HR roles are amongst the most sought after office support jobs in London. We chatted to a number of HR professionals about the skills they think are most important in their career so that you can build a successful HR application.
Communication skills
“You’re often the conduit between leadership and the workforce in HR,” says Carrie. “As such, your communication skills must be top notch. Furthermore, you need to feel confident communicating with anyone and everyone within the business, as well as external vendors and agencies. It’s a cliché, but in HR, you really do need to be a ‘people person’. Don’t forget, communication skills are also vital because you need to manage situations as diverse as disciplinaries to celebratory events. Your communication skills should cover verbal and different written forms.”
Tech and software skills
Giles told us, “I think it’s often underestimated just how much you will need excellent tech and software skills to succeed in HR. You’ll be expected to quickly master HR software, things like the company intranet, social media management and various company databases and office software. Your inbox will go crazy without excellent skills for setting up different folders and rules, too.”
Research skills
“I really value my research skills,” says Rebecca. “Whether I’m learning about new employment law changes on the horizon and discovering best practice in similar businesses, or researching different benefit providers, I need to feel confident that I can get to the heart of a matter, reliably and efficiently.”
Conflict resolution
Stephen explained, “As an HR professional, you need to feel confident with negotiation, conflict resolution and diplomacy. There are so many different areas of the role when you will need to draw on these skills. They may be pay disputes, issues between different employees, bullying, or misunderstanding between senior leadership and legal requirements. It’s your job to bring calm and a resolution focused approach.”
Analytical skills
Lori told us, “Many people don’t realise that your data management and analytical skills need to be very good in HR. There’s now a lot of data that you need to manage but also analyse to get best results. You might need to make sense of salary surveys, for example, or spot trends amongst sickness absence. There are multiple HR metrics that are vital to understand too, such as retention statistics.”
Time management
Kathleen explained, “In HR, you’re always busy. It’s a department where everyone demands a lot of you and you’re only noticed if something goes wrong! Your workload will be high with various different demands. You need to develop your time management skills so that you can handle the pressure. Become good at prioritising and working efficiently and you will excel."
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