Characteristics of a Rock-Star Human Resource Management Team

Human resource management is all about working with the people, ensuring the work lives of employees at an organization run as smoothly as possible. This unique area of business that requires more than the typical drive and determination associated with other roles. A human resource management team is proficient at working with people in a number of ways and will display a variety of unique qualities that are perhaps less typical among employees in other office departments.

Certainly, every single member of a rock-star human resource management team will have the following qualities in spades:

1. An Ability to Understand the Business

Working in human resources is more than just resolving employee disputes, reviewing resumes and promoting health insurance plans. A truly great human resource management team will drive a business forward by hiring only the very best talent and looking for solutions to enhance employee engagement. To do this, rock-star human resources professionals will have a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the company, Forefront Magazine observed. They will be able to pin-point the organization’s customer types, roles needed within the company, and ways to improve the performance and increase the bottom line. In other words, a great human resource management team will ensure their department is a fully integrated part of the business.

2. Can Deal with Complicated Problems

Few things in life are as simple or black and white as they may first appear. This is especially true during office conflicts, benefits disputes, time-off issues or other problems that a human resources team may have to deal with or investigate. For example, employee disputes over harassment or cases where accommodations have to be made can be incredibly complex and laden with grey areas. A talented human resource management team will have some level of expertise in dealing with such complications in a fair and effective manner, HR Daily Adviser explained. If the issue is larger than expected or unable to be resolved within the company, human resource teams will also know best when to ask for legal assistance.

3. Able to Display Empathy and Compassion

Human resources management is above all else a profession that specializes in human relationships and interactions. Consequently, as discussed above, it is common for a human resources team to oversee complicated and difficult workplace problems. A rock-star team will be able to empathize with employees on both sides of any issue and will be able to display empathy and compassion at all times, the Houston Chronicle stated. This is especially important given that a human resource management team will usually be called upon to facilitate employee terminations.

4. Has Sound Ethical Judgment

A strong human resource management team will have a clear sense of ethical judgment, the University of Southern California explained. This is important for two reasons. Firstly, HR professionals will be required to keep large amounts of important information about employees confidential – an HR professional is not allowed to share certain pieces of information about work with family or friends, for example. And secondly a human resource management team is required to have a comprehensive understanding of workplace ethics and office behavior. The human resources department is to educate all staff about ethical best practices and lead by example.

5. Able to Communicate With Many Types of People

As outlined previously, the practice of human resource management is all about working with people. Given that no two people are the same and personalities vary considerably, a truly gifted human resource management team will be able to communicate clearly and effectively with a wide range of people and personas, the Houston Chronicle argued. Furthermore, an HR team will be called upon to interact with staff members from all levels of employment across an organization. For example, if an HR team works within a tech recruiting agency, they will be required to both source entry level talent and consult with executives from the C-Suite.

6. Will Push Others Forward

As Forefront Magazine observed, the role of human resources is primarily to support an organization and ensure a smooth operation. While HR teams are beginning to take a more involved role in a company’s success, it is still important for a human resource management team to be concerned first and foremost with the success of others. While many others may not like the idea of a seemingly thankless role, a stellar human resource management team will derive satisfaction from pushing others forward and ensuring that the whole organization is the very best that it can be.