of which are crucial to the role. For example, without excellent interpersonal skills and empathy, a human resources professional is unlikely to effectively motivate staff to perform at their best and achieve business objectives (1). In addition, a HR professional whose behaviour is inconsistent and displays moodiness will fail to achieve first-rate performance from staff. Good personality, social skills, understanding and emotional stability are therefore key to the role of a HR professional (2).
Being accessible
A HR professional needs to be personable and accessible to staff at all times. He or she should take the time to get to know employees and demonstrate understanding and be sympathetic to any personal issues that may affect attendance and performance. However, clear boundaries need to be maintained between HR and team members, as human resources staff have the tough task of continually having to balance the needs of the work with those of individuals (3). It is important not to try too hard to be popular by pleasing employees. HR professionals should be prepared to make firm and fair decisions when necessary. While it is good to be liked, for HR it is more important to be respected. Respect does not come as a result of your position - it has to be earned.
Clear communication
Continual communication is vital to the role. Communication needs to be clear and concise, and delivered in an open and transparent way (4). People are quick to pick up on insincerity and dishonesty. So, any HR professional who fails to be honest and sincere will quickly lose respect and it will be very difficult to regain this. People need to be trusted to do their jobs and will react badly to being micro-managed (5).
Common sense knowledge
While a certain level of intelligence is important in any managerial role, this on its own does not make a great HR professional. A HR employee needs to know how to use intelligence and apply this with common sense. He or she needs to be knowledgeable about the business and the team’s work and continually imparting this knowledge to the team in an open and transparent way (6). The only situation where this should not happen is when HR may be aware of sensitive or confidential information that would be harmful to the business or its people if leaked out.
Final thoughts
Poor HR professionals are often uncommunicative, vague, lacking in interpersonal skills, distrustful of staff, and ineffective at delegating (7). They may frequently change their minds. People respond negatively to such behaviours and are therefore unlikely to perform to their full potential.
Being a good HR professional is not easy. It takes a mix of people skills, fairness and good judgement. A great HR professional can build positive relationships with staff while still keeping clear boundaries and making fair decisions. They need to communicate clearly, be honest, and earn respect through their actions. They should also stay calm, be consistent, and deal with difficult situations in a sensible way. Overall, great HR professionals help create a better working environment and support both employees and the organisation to do well.
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REFERENCES
(1) Goleman, D. (1998). Working with Emotional Intelligence. Bantam Books.
(2) Judge, T. A., & Bono, J. E. (2001). Relationship of core self-evaluations traits - self-esteem, generalized self-efficacy, locus of control, and emotional stability - with job satisfaction and job performance: A meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86(1), 80–92.
(3) Ulrich, D. (1997). Human Resource Champions: The Next Agenda for Adding Value and Delivering Results. Harvard Business School Press.
(4) CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development). (2023). Profession Map: Core Behaviours.
(5) Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The "What" and "Why" of Goal Pursuits: Human Needs and the Self-Determination of Behaviour. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227-268.
(6) SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management). (2022). SHRM Body of Applied Skills and Knowledge (BASK).
(7) Lencioni, P. (2002). The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable. Jossey-Bass.
