If you’re a person that enjoys working with others and want to be an active part in a company’s growth, becoming an HR manager can be a smart choice. But when considering becoming an HR manager, it is also important to determine if you have the qualities to thrive. There are many things to consider but understanding the primary benefits of what an HR manager does on a daily basis is key to the success of both the HR manager and the company they work with.
A human resources manager is responsible for all things involving the company’s personnel and the human resources department. They lead the way in planning and developing policies that govern the staff and see to it that the policies are communicated and followed. They also manage the hiring and onboarding processes and supervise the HR team.
HR managers oversee:
- Employee recruitment to keep the company staffed
- Training and development to have productive and effective employees
- Compensation and employee benefits to retain employees
- Employment laws to keep the company in compliance
- Employee wellness to keep employees healthy and engaged
Many HR managers also have found their way to the conference table with business owners and CEO, assisting with business planning and development.
Most companies require a bachelor’s degree in business or human resources and several years of experience to become an HR manager. The experience normally is 5 years or more and derives from first working as an HR assistant, recruiter or and HR generalist.
Top 5 qualities that a person should have to be an excellent HR manager
To become an HR manager, you need more than a desire to influence people in business. It’s easy to walk into the workspace every day and go through your daily routine. But to be the most effective and efficient HR manager you can be, you will need to process these 5 qualities.
Leadership
Since one of the first objectives of an HR manager is to direct others, leadership is the top quality an HR manager needs to be effective and productive.
Good leadership involves first embracing the vision and mission of the company. Then they need to take that passion to inspire others. With an inspired employee, they eagerly take on the mission as well and work to accomplish goals. Good leaders don’t just sit back and watch others perform the tasks that need to be done – they work right next to the employees, getting their hands dirty as well.
Good leadership also builds and coaches staff and team members, making them more dynamic and engaged. Everyone knows the bad boss who yells at employees when they make a mistake, which in no way improves the employee’s productivity. A good leader finds a way to point out where an employee falls short in such a way that the employee not only improves but wants to do better as well.
Good communication
In any role that involves the management of people, you need to be an effective communicator. You need to be able to take what information that needs to be conveyed and deliver it in such a way that others understand what is being told to them.
A good communicator feels comfortable talking in small and large crowds and has earned the respect of those they’re speaking with. A good communicator also needs to be a person who others feel comfortable approaching so when an employee is confused about a task, they can get directions.
Organization
The HR manager is responsible for overseeing a lot of information. And they are legally obligated to maintain the integrity of the information. They maintain:
- Employee records
- Training records
- Payroll records
HR managers are required to store the information and be able to retrieve the information when they need it.
Problem-solving
Managing the HR department comes with many challenges. When issues arise, the HR manager must keep in mind the company budget, employment laws, and scheduling. And for some issues, the HR manager needs to think quickly, offering up quick and effective solutions.
For many HR issues, there is not always a clear or black or white answer. The HR manager needs to be able to find solutions in the grey areas as well, creating an answer that may not be popular but that resolves the issue it in the best possible way.
Strategy
Part of the HR manager’s role is to drive the company to the future and grow business. To do this, you need to have the mind to see patterns and make educated decisions based on what you see.
HR managers need to understand what information they should collect and how to present the HR data to business owners or CEOs.
How HR data helps HR managers
Another way to become the best HR manager is to be tech-savvy and understand the importance of HR data. The ability to use software and tools to gather information is to arrange it in such a way so that important decisions can be better made by the HR data collected. HR data can help make decisions involving:
- Recruitment strategies to better attract and hire top candidates
- Financial compensation to determine if the company is competitive and paying employees fairly
- Training and development to evaluate the effectiveness of learning programs
- Employee performance to monitor all key performance indicators and evaluate in real time weaknesses in work
- Retention to understand who and why employees stay or leave the organization
- Planning and program development to make decisions on program development or company changes
- Wellness to watch for patters of illness or on-site injuries
The smart HR manager will base their job on implementing what they learn from the HR data to make the workplace the best workplace it can be while driving the business to further growth.
Key Takeaway
Becoming a Human Resource Manager is the perfect choice for a person with the right qualities. The role gives any professional who has a general love of people and wants to be part of both the success of employees and the company the path for them to use their best qualities to succeed. To become an even better HR Manager, understanding how to leverage data to provide quality reporting, a thorough assessment of your workplace, and how to plan for the future is essential. Products like HR data dashboards help unify all the data that HR managers have to use and provide them with the most efficient and clear path towards leveraging data to make employee-centric decisions. Try Employee Cycle today for yourself by scheduling a demo with our team. We’ll show you how data can not only become an HR Manager’s best friend, but also drive company success.
