The Scene: A Casual Meeting in the Conference Room between HR team and consultant
The HR team gathers in the conference room. Mr. Agastya, the senior management, leads the discussion, joined by Mr. Rao, the consultant, Mr. Lakshay, the mid-level management, Mr. Vineet and Ms. Shruti, the junior level management.
Agastya: Good Morning Team. Today we have Mr. Rao with us to share his expertise within HR.
Lakshay: It’s a great idea. There is lot to understand and implement.
Vineet: I’m excited to learn but unsure about the core skills needed in HR.
Shruti: I too want to understand which HR skills to hone and become a Successful HR Professional
Rao: Surely! To start with let be clear that I don’t claim to be the Master or Expert of HR. I know Mr. Agastya and we have a strong bonding. He knows that I like to share my knowledge so he invited me here.
To start with HR Skills, it can be ideally categorised in three areas: Technical, Behavioural, and Cognitive Skills. Let me give an overview about it.”
1. Technical Skills
Include core operational competencies related to HR functions.
Key Skills:
- Framing HR Strategy
- Recruitment and Onboarding Processes
- Payroll Management
- HRIS Systems
- Performance Management Systems (PMS)
- Compensation & Benefits
- Training and Development
- Data Analysis & Reporting
- Employee Engagement
- Labour Laws and Compliance
2. Behavioural Skills
How we interact and connect with people.
Key Skills:
- Leadership and People Management
- Communication Skills
- Interpersonal Skills
- Presentation Skills
- Time Management
- Negotiation Skills
- Team Collaboration
- Conflict Management
- Emotional Intelligence (EI)
- Empathy and Active Listening
3. Cognitive Skills
How we think, evaluate, process facilitating our thoughts
Key Skills:
- Analytical Thinking
- Strategic Thinking
- Decision-Making Skills
- Problem-Solving Skills
- Critical Thinking
- Creativity and Innovation
- Learning Agility
- Change Management
- Risk Assessment
The above skills may not be the final and everlasting. They keep on changing. For an instance 5 decades ago,
there was nothing like automation in HR and
today without automation nothing like HR.
Further it’s not really necessary to expertise all the mentioned skills. You have to choose the relevant skills in line with your organization culture, functional needs and job profile. But it is necessary to master few of them from each category to become a successful HR professional.
Shruti: Mr. Rao, I am currently a junior and want to take off my career to great heights. Could you please explain each skill in detail and also which skills I should prioritize for climbing up the corporate ladder.
Rao: Surely, why not. Let’s meet up after a small break.
