What are human management skills?

The global financial crisis (GFC) of 2007-2008 brought some of the biggest companies to their knees after excessive risk-taking in the banking industry. In the fallout, it was human resources that became the moral and ethical compass, leading organisational culture change towards sustainability over the next decade.

In 2020, COVID-19 turned the work environment on its head once again. What was once a perk of recruitment — working from home — became the base level of employment. Overnight, human resources managers found themselves supporting a distributed workforce through employee welfare and risk management – all while adjusting to the at-home work experience themselves.

These seismic changes are escalating the importance of HR in organisations, even the point of becoming vital C-suite players. As the Harvard Business Review puts it:

We believe this is HR’s moment to lead organi[s]ations in navigating the future. They have a tremendous opportunity, and responsibility, to provide workers with guidance on the skills and capabilities they will need to be successful over the next decade as new roles continue to emerge.

But what makes a good HR manager in this shifting climate?

Let’s take a closer look at how you can become an HR manager, what are the essential skills of the role and how to excel in one of the most vital roles of any company.

What HR skills & competencies do I need to be a human resources manager?

Human resources management is a form of business administration that applies a range of practices to develop and leverage the capabilities and commitment of employees. 

In an increasingly competitive world, the skills of the human resources manager play an important role in the financial performance of a company.

According to job descriptions on Seek, employers are looking for human resource managers with skills in HR management and strategy, employment law and industrial relations as well as performance management, employee relations and communication skills.

Here’s how the skills of a human resources manager look in real life. 

Strategic decision-making

Businesses are increasingly looking to HR to give them a competitive edge and HR managers are finding it in data analytics and HR software. 

The use of people analytics by HR managers could well expand beyond acquisition and retention to apply people data for decision making more broadly.

It was people data that helped Australia Post to reorganise their staffing during the pandemic. In addition to retraining 2000 posties, they established 16,000 work-from-home stations with VPNs. In the weeks and months that followed human resources used people data to support and manage those employees.

Of course, human resources isn’t the only business department becoming increasingly digital. In many organisations, HR departments are also implementing digital change throughout the entire organisation - including upskilling staff and responding to the potential of AI. 

Problem-solving skills

HR manager positions require problem-solving skills for a wide variety of situations. This includes employee grievances and harassment, health and safety, and collective bargaining.

For example, as online shopping soared and demand for letters halved, Australia Post retrained 2000 motorbike posties to deliver parcels. Meanwhile NAB gave 40,000 staff access to thousands of online training programs and encouraged them to up their digital and data game.

Further afield, when a lockdown for COVID-19 hit the pause button on a chain of cinemas overnight, the Dubai-based company Majid Al Futtaim jumped into action. The team quickly retrained 1000 cinema ushers and ticket sellers to work in their online supermarket where sales were booming.

These high-profile examples show how some HR managers applied their problem-solving skills in response to the pandemic. 

That included the most basic problem thrown up by COVID-19 — enabling all employees to work from home. 

Conflict management

Understanding why interpersonal conflict occurs can help human resources professionals to tackle problems sooner and potentially prevent greater conflict.

This is no small matter. While it’s human nature to avoid conflict, one of the most significant drivers of employee stress is workplace conflict that isn’t resolved effectively, or at all. 

Furthermore, according to Joseph Grenny, unaddressed workplace conflict is an “enormous drain” on an organisation, consuming an estimated eight hours of company time in gossip and other unproductive activities.

HR managers will need effective communication and a range of soft skills to drive conflict resolution. Solutions will need to touch on a range of common areas of employee disagreement, such as:

• Personality differences
• Unclarified roles in the workplace
• Perceived lack of resources
• Workplace behaviours 
• Mismanagement of organisational change
• Differences over work methods
• Poor communication

Global perspective

HR jobs are more likely to need a global perspective working in an organisation that’s a multinational based in Australia, has global stakeholders, or is located overseas.

Multinational companies use a number of organisational models which are more or less responsive to the local environment. Knowing your organisation and its company policies in regards to global organisational structure is critical.

For example, Coca Cola can be found in almost every country on the planet, but the flavours it offers and the ingredients it uses are often specific to the nation you’re in. On the other hand, while Apple is also available in every country, its stores, staff and stock all look and feel exactly the same. 

HR managers must understand the importance of organisational structure, employment laws, and culture to develop a true global perspective.

Knowledge of HR management principles and how to apply them

This is far from just a theoretical exercise. As the working world continues to change, the best HR managers will be those who have a solid knowledge of HR principles and practices, and who can apply them to a range of situations. 

