7 Surefire Signs You Should Be Working in HR

You’re stuck in traffic once again as you commute to work after dropping the kids off at school. The stop-and-go highway gives you plenty of time to wish you were driving to a job that utilized your full potential instead of leaving you stuck on the bottom rung of a corporate ladder.

You know you have the innate characteristics it takes to have a stellar career path. After all, you manage your household, referee your kids’ arguments and are there for your friends when they need a listening ear. And you still get dinner on the table on time!

Those natural talents could be put to great use in the human resources (HR) field. You can find these business pros in nearly every office, and they all share a similar set of characteristics in order to fulfill their important role.

Curious whether you have the natural abilities for working in HR? We spoke to the experts and rounded up seven signs you’d thrive in the field. Keep reading to find out whether you should be working in human resources.

You should consider working in HR if …

1. You’re approachable

Other parents never hesitate to talk to you on the playground and your kids’ teachers know they can come to you if they need help around the classroom. Your friendly, approachable demeanor immediately puts others at ease, no matter what they need to talk to you about.

“Approachability is key to building trust and rapport with employees, colleagues and leadership,” says Amy Wolcott, talent manager at Sprout Social. Employees need to be comfortable talking to their HR representative no matter how sensitive a situation may be.

2. You don’t shy away from research

You’re willing to hit the books and put in the research it takes to tackle any project, from planting a vegetable garden to buying the best car for your family’s needs. You know how important research can be when it comes to making good decisions, so you always do your due diligence.

HR professionals play a large role in their company’s policies around hiring, firing, benefits and discrimination—all things which are governed by strict state and federal laws. A successful HR rep will need to do the research and commit to continued training to ensure their company doesn’t violate employment laws, according to Jennifer Cullert, head of HR at Manhattan-based law firm Labaton Sucharow.

3. You’re a people person

You never miss an opportunity to spend time with others. From catching up with friends over happy hour to getting to know the strangers across the table at a wedding, you enjoy making connections with people and learning about what makes them tick.

“Fundamentally, HR is about helping people be the best employee they can be,” says Todd Horton, veteran HR specialist and founder/CEO of KangoGift. He adds that it’s important for HR pros to enjoy learning about what motivates people in order to help their company create an interesting culture.

4. You can solve any problem

Your kids are battling over who gets to play with that toy? No big deal. Your spouse can’t bring your daughter to piano lessons because of a last-minute meeting? You’ll figure something out. Your everyday life has made you a pro at finding creative solutions to all sorts of sticky situations, all while staying flexible.

“Often, the most complex problems within a company fall on HR,” says career coach Nichole Wesson. Working in human resources means being able to handle difficult situations regarding discrimination, harassment and disciplinary issues while remaining unbiased. Successful HR pros must be able to navigate these waters or have the appropriate resources to assist in these areas.

5. Your lips are sealed

You’re always the first to know your friends’ biggest secrets and your kids know they can tell you anything. You’re not interested in swapping gossip at the water cooler. Everyone in your life knows that even the most sensitive secrets are safe in your hands.

HR specialists are people’s go-to resources for everything from health issues to harassment from a colleague. They must be able to compartmentalize and make sure they aren’t spreading everyone’s secrets, according to Grant Wojahn, director of recruiting and HR at QuoteWizard.

6. You’re a sound decision-maker

When your family isn’t sure which spot to head to for vacation, you enjoy weighing the pros and cons to make the best decision for everyone. And you can deliver the news with just the right blend of authority and compassion for those who didn’t get their way.

HR specialists are constantly making decisions, from choosing who to hire to sorting through options for benefits packages. “Great decision-makers balance and weigh a variety of inputs to find the right solution,” says Steve Gibson, Director at JotForm. “A great decision need not be immediately popular, but it does need to be the best decision for the group.”

7. You’re business-savvy

You’re not an expert, but basic business principles come naturally to you. If a new store goes out of business a year later, you probably have a hunch about where they went wrong. If colleagues aren’t clicking while working on a group project at work, you can see that the entire company will suffer.

“Understanding business and the bottom line gives you an advantage as an HR professional,” Wolcott says. A strategic understanding helps you think about what’s next for a team or company, plan for changes, and stay competitive and constantly growing as an organization.

9 In-demand human resources skills

As you consider your proficiency in each of the HR skills listed below, think about how you could represent them in an interview and on your human resources resume. This can help you frame each skill in a way that will impress hiring managers.

1. Employee relations

Successful businesses thrive on secure employee–employer relationships and the professionals who support those connections. Being able to identify and resolve employee concerns as they develop creates a more satisfying work environment for employees and employers alike. This is a relatively broad area in the HR field—everything from labor disputes to managing employee benefits packages can be tied to it. Fundamentally, it comes down to your ability to manage conflict and be an advocate for both your employer and its employees.

How to highlight this in a job interview: Ask yourself if there was a time when you were involved in a discrepancy between two individuals in a professional setting. How did you work to resolve their differences in a respectful, empathetic and efficient way? Be specific. Which soft skills were important to use? How did you address concerns and determine an outcome?

