HR professionals truly face an ever-changing landscape. As the HR industry continues to thrive and broaden its reach, it is imperative that HR professionals focus on developing and building their skills to sustain a long and impressionable career.

    According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, enrollment of human resources specialists is expected to grow by more than 20 percent through 2020, which is faster than the average for all occupations. As the number of global HR professionals climbs, it becomes increasingly important for those holding positions in this profession to define what it means to be effective.

    Human resource management responsibilities require an overlapping set of skills and competencies. If you’re looking for an edge in today’s competitive job market, understanding and developing these skills is the key to success. We’ve outlined three core competencies that we believe are essential for HR professionals.

    1. Continued Development
    While continuing education through certification programs is helpful in every industry, it is especially important for the HR professional to enhance their professional development for unparalleled preparation in an ever-changing environment. The new modern HR professional will be well-versed in various topics, flexible, and open to new and continued learning and operational procedures.

    2. Communication Skills
    The primary function of the typical HR professional’s job involves facilitating discussion between employees and employers. If a human resources manager cannot communicate clearly they will ultimately be unsuccessful. Both oral and writ-ten skill are required to effectively relay information. You must be able to deal with people in a friendly and professional manner, so that organization personell can relate to you easily.

    3. Manage Risk
    HR has been tasked with protecting the assets and value of the company from unnecessary litigation and situations that could deflate the company’s value. By understanding potential risks, you are able to find ways to minimize their impacts, and in turn, help your business recover quickly if an incident occurs. It is HR’s responsibility to ensure that measures are set in place to safeguard against any misdeeds.

    While it is difficult to select so few since our roles within organizations continue to change, evolve, and grow; we believe that these three are just some of the most important skills an HR professional should have.

    At FosterThomas, we have the knowledge, experience and infrastructure to provide your organization with qualified and reliable HR professionals. Contact us today to learn how FosterThomas’ various HR solutions can help provide a customized and simplified solution to meet your organization’s HR needs.