Skills required in a human resources job description

 

If you are looking at a human resources job description and considering applying, it’s important knowing what exactly goes in making a well-trained and qualified professional as per the current standards. This way you will be always ahead of the competition while pursuing a new employment opportunity or a chance of promotion.

Says Scott Vedder, best-selling author and Fortune 100 recruiter, “It’s important for human resources professionals to develop relevant skills which will make them marketable as candidates for jobs,”. This is especially true in the light of the growing competition where every position is being competed for tooth-and-nail. According to a research by Rasmussen College conducted, it was found that 63 percent of the recruiters prefer candidates that have a Bachelor’s degree. A Bachelor’s degree is the least that you can have to prove your suitability for a particular HR job opportunity.

Education is one thing. The real deal that most recruiters look for is hands-on skills that a candidate has. A candidate with a degree in MBA from a top college but without any command on any of the essential working skills will often score lower than a candidate with degree from lesser known B-school but enough expertise and knowledge of the essential skills. So, it is worth developing and mastering the hands-on skills to ensure a good chance in the cut-throat competition.

Here are the top competencies you might find in a human resources job description. Even if these skills aren’t listed explicitly, you should be able to demonstrate them to a recruiter.

Employee Relations

Managing employer-employee relationship is a critical part of any organization’s human resource strategy. Any organization giving ample attention to labor relation will ensure fair treatment to all employees so that they remain loyal and productive for as long as they are employed. In order to prove your expertise at employee relations ask yourself what experience do you have in resolving workplace conflicts between employee and the employer? Also, if you can recall any incident that can highlight the usefulness of your interpersonal communication skills, that would be awesome.

Applicant Tracking Systems

The current age of HR professionals need to know how to work with the ATS as most organizations are using it for their recruitment purposes. Some of these are web based software while others are standalone applications. If you value success in your career as an HR professional, you must become proficient in these technological aids.

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TIP: Not sure whether to apply for that job? You have to look closely at the words in the job description. Even if your previous experience doesn’t match 100%, don’t underestimate your skills in communication, problem solving, or critical thinking. College Recruiter features thousands of entry-level jobs. Would it make sense to start comparing job descriptions?

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Spreadsheets

An application that probably a HR professional cannot live without is Excel or Google Spreadsheet that they need to be able to create spreadsheets, enter data and work with basic formulas. These software help professionals a great deal by enabling them to keep a track of data such as contact information, performance reviews and employment applications. If you do not have any prior experience with these applications it is good to go under a short term online course or certification or go through a tutorial that will help you learn them.

Human Resource Information System

Organizations are switching to the next-gen HRIS for ensuring efficient data entry, data tracking, payroll management and other important needs of human resources. It’s most important for candidates applying to senior positions like VP HR jobs to have the complete knowledge of HRIS as they get free from managing the menial tasks and can fully concentrate on finding the most appropriate talent.

Organizational development, talent management and people skills

These three skills are listed together owing to the high level of correlation amongst them. With the right people skills you can become capable of perfect talent management which can further help in organizational development. While updating yourself with new technologies always helps, ultimately it’s how good you are at the core roles and responsibilities that will matter in the long run. With proper talent management skills HR professionals can help attract, train, develop and retain top employees. If you can highlight instances where your work has positively impacted your organizations’wor workforce and development, there are high chances of getting selected for a VP HR job or HR Manager.

Contributing author: Saurabh Tyagi