That includes even unpredictable situations. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic turned the workplace upside-down overnight, and HR managers had to act quickly and agilely to support a sudden change. This included quick considerations and judgement calls about staff wellbeing, occupational health and safety in home offices, communication and supporting staff morale.  

Knowing these basic principles of HR will also help you understand the effectiveness and ethics of HR practices, recommend better processes and critically evaluate the outcomes, even in high pressure situations. 

Do I need a masters degree to be a human resources manager?

In contrast to bachelor's degree qualifications, at master’s degree level, HR professionals have access to a broader range of jobs and higher salary ranges.

In fact, RMIT Online’s Master of Human Resource Management has been designed from the ground up to arm you with the current and emerging trends in HR. The coursework also empowers you to guide strategic cultural shifts with a local and global perspective on HR practice.

Cathy Brigden is a Professor in Labour History and Industrial Relations in the Department of Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations at RMIT’s School of Management. She believes that this masters degree is crucial to help HR professionals rise to management positions.

“RMIT Online’s Master of Human Resource Management is a career advancer because of the particular HRM and industrial relations ‘theory and practice blend’ we have created,” says Brigden.  

“We take our students from understanding the essentials of human resource practice to the role of employment law, to managing people in organisations both locally and globally and debating strategic directions."

Whether you’re keen to gain a management level qualification in your HR career, refresh your qualifications, or bring your professional experience from a related field like psychology, a master’s degree improves your job outlook by putting you out front of the competition.

“Our focus includes both professional and personal development, so our students develop an awareness, tools for action and a drive to advocate for, creating and sustaining culturally inclusive, diverse, safe and healthy workplaces,” says Brigden.

“Across your studies, developing and reflecting on your professional practice is a key part of becoming an HR practitioner or a manager with people management responsibilities who recognises the big picture as well as the internal dynamics of day-to-day working life.”

You can stand out as an HR leader with RMIT Online's Master of Human Resources Management.

By Indeed Editorial Team

Updated July 20, 2022 | Published January 3, 2020

Updated July 20, 2022

Published January 3, 2020

One of the most in-demand and fastest-growing careers today is human resources (HR) management, with the employment of HR managers expected to increase by 9% by 2030, according to the United States Bureau of Labor and Statistics. As the HR field has grown, so have the duties of professionals in human resources roles.

In this article, we provide the best resume skills to include on your HR resume to help you earn a position in the field.

Related: Top Resume Skills

Learn more about what hard skills and soft skills to put on a resume so it stands out from the others.

What are human resources skills?

Human resources skills are those necessary for people or a department in a company to recruit and train job applicants and administer employee-benefit programs. Jobs in human resources include HR managers, HR specialists, recruiters, training managers, generalists and more.

Human resources is a field that requires leadership and management training necessary to develop the skills that employers are seeking. HR professionals who have a broader knowledge of relevant areas and more practical skills create more opportunities in the corporate world.

Related: Best Skills To Include on a Resume

Examples of human resources skills

If you want to pursue a career in HR, here are some of the essential skills to include on your resume:

1. Communication skills

Communication is a critical soft skill for HR professionals. Keep in mind that the HR field involves a lot of talking and interactions, as you have to deliver presentations, conduct a series of interviews and lead conflict resolution. It also entails good writing skills, as you have to design and produce policy handbooks and release memos for the benefit of all the employees. You should be able to express your thoughts effectively, both in oral and written communication.

Related: Top 10 Communication Skills for Career Success

2. Decision-making skills

HR involves a lot of decision-making. One situation where this skill is necessary is during the recruitment process when you have to decide whether a candidate is a good fit for the job. Recognizing the best candidate or talent requires intuition, experience and strategy.

Human resources also need decision-making when the organization is facing the dilemma of downsizing. It will be the HR employee's responsibility to convey the message efficiently even in the middle of a crisis. Thus, all HR professionals, especially managers, must be good decision-makers to support crucial organizational functions like these.

Related: Decision-Making Skills: Definition and Examples

3. Training and developmental skills

Another skill that the field of human resources entails is training and development. HR professionals provide employees with training and development opportunities to increase performance and increase value. For instance, providing sessions on leadership and management training will help employees develop more diverse skills. This allows them to take on additional responsibilities and support their career growth at the same time.

Related: The Pros and Cons of Skills Training (Plus Definition)

4. Empathic skills

HR professionals manage many people and their concerns, from workload to salary complaints to conflicts between employees. As a human resource professional, you need emphatic skills to make sure you understand the reasons before making any judgment. Maybe the employee just needs to tell something that has been worrying them and only needs a listening ear. Or they might be voicing out their grievances so they can get support. Whatever the case, HR practitioners should be able to understand an employee’s situation, feelings and perceptions from their point of view. 

