As the Human Resources Manager you have some of the most consequential responsibilities within the office environment. A successful work environment depends heavily on interactions and the relationships of the individuals sharing the space. The HR manager is largely responsible to ensure these interactions are fostering a comfortable and productive work environment. You want to provide the individuals with the opportunity to perform at their highest level. When there are individuals who frequently bicker or butt heads this can be overwhelming at times. We want to provide you with tips that will help make you into a successful HR manager.
Use Discretion
There is a common misconception that HR manager are required to keep all of the information that comes to them confidential. It is inevitable that you will find yourself in a tricky situation, possibly unsure of which information should be shared or which party to assist. While you are not legally required to do so, you must learn to use discretion to decide when information should or needs to be shared to someone else and when it is in all parties best interest to keep it confidential. Follow your gut and make your decision based on the well-being of your employees and the company.
Practice Compassion
Serving as the person that people will come to with conflicts, you are going to have to demonstrate and practice compassion so that people feel they can confide in you. As a HR manager you are often privy to sensitive or private information about employees in the office. It is for this reason, the employees must feel that you genuinely care about their concerns. If they are coming to you and sitting in your office to discuss, the issue is likely pressing. Remember, you are by no means a therapist, and there is definitely a line that can be crossed, it is critical to foster an environment in which people feel like they are being heard.
Refine Your Communication Skills
One of the best tips that we can provide HR managers is to refine your ability to communicate effectively with employees of all levels. You are the voice of our company’s culture and as such you should have the ability to inspire and foster relationships in the office by effectively communicating with everyone. As an example, you can practice by emulating the methods of some of your favorite speakers. Harness a compelling aspect of their personality and use it to emphasize the importance of communication around the office.
Creating a Vision
Going beyond being the representative of the rules of your organization, as the HR manager you need to get specific about the type of environment you want to create. Research as much as you can and hone in on a specific vision that will create a symbiotic relationship office wide. There are plenty of networking groups that include HR managers from other organizations that are happy to exchange information and ideas on what can make an office space excel beyond its basic functions.
Expand Your Legal and Health Insurance Knowledge
Having a basic understanding of employment law is fundamental as an HR manager. With this knowledge you will confidently know how to proceed in legally questionable situations and know when you will need to actually refer to a lawyer. As you will often be tasked as the person to fire people, as an example, it is critical you know when the law permits this action. Many decisions you will make as the HR manager have legal implications, so study up and make sure you aren’t breaking any of the rules. In addition to having legal knowledge, you should have a working knowledge of the health insurance benefits offered to your employees. Of course, employees can call their health insurance provider for more information or to ask more in-depth questions, but you as the HR manager should be able to provide the preliminary and straight forward guidance as well. Save your employees from having to sit on some insurance company’s customer service line listening to 101 useless menu options!
At MCDA CCG we have very seasoned and well versed HR consultants who would be happy to develop your good HR manager and make them Great! Contact us today for more details!