WHAT IS HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ABOUT?

Human Resource Management (HRM, or simply HR) is a function in organisations designed to maximize employee performance of an employer’s strategic objectives. HR is primarily concerned with the management of people within organizations, focusing on policies and systems.

What skills and abilities are required?

A wide range of skills is needed for most HR professional jobs. The best Human Resource professionals have excellent written and verbal skills, as well as proficiency with computers.

The following skills and abilities are needed for the different Human Resource professionals:

• Selection, Recruiting, and Placement Specialists – good judge of character; tact; self-confidence; excellent verbal and presentation skills; and ability to build a network of relationships within the organisation as well as with other organisations and prospective employees.
• Development and Training Specialists – excellent interpersonal and verbal skills; good writing skills; good sense of humour; imagination; leading edge knowledge in training areas; and understanding of the organisation’s future knowledge needs.
• Compensation and Benefits Specialists – strong quantitative and analytical skills; knowledge of statistics and ability to communicate the meaning of the numbers in plain English; verbal skills; comprehensive understanding of how the whole organisation works; knowledge of laws and regulations; fair labour standards; and affirmative action.
• Employee Relations and Labour Specialists – integrity; sense of fairness; ability to converse comfortably with people of all education levels; communication skills; and negotiation skills.

Advice

Integrity; a sense of fairness; the ability to converse comfortably with people of all education levels; communication skills; and negotiation skills are all needed for HR Management.