Related: Sympathy vs. Empathy: Key Differences and How To Use Them at Work

5. Finance skills

Employee benefits and compensations all go through HR. The same goes for social activities, performance appraisals, training, development and more. These things have to be included in the company’s planning and budgeting, taking into account the projects and functions of each department. HR limits expenditures and avoids overspending on unnecessary activities.

Related: Finance Skills: Definition and Examples

6. Organizational skills

Because HR entails a lot of responsibilities including but not limited to recruitment, interviewing, training, performance review, individual development plans and employee relations, they must oversee all these responsibilities and must have a systematic way of going through all the processes. For instance, there must be a standard employee training program for each role in the company. On the other hand, HR entails that documents must be filed systematically such as legal documents and employee profiles. With all the processes and administrative tasks involved, being organized will help boost your efficiency as an HR professional.

Related: Organizational Skills: 10 Types and How To Improve Them

7. Business management skills

Business management and leadership are important skills that all HR professionals must have to be successful in the field. They have to be prepared to address organizational challenges in companies of all sizes. These challenges may include understanding employee rights and hiring laws, handling the issues of diversity and inclusion, creating and managing benefit packages and building healthy organizational culture while handling personnel issues. 

Related: Business Management Skills: Definition and Examples

8. Leadership skills

HR professionals must also be effective leaders who can guide employees and help them become leaders themselves. They must also be able to cultivate a company-wide leadership and coaching approach that will build creative teams, develop agile employees, and create effective problem-solvers at all levels of the company. Employees should look to HR professionals as organizational leaders helping to guide the company towards success in a positive, productive way, with both the employer’s and employee’s interests in mind.

Related: 6 Key Leadership Skills: Definitions and Examples

9. Strategic thinking skills

The ability to think strategically—and use that skill to successfully grow and help lead the company—is important in HR roles. HR professionals must have a deep knowledge of how companies gain a sustainable, competitive edge through investing in people, both existing employees and new hires. They must know the strategic needs of the company, in all departments and at all levels, and must have the skills to look for and retain people that meet those needs.

Related: 8 Signs That You're a Strategic Thinker (And How To Develop Skills)

10. Technical skills

Being tech-savvy gives you an edge on the market. This could be anything from data analysis to virtual reality integration in HR. HR professionals must be adept at data analysis and projections to make sound decisions. They should be able to make data-driven decisions based on analytics and metrics to drive and improve efficiency on company-wide recruitment, training, development, and retention.

To be an efficient HR professional, it’s also important to have familiarity with computers. Being proficient in Microsoft Office is necessary for those in HR, as it’s a part of their daily routine. HR staffers can get bogged down encoding their employees’ information into databases, so being able to type fast helps get the job done quickly.

Related: Technical Skills: Definitions and Examples for a Resume

11. Multitasking skills

Human resources is a field with a variety of responsibilities, which can change from day to day. When simultaneously managing interviews, training programs, compensation, job advertisements and grievances, the ability to multitask and manage time wisely are often important to performance. Human resources professionals should be able to remain calm despite the pressure, whether the pressure comes from employees with a concern or from a manager who has a problem with recruitment progress.

Related: Multitasking Skills: Definition and Examples

Sample human resources skills resume section

Having a skills section on your resume makes it easy for a hiring manager to determine if you have a specific skill required for a position. It’s also an easy way to include keywords on your resume.

Image description

Resume Format

1. Name and contact information

2. Summary or objective

3. Professional historya. Company nameb. Dates of tenure

   c. Description of role and achievement

4. Education

5. Skills

6. Optional (Awards & Achievements, Hobbies & Interests)

To highlight your specialized skill set, you’ll have to tailor your resume. Because you will likely have a lot of HR skills to choose from, you should focus on those that are most closely aligned with the job description. If you are a skilled guitarist, for example, that may not be a good skill to highlight on your resume when applying for a job in HR. You should highlight relevant skills at the very top of your skills list.

Also, avoid vague or cliché expressions to describe your skills. For example, instead of using “people person” to describe your interpersonal skills, try “optimize human capital” to make your potential value clear.

Human resources skills in a resume skills section

Decision-making skills: Applicant screening • Applicant tracking systems • Background checks • Recruiting • Interviewing • Devising employee selection criteria*

Additional skills: Attention to detail • Proficient communicator • Organized • Attentive*

Human resources skills in a work experience section

EQUF Construction Company—San Francisco, CA
Human Resources Recruiter | October 2015–October 2019

• Managed all phases of recruitment, including identifying hiring management needs and posting vacant positions

• Communicated the duties and responsibilities, benefits, compensation and working conditions to all potential candidates

• Employed various feedback mechanisms and analysis to continuously improve the recruitment process