The Top 3 Habits of Highly Successful HR Managers

What’s a company’s main resource? It’s not the products, the marketing gimmicks, or the IT infrastructure. It’s the people.

HR professionals are the primary manager of the company’s most valuable resource; it’s employees. In today’s world, an HR professional can’t act as a mere bystander, watching safely from the sidelines. It might be difficult to tell at first the difference between an ‘okay’ HR manager and a successful one, but look closely, and you will start to notice the differences.

HR professionals aren’t the paper-pushers of yesteryear. Studies indicate that the most successful HR managers of the 21st century are moving beyond traditional job responsibilities. Today, they need to act as strategic consultants, set policy, and design company strategy. Below, we’ll cover the top 3 habits of highly successful HR managers.

1. Successful HR managers are excellent listeners and people developers

When employees are engaged, they feel connected to the company’s goals. Employees that are connected and plugged in will go above and beyond their job duties. These engaged employees are less likely to complain and more likely to offer constructive, helpful feedback. They want the company to succeed, and their hard work and commitment to their workplace goals to enable them to produce high profits for their employees.

Unfortunately, recent surveys indicate that only about 30% of all U.S. employees fit this description. But getting workers engaged and committed to a shared vision is crucial for morale and the company’s success. The most successful HR managers know this, and they work hard to engage workers, listen to their concerns and goals, and develop them as valued professionals. The most distinctive way an HR professional can listen to employees is to observe the workplace in action quietly, so they can understand precisely what workers need.

Successful HR managers know that investing in the company’s most valuable resource, it’s people, is what will increase the businesses success.

2. Successful HR managers possess unparalleled business acumen that is industry specific.

Industry-specific business acumen is a skill HR managers must have if they want to be successful at their job. An HR manager needs to know how their company works at a granular level:

• How does the company make money?
• What are the profit margins?
• How do they attract customers?
• What innovations are happening in the industry?
• How do these innovations affect profits and workplace culture?

Business innovation should form the basis of most HR planning, and the most successful managers are always learning and growing along with advances in industry-specific innovation. Successful HR managers find solutions that consistently drive results for the company. When something isn’t performing, serious HR managers will dig deep. They’ll look for system errors and fix them quickly.

Also, HR managers back up their solutions and ideas with concrete data. They understand that CEO’s require numbers to back up claims. More and more, CEOs are relying on HR professionals to utilize data-driven business analytics to make the correct decisions for workplace policy and future business plans.

Successful HR managers are never content to rest on their laurels and let the company run on autopilot. They don’t just observe but diagnose and solve. They are continually learning and engaging, looking for new ways to increase customer, CEO, and employee satisfaction while keeping labor costs low. They ask questions, find the answers, and get the results the company needs.

3. Successful HR managers can get along despite disagreements, and they celebrate employee accomplishments.

Disagreements in the workplace are a part of life. The difference between a successful HR manager and one who isn’t so good at their job is what they do when disagreements arise. Successful HR managers don’t let a conflict build into resentment. They will continue to promote an open, positive environment where questions and concerns are always deemed valid and considered. What sets a successful manager apart here is that they don’t foster a win/lose environment.

When employee contributions hit the spotlight, successful HR managers turn the light brighter. They gladly identify and celebrate the accomplishments of the employees, and make it a point to reward them for it. When employees can see that positive contributions are noticed and praised, morale is increased across the company. Employees become more engaged and motivated to perform and contribute to the company’s growth.

In today’s fast, data-driven world, HR professionals can’t just sit back and observe. They need to act and actively manage the people that make organizations great. For HR professionals looking to make their mark in the business world, they need to incorporate these top 3 habits to become highly successful in their field.

Bottom line? HR managers must observe, act, and lead employees with conviction and determination. For more tips on how to cultivate successful workplace habits, check out the Schoox corporate training blog. We’re constantly researching the newest, most effective ways for you to increase your productivity and workplace success.