Dreaming of a career in HR? A Higher Certificate in Human Resource Management is an excellent way to get started, but before you make the assumption that studying is all you will need to do, it is important to understand the qualities that you will need to develop in order to be a truly successful HR manager.
HR specialists are often born leaders who have solid people skills. They are good at communicating, know how to get the most out of employees and are able to problem solve and negotiate. While some skills will be developed during your studies, others are often present long before. The good news is that it is totally possible to learn the skills needed to thrive when getting your Human Resource Management qualification.
Getting the Most Out of Your Human Resource Management Course
The things that you will need to develop as an HR manager include the following:
- Organisation
In a role that focuses hugely on organisation, it goes without saying that HRs need to be organised and able to manage their time properly. If the HR department is a mess, how can the rest of the company keep things together? Offices need to be kept immaculate, paperwork needs to be kept in a logical, concise manner and projects need to be on time, every time. If getting organised is not something that comes naturally to you, now is the time to start training yourself to be more organised in all areas of your life.
- Negotiation
The next quality that you will need to nurture is negotiation. Being able to negotiate is essential for any managers who deal with people on a daily basis. You will need to learn how to negotiate increases (and starting salaries). You will need to be able to work with two opposing sides in any given discussion or disagreement without being unfair or biased. Basically, your job is almost always to ensure that everyone in your company is kept happy. And to do that, you will need to be able to negotiate.
- Problem Solving and Conflict Management
Next up is a combined skill that is on the same side of the coin. Essentially, being able to solve problems uses the same skill set as being able to resolve conflict. Both require a clear head, lack of emotional outburst or involvement, a calming manner and an ability to think outside of the box. If you are typically good at keeping the peace and know how to prevent small problems from becoming big, messy problems, these skills should be easy to master.
- Communication
If you have trouble communicating, an HR qualification may not be your best bet for a chosen career. Human Resource Managers are good communicators who are able to listen without judgement to what employees have to say. They also know how to get their own thoughts across in a way that is to the point, approachable and easy to understand. There is no room in HR for tempers, judgemental viewpoints, bad listeners and arrogance. Communication skills do not only include the basic acts of listening and speaking, either. They also include the ability to write concisely and the ability to master social media and public speaking.
- Multitasking
Finally, you will need to learn how to juggle many tasks – often at the same time. HRs typically have a lot on their plats. On any given day, they need to interview new team members, discuss wage increases or promotions, resolve problems, answer questions, arrange team building exercises, put out ads for new employees, handle in-house policies, send out emails to top management and perform many other tasks… often before lunchtime. With that in mind, you will need to learn how to start handling multiple tasks without dropping the ball.
Studying through a distance learning facility such as REGENT Business School is a good way to start building key skills. By juggling your studies with work and life, you will certainly start to develop better skills, which will all go towards helping you in your Human Resource Management course.