Top 13 HR Skills Employers Are Looking For (2023)

There is a strange dynamic when applying for a position in the human resources (HR) department. As a candidate, you sit on one side of the table, but - in many cases - if you get the job, you can simply jump over that table and take a recruiting position.

An HR career is not for the faint of heart. Being a trusted advisor to managers who make hiring and firing decisions, monitor employee welfare, and deal with the company's most sensitive data isn't for everyone. You feel ready for the challenge, but you want to know exactly what will be expected of you. This readiness is especially important given how well your potential interviewees know the business – you need to know your business.

We are here to help you prepare and better understand what employers are looking for. To that end, we spoke with several HR professionals and used real-time job analysis software to analyze more than 140,000 HR job openings over the past year.¹The data helped us identify the thirteen most important skills employers are looking for in HR candidates.

Of course, the list of skills and competencies commonly sought by HR professionals is only a starting point for researching the requirements for a particular position. We'll help by expanding on each one—and what you can do to demonstrate those skills and abilities as a potential HR candidate.

13 HR skills are in demand

• Relations among employees
• The process of incorporating a new employee into the company
• Human Resource Management Software (HRIS)
• Performance management
• Teamwork and cooperation
• Planning
• Payment processing
• Customer service
• Project management
• Compensation of employees
• Technological possibilities
• Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

As you consider your expertise in each of the HR skills and competencies listed, think about how you can present them in the interview and in your human resourcesreturn.

Read on for a deeper insight!

1. Relations with employees

Successful companies thrive on secure employee-employer relationships and professionals who support those relationships. The ability to recognize and solve employee problems as they develop creates a more satisfying work environment for both employees and employers. This is a relatively broad area of ​​human resources - everything from labor disputes to managing employee compensation packages can relate to it. Basically, it all comes down to the ability to resolve conflicts and advocate for both your employer and your employees.

How to emphasize it during a job interview:Ask yourself if you have ever been involved in a disagreement between two people in a professional setting. How did you work to resolve their differences in a respectful, empathetic and effective manner? Be precise. What soft skills were important to use? How did you solve the problems and determine the result? It's also an opportunity to highlight your knowledge of employment law and key employer-employee dispute resolution regulations.

2. Implementation

Staff turnover is costly, and an effective onboarding process can help reduce it. Onboarding refers to the process that allows new employees to quickly and smoothly adjust to the social and performance aspects of their new job. Companies are looking for HR professionals who can easily "on-board" new hires through structured and thoughtful processes, increasing the chances that they will adapt happily and successfully to their new positions in the long term.

How to emphasize it during a job interview:Share a moment when you helped someone feel at home or made a difference. Concrete examples of taking the initiative to prevent injuries and promote open communication among co-workers demonstrate your ability to grow in the HR role.

3. Human resource management software (HRIS)

Human resource information softwareare IT tools for electronic management of HR activities and processes. There are many specialized HRIS systems, but most of them have similar basic functions that help automate some of the more tedious tasks that HR staff would perform.

How to emphasize it during a job interview:It's true that this can be difficult to fulfill if you haven't worked in an HR role before. If you have experience working with HRIS, it's a good idea to mention which software you worked with and how you used it.

If you are new to this software, it would be best to show how you have learned to use other software and relate it to your desire to learn quickly. Most of them are pretty intuitive, so it probably won't be a big deal for most employers.

4. Implementation

Hiring qualified and sought-after employees is an art in itself. HR professionals need a deep understanding of their company in order to attract solid, talented employees who will stay with the company.Recruitersthey often have their own specialized role, but finding talent is also a valuable skill for generalists.

How to emphasize it during a job interview:It's not always easy to point to a direct example if you're new to the field, but anything that highlights your ability to listen well, negotiate, build relationships, organize and be decisive can be a good starting point.

5. Performance management

Performance management is defined as the way a company engages its employees to improve performance in achieving company goals as defined by the companyUS Office of Personnel Management (OPM®). OPM lists performance management tasks that fall under this umbrella, such as setting expectations for employees, monitoring performance, developing their ability to perform, and evaluating performance. This skill relies heavily on strong communication and interpersonal skills and can help in the long runemployment trends.

"If you're planning a career in HR, you should have excellent listening skills, empathy and emotional intelligence," says Sophie Lhoutellier, head of human resources atkarte jazavca®. “I would like more HR candidates to demonstrate excellent listening skills as well as being proactive. People often forget that they are here to listen to employees and their needs and do everything in their power to make the company a better place to work.”

How to emphasize it during a job interview:Discuss your experience teaching, tutoring, teaching or mentoring someone else. Think of a time when actually listening to what someone was saying helped you solve a problem. Highlight these experiences on your resume and be prepared to talk about them in a way that shows you're open, tolerant and versatile.

6. Team work and cooperation

"As HR professionals focus on finding and creating the best workplace possible, it's extremely important that we find associates who believe in our mission," says Vicki Choi, Director of Human Resources atThe hero of the course. You might think teamwork is something that goes without saying in a field like HR, but it's in such high demand that it's ranked among the top five skills in job ads.

