The modern HR manager’s role often goes well beyond the boundaries of hiring and firing. From managing onboarding and recruitment to in-house counsellor and IT problem solver, those who work in HR can wear many hats in a single workday.
According to projections released by the Australian Government’s Labour Market Insights, the demand for HR managers is growing with job openings expected to jump 16.3 per cent by 2025. Talented and highly successful HR leaders can anticipate the next big thing before anyone else and can guide their organisation’s response.
What makes a highly successful HR professional?
1. Authentic and effective leadership
As an HR manager or leader of any kind, letting your employees see and know your authentic self enables effective leadership. This means allowing staff to feel as if they know you personally, which in turn will improve employee engagement and drive culture in your organisation.
2. Actively listening and implementing real change
Ensuring you’re constantly learning from your people is essential for HR professionals. Checking-in with staff will give you crucial information about employee satisfaction, overall happiness, and the culture within the workplace. By working to piece together the picture of your workplace you’ll be able to identify and overcome any risks and challenges that present themselves.
3. Critical networking skills
Building relationships with other professionals in the HR field is the fastest way to learn new skills while expanding your business connections. Seeking out connections with like-minded professionals can be an extremely rewarding and enlightening way to provide you with new industry insights, perspectives, and skills. Doing this will not only help you build your knowledge base and confidence in your role, but also enhance your own people management abilities.
4. Team bonding begins with an inclusive social calendar
HR isn’t just about inductions, recruitment, and ensuring the business is compliant, it’s also about driving company culture. Creating a positive working environment is at the top of most HR manager’s lists but it’s impossible to do overnight. It can be as grand as whole team events that promote interdepartmental bonding and relationship building or as simple as low-key debriefs over some food and drinks at the end of the work week.
5. Investing in technology that can support your HR goals
Investing in a digital HR solution is the new way of doing things and is widely considered to be a key step in becoming a successful HR professional. It can be hard to keep up with the many advancements that occur every day, but discerning what technology exists that can help you boost efficiency and save time can not only help promote business growth but also your professional growth.