'Human resources has a huge role to play in helping leaders and businesses see the value in building healthy relationships and culture'
“The skills of human resource managers are radically changing.”
So says Shelly Johnson, founder of Boldside Consulting, in looking at the tools needed today.
“As human resource managers, we need to throw out the rule book and become more human — ironic, but true and we need to focus less on compliance and more on culture.”
“I believe that the top skills for human resource managers are leadership, empathy, curiosity, self-awareness and the ability to communicate with impact,” she said.
Not an easy role
Juggling the demands of an employer and employee’s needs don’t always marry, meaning HR is often in the firing line.
“Human resource professionals deal with some of the most emotionally challenging aspects of employment and work,” Johnson added.
“The toughest parts of the job involve difficult conversations and difficult decisions. Those times when you have to end someone's employment or making organisational structural changes that directly impact people's livelihoods and financial situation.”
For a long time, HR has acted as the disciplinarian figure in the organisation, she said.
“Human resource managers are often viewed by employees like internal affairs, the secret agents monitoring the office banter, holding un-fun mandatory training and policing the work Christmas party.
“As human resource leaders, we need to be the ones who change the reputation, not hope workplaces will do it for us. Instead, we need to focus on building exceptional employee experiences and find ways to make workplaces heathier and creating thriving cultures where both the employer and the employee win.”
HR professionals who are more comfortable using computer software and analysing data and trends are the most effective, according to another expert speaking to HRD.
Rewarding career
The role, however, does offer rewards, especially when you see employees climb the corporate ladder and the company expanding and doing well. Happy employees also create an infectious environment that pulls everyone together and makes recruiting easier.
“Human resources is an amazing and challenging career,” Johnson said “You see the best and worst in people. But human resource managers do have a huge role to play in creating thriving work cultures and building stand-out leaders.”
Businesses that prioritise relationships over results ultimately achieve better results in the long run, she said.
“Human resources has a huge role to play in helping leaders and businesses to see the value in building healthy relationships and culture. They can help to create psychologically safe environments where people do their best work.”