This can reflect the mindset of HR professionals who look at the overall vision of the company, not just the policies and tasks that make up their day-to-day work. "I would like to see more candidates focused on change and growth, not just working with existing HR processes," says Lhoutellier.

How to emphasize it during a job interview:Collaboration in HR often means collaborating with experts from many different departments, some of which may be outside your personal wheelhouse. It's important to know what you areNOknow - and want to learn.

"Candidates who stand out in the interview can demonstrate that they communicate honestly and are willing to talk openly about their successes, failures and progress," explains Choi. "We've found that candidates who demonstrate these skills continue to create value for our HR team and the company as a whole."

7. Planning

Employers want HR candidates with planning skills because many jobs involve juggling and prioritizing tasks on a team or company calendar. It is important to be able to create a plan that allows everyone to reach their goals.

How to emphasize it during a job interview:Ask yourself if you have experience planning a multi-phase project and how you've had to strategically organize and prioritize time to complete each task along the way. It can be for a wedding, a school project or even a holiday abroad.

8. Processing of salaries

Understanding how an organization's payroll system works is important for many HR roles, especially those that focus on employee benefits. For example, if an employee has decided to change their 401k contribution level and finds that the change is not reflected in their paycheck, an HR professional may be able to explain and help resolve the issue. Compensation and benefits can be quite complex, so a good understanding of the payroll system is helpful.

How to emphasize it during a job interview:When you're just starting out, it can be a challenge to pull this off with no prior experience. Additionally, knowing how payroll and HR interact and where their responsibilities overlap is critical if you are asked about this topic.

9. Customer service

HR professionals need a lot of management and leadership skills to do their jobs. But customer service skills are a big part of solving problems in the workplace. HR professionals spend a lot of time in conflict situations. According to Joe Campagna, ownerMy virtual HR directorJust being human is not enough to deal with discipline, mediation and grievance resolution.

How to emphasize it during a job interview:"I give priority to candidates who have experience working with people and helping them in some way," says Lhoutellier. He gives examples such as volunteering, teaching or coaching. "This shows that they have empathy, which is the basis of any HR position. You can teach some tasks of an HR role, but it's much harder to teach soft skills like empathy and communication."

10. Project management

"In addition to day-to-day administrative duties, HR is almost always involved in some major project," says Campagna. "It could be writing a manual, installing a performance management system, or any of a myriad of HR projects from HRIS to employee surveys."

How to emphasize it during a job interview:If you have already managed even a small project - be sure to include this information in your resume. If not, showing assertiveness, leadership and a great work ethic can help with this skill. "HR is not a picnic department, it's a productivity department," says Campagna. "If HR can't align managers with goals and ask the tough questions, then it's not worth it."

11. Workers' compensation

The Human Resources Department deals with all cases of work-related injuries or illnesses. Every company should have an action plan and a workers' compensation plan for workers injured on the job that complies with state and federal law. HR representatives need to understand workers' compensation laws and know how to help the employee and the company through the compensation process.

As pointed out in the interview:Because an injury incident can be stressful, good communication and professionalism are key in compensation discussions. If you haven't had experience with workers' compensation, try to demonstrate your ability to remain professional and compassionate in the event of a conflict.

"The most important soft skills for an HR professional are conflict management and ethics," says Eva Wislow, head of human resources at the company.Career starter. "Listening to others, solving problems respectfully and appropriately while dealing with a lot of sensitive information are the most common tasks in this position."

12. Technological possibilities

While tech skills didn't appear in the top 10 skills employers are looking for in their job postings, many of our experts agreed that being tech-savvy is a competitive advantage. According to Wislow, that could be anything from data analytics to virtual reality adaptations in HR.

"HR candidates should love numbers and data, forecasting and analytics," says Wislow. "Many HR professionals make all kinds of decisions without looking at the numbers - their work revolves around theory and policy." Wislow adds that many job candidates get lost when data analysis and projection enter the conversation.

How to emphasize it during a job interview:Data science courses or certifications would be great things to consider. Be sure to read what's happening in the industry, as well as what technologies are trending. "New hires should be up-to-date on the latest HR trends," says Wislow. "Big data, gamification, virtual reality in HR - everything is here."

13. Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

TheLaw on family medical leaveit was enacted in 1993 and covers skilled workers for up to 12 weeks of unpaid work-protected leave for various family or health reasons. When working in HR, knowing this law and its various elements will be a key part of the job that you need to be aware of.

How to emphasize it during a job interview:If you are currently unfamiliar with FMLA,read about it. Being able to relate to this law and some of its different uses for employees will only emphasize to your interviewers that you know your business.

Are your HR skills up to par?

As you can see, human resources professional skills are much more than good people relations. If you could see yourself in some of these skills, you might have what it takes to advance in human resources. "Go to HR because you like to organize chaos," says Campagna. "Go into HR because you enjoy making a positive impact on people's lives by influencing employee-friendly compensation, benefits packages and policies."

If you don't feel like you've mastered these skills enough to list them on your resume, fear not. This is the knowledge and experience you will gain from the HR program. Visit Rasmussen University and learn more about how you can develop your HR skillsHuman resources and organizational leadership site.