2. Onboarding

Employee turnover is expensive, and a strong onboarding process can help reduce it. Onboarding refers to the process that allows new hires to become adjusted to the social and performance aspects of their new job quickly and smoothly. Companies are looking to hire HR professionals who can bring new recruits “onboard” to increase the chance that they will settle happily and successfully into their new jobs for the long run.

How to highlight this in a job interview: Share occasions where you helped someone feel at home or make a transition. Specific examples of taking initiative to prevent hard feelings and promote open communication between co-workers will speak well of your ability to thrive in an HR position.

3. Human Resources Information Software (HRIS)

HR Payroll Systems defines HRIS (also known as HRMS) as “an intersection of human resources and information technology through HR software.” This allows HR activities and processes to occur electronically, making the workload lighter and more efficient for HR professionals. These specialized tools may vary somewhat from organization to organization, but most offer core functionality that helps HR organizations run smoothly.

How to highlight this in a job interview: This can be a tricky requirement to fulfil if you haven’t previously worked in an HR role. If you have any experience working with an HRIS system, it’s clearly a good idea to mention what software you’ve worked with and how you used it. If you lack experience with this software, then your best bet may be showcasing how you’ve learned to use other software and tying it to your eagerness to quickly learn.

4. Performance management

Performance management is defined as how a company involves its employees in improving effectiveness towards the accomplishment of company goals, according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). The OPM lists performance management tasks that fall under this umbrella, such as setting expectations for employees, monitoring performance, developing their capacity to perform and rating performance. This skill relies heavily on strong communication and interpersonal abilities.

“If you’re pursuing a career in HR, then you should have great listening skills, empathy and emotional intelligence,” says Sophie Lhoutellier, HR manager at Badger Maps. “I wish more HR applicants would show great listening skills as well as proactivity. People tend to forget that they’re here to listen to the employees and their needs, and to do everything they can to make the company a better place to work at.”

How to highlight this in a job interview: Talk about any experience you have teaching, coaching, tutoring or mentoring someone else. Think of times when really listening to what someone was saying helped you solve a problem. Highlight these experiences on your resume and be prepared to discuss them in a way that shows you’re open, tolerant and versatile.

5. Teamwork and collaboration

“Because HR professionals are focused on finding and creating the best workplace possible, it is extremely important that we find collaborative team members who believe in our mission,” says Vicki Choi, director of HR at Course Hero. You might think that teamwork would be a given in a field like HR, but it’s in-demand to the point of making the top-five skills on job postings.

This could reflect a mindset of HR professionals who look to the overall vision of the company instead of just the rules and tasks that make up their daily work. “I wish that more applicants would be oriented toward change and growth instead of just working with the existing HR processes,” Lhoutellier says.

How to highlight this in a job interview: Collaborating in HR often means working with professionals from many different departments, some of which might be outside of your personal wheelhouse. It’s important to know what you don’t know—and be willing to learn.

“Candidates who stand out during the interview process are able to show that they communicate honestly and are willing to be transparent about their successes, failures and progress,” Choi explains. “We have found that candidates who show these skills continue to create value for our HR team and the entire company.”

6. Scheduling

Employers want HR candidates with scheduling skills because many positions require juggling and prioritizing tasks on a team or company calendar. It’s important to be able to create a plan that allows everyone to achieve their goals.

How to highlight this in a job interview: Ask yourself if you have experience planning a multi-step project and how you had to strategically organize and prioritize time to complete each task along the way. This could have been for a wedding, school project or even a vacation overseas.

7. Customer service

Human resources professionals need plenty of management and leadership ability to do their jobs. But customer service skills are a huge part of resolving workplace issues. HR professionals spend lots of time in conflict situations. According to Joe Campagna, owner of My Virtual HR Director, simply being a people-person isn’t enough to field discipline, mediation and receiving complaints.

How to highlight this in a job interview: “I prioritize candidates who have experience in working with and helping people in some way,” says Lhoutellier. She offers examples such as volunteering, tutoring or coaching. “It shows that they have empathy, which is at the heart of any HR position. You can teach certain tasks of an HR role but it’s much more difficult to teach soft skills like empathy and communication.”

8. Project management

“Apart from day to day administrative duties, HR is almost always in the midst of some large project,” says Campagna. “It can be writing a handbook, installing a performance management system, or any other of a myriad of HR-driven projects from HRIS to employee surveys.”

How to highlight this in a job interview: If you’ve managed even a small project before—definitely include that information on your resume. If not, showcasing assertiveness, leadership and a great work ethic can be helpful for this skill. “HR isn’t the picnic department, it’s the productivity department,” Campagna says. “If HR cannot align managers to goals and ask the tough questions, then it is not worth having in a company.”

9. Worker’s compensation

HR handles any incidents of work-related injuries or illnesses. Each company should have a plan of action and compensation for employees who are hurt on the job that is in accordance with state and federal laws. HR representatives need to understand the laws regarding worker’s compensation and how to help the employee and the company navigate the compensation process.