Careers Finding a Job Important Human Resources Skills for Workplace Success HR Skills for Resumes, Cover Letters, and Interviews Share PINTEREST Email Print Dan Dalton/Getty Images Finding a Job Job Searching Skills & Keywords Resumes Salary & Benefits Letters & Emails Job Listings Job Interviews Cover Letters Career Advice Best Jobs Work-From-Home Jobs Internships Table of Contents Expand Skills You Need to Work in HR Types of Human Resources Skills Communication Conflict Management Decision Making Ethics Organization More Human Resources Skills By Alison Doyle Updated on 09/16/20 Within a large company, executives put a great deal of effort into talent acquisition and management. These are fancy words for hiring and keeping the right people. Human resource (HR) personnel take responsibility for the workforce and need to operate with the right kind of skills. The focus of human resources is internal: how well the workforce feels empowered and how well executive-level leadership receives a return on investment for the quality of the entire workforce. What Skills Do You Need to Work in Human Resources? Generally, human resources refers to the management of all things related to employment, from hiring to employee compensation to labor law to dealing with retirement. Jobs in human resources include HR specialists, HR managers, training managers, recruiters, generalists, and more. Many HR workers attend and even run various meetings with employers, employees, and job candidates. They, therefore, need to keep their schedules organized, so that they can keep track of all these meetings. Types of Human Resources Skills © The Balance, 2018 Communication Communication is a critical soft skill for people working in human resources. You will have to communicate effectively with people across an organization, from entry-level employees to the CEO. You have to be able to explain verbally and in writing any and all information related to company policy. Often, people in human resources have to conduct interviews, give presentations, and lead conflict resolution. All of these take strong communication skills. Being a good communicator also means being a good listener. In human resources, you need to listen carefully to the questions and concerns of everyone in the organization. CoachingCollaborationVerbal CommunicationNonverbal CommunicationWritten CommunicationIntegrityInterpersonalActive ListeningMotivation Conflict Management Employees in human resources help solve a variety of work conflicts, whether they are between two colleagues or an employee and his or her employer. HR staff needs skills in negotiation and mediation. They need to patiently listen to both sides and resolve the issue in a respectful and appropriate way. Affirmative Action Empathy Discretion Negotiation Team building Teamwork Facilitating Group Discussions Handling Constructive Criticism Decision Making HR employees make lots of decisions for a company, ranging from who to hire to how to resolve a dispute between employees. Therefore, it is important that they are critical thinkers that can weigh the pros and cons of an event and then make a decision. Applicant ScreeningApplicant Tracking SystemsBackground ChecksRecruitingInterviewingDevising Employee Selection Criteria Ethics HR employees handle lots of personal, sensitive information about a company and its employees. You need to be discrete, only sharing this information with people when it is appropriate. You also need to be able to make sure both employers and employees are compliant. When you discover that either party is in violation of ethical standards, it will be your responsibility to identify the violation and do your part to hold others accountable. Analyzing Legal Issues in Human ResourcesApplying Ethical Standards to Workforce Management Applying Social Science Theories to Workplace IssuesApplying Strategies for Enhancing Employee RelationsApproaches to Cultivating Workplace DiversityEmployee HandbooksEmployee RelationsEmployee RightsEmployee SourcingEmployment LawEmployer RightsEqual Employment Opportunity ComplianceFair Labor StandardsFederal LawsPolicies and ProceduresStrategies for Addressing Performance ProblemsStatutory Compliance Organization Most human resources employees have to keep track of numerous records and files related to each employee. They handle lots of paperwork related to hiring, firing, and various employee benefits. Therefore, HR employees must be able to keep this information organized, safe, and accessible. Administration Benefits Confidentiality Multitasking Talent Management Systems HR Software Assessing the Needs of Employees for Training Attention to Detail More Human Resources Skills Balancing Concern for Individual Workers and Organizational Interests Change Management Company Policies Comparable Worth Compensation Computer Customer Service Data Analysis Developing Performance Appraisal Forms and Processes Developing Strategies for Recruiting Workers Developing Training Models Devising Research Models to Study HR Issues Employee Benefits Employee Development Employee Engagement Evaluations Evaluating Information Systems for Human Resources Evaluating Models for Compensating Employees Human Resource Planning Health Regulations Job Descriptions Job Postings Labor Laws Labor Relations Labor Specialization Leadership Management Marketing Organizations to Prospective Employees Measuring HR Outcomes Microsoft Office Networking New Hire Paperwork Onboarding Orientation Payroll Performance Management Placement Management Pre-employment Screening Presentation Quantitative Analysis of Research data Qualitative Analysis of Research data Reference Checking Reporting Statistics Technical Recruiting How to Make Your HR Skills Stand Out Add Relevant Skills to Your Resume: In the description of your work history, you might want to use some of these keywords. The closer a match your credentials are to what the employer is looking for, the better your chances of getting hired.Highlight Skills in Your Cover Letter: In the body of your letter, you can mention one or two of these skills, and give a specific example of a time when you demonstrated each skill at work.Use Skill Words in Your Job Interview: Make sure you have at least one example for a time you demonstrated a few of the top skills listed above. Featured Video