The role of HR managers in an organization is difficult to underestimate since they manage the company’s most valuable resource – the workforce. Effectively managed employees are committed to their organization and do their best to help it achieve its strategic goals. To succeed in human resource management, HR professionals should possess a wide range of competencies. According to Strobel (2016), these competencies include leadership and navigation, ethical practice, business acumen, relationship management, consultation, critical evaluation, cultural effectiveness, communication, and HR expertise. HR managers should possess the knowledge of core business functions and the role of HR practices in them. Communication and relationship management is crucial for HR managers since they have to interact with many employees and other stakeholders. Finally, critical evaluation skills and a deep knowledge of HR practices are important for HR managers to make use of HR metrics, choose the most appropriate practices, and align existing policies with organizational changes.
Particular attention should be given to ethics in the HRM practice. According to Felgate (2020), since HRM requires managers to make decisions regarding other people, this process may sometimes result in ethical dilemmas, causing managers to rely on their judgment to choose the most ethical option. Therefore, Felgate (2020) emphasizes the need for HR managers to develop moral competence, which consists in acquiring such qualities as prudence, justice, self-control, and courage. Indeed, without these qualities, an HR manager is likely to be biased and ineffective and will not succeed in the field of HRM. Thus, apart from such essential skills as relationship management, communication, leadership, and HR expertise, HR managers should be able to make objective and fair ethical decisions.
References
Felgate, Y. R. (2020). Human resource management moral competencies. SA Journal of Human Resource Management, 18(0), 1-8. Web.
Strobel, K. (2016). HR Competencies: The foundation upon which to build today’s and tomorrow’s HR business leader. SHRM. Web.