Critical Skills

I recently completed a survey from an HR association asking what I thought was the most critical skill in professional practice in HR. Now, I think it’s very difficult in just about any profession to pick just one critical skill, and I spent quite a bit of time thinking about it.

Part of the problem is that HR really is a very broad function. As someone who has experience as the entire HR department for a small function, I can certainly attest to the many different hats an HR Generalist can wear. That’s a job title that doesn’t lie, folks. And because HR encompasses so many different areas, it’s hard to pick one key skill that covers them all.

After I’d thought about it for a while, I decided that the absolutely most critical skill in HR is paying attention. I thought about saying “listening”, but decided that that’s a bit too narrow for what I actually mean. Certainly the ability to listen actively and empathetically is very important to practice in HR, but often it’s as much about what people don’t say as it is about what they do. It’s also very much about body language and facial expression, too- so it goes way beyond just listening. It’s also about picking up on unvoiced cues, and analyzing the information that you’re getting. Sometimes it’s about putting together a conversation you’re having now with other bits and pieces of information that you’ve collected along the way.

If you can pay attention to everything, you may find that the casual lunchroom conversation you overheard can take on a whole new meaning during the manager’s meeting. You can never have too much information, and I can think of several times in my career where a seemingly unrelated tidbit has turned out to hold some very useful information that’s helped to clarify other issues.

If you can listen, carefully, and pay attention, and then think critically about that information, you will find that you have a leg up in making key decisions.

What do you think are key skills in HR?