Introduction

            According to Brockbank et al. (2012), human resource management (HRM) refers to the management of the human resources or workforce in an organization. HRM is not only responsible for attracting, selecting, training, assessing and rewarding employees within an organization but also for overseeing the organizational culture and leadership. In addition, human resource management is also responsible for ensuring conformity with the labour and employment laws. In situations where employees are lawfully authorized and desire to hold a collective bargaining agreement, HRM department acts as the primary liaison of the company with representative of employees, which is usually a labour union. Some authors have also highlighted that human resource is an outcome of human relations movement of the early 20^th century. This might imply that researchers might have begun documenting about human resource as early as this period. Initially, HR majorly performed transactional work like the management of benefits and payroll. However, because of the inception of globalization, technological improvement, globalization, company consolidation, and additional research, human resource seems to be focusing on strategic initiatives such as talent management, mergers and acquisitions, succession planning, labour relations, and diversity and inclusion. According to De Pablos & Lytras (2008), globalization has significantly influenced the field of human resource. In this regard, this paper discusses the qualities, skills, competencies, and knowledge required by an effective resource manager. Human resource managers are involved in training, recruitment, career development, compensation and benefits, industrial relations, employee relations, employment law, redundancies and disciplinary and grievance issues.

Qualities of an Effective Human Resource Manager

            According to Ekankumo, Kemebaradikumo & Braye (2011), qualities refer to personal characteristics possessed by an individual. These characteristics make up the personality of an individual. Human resource managers possess various qualities that define them in their field. These qualities help human resource managers get along with the new and uncertain situations.

The first quality of HR manager is self-control. Human resource managers live in an industrial era where pressure is an inherent component of corporate career, be it a Telecom or an IT industry, financial industry or other industry. According to Hayton (2003), self-control offers HR managers with a positive attitude to win. These managers need self-control in order to be calm, especially in the dynamic world that is full of pressure. HR managers should not be prone to outburst or moody. They need to comprehend the problems and provide solutions rather than becoming part of the human resource problem.

The second quality of human resource managers concerns building social bonds. In order for an individual to become an efficient HR manager, he or she should not assess their workforce in masses. They should treat every individual differently and attempt to build emotional and heart-and-heart relationships with employees. According to Klink & Boon (2002), human resource managers should look at the employees as individuals and comprehend their specific requirements and problems. It is important for the HR manager to note that for every person and his problems needs a serious attention. A strong relationship between employees and the management results in bonding within the organization. As commonly said, the way to win employee is through their heart.

Another quality of HR managers is contentiousness. During this period of information and technology, where information is just a click away, nothing can be concealed. It is through transparency and sincerity that human resource managers will be able to overcome human resource problems. As such, he or she needs to see every issue in its long-term interest.

Lawler & Mohrman (2003) pointed out that personal credibility is also a quality that human resource managers should have. Virtual collaboration, globalizations and the emergence of project-based workforce have transformed human resource management. Currently, HR managers have to influence employees, communicate clearly and show trust. Trust is necessary in any relationship, and HR-employee relationship is no exception. The relationship between employees and the human resource department in any organization is based on faith and trust. HR manager should not infringe the trust between him or her and the employees at any cost after building the bond of trust. According to Ramlall (2003), the interests of the organizations must be looked after within framework of interest of individuals. If employees do not trust their HR manager, it is possible that they will not work with him or her.

HR managers should show empathy. Empathy implies that the manager should be able to put himself in the shoes of others. According to Ramlall (2006), empathy is the capability of looking at circumstances from a viewpoint of another person. Instead of reacting to the employee’s behaviour, HR manager should try to look for the answer regarding why the employee behaved that particular way. HR managers who show empathy are capable of making tough decisions without causing any disruption.

Skills Required by Human Resource Managers

            Rothwell & Wellins (2004) defined a skill as a learned capacity to perform pre-determined results frequently with least outlay of energy, time or both. Some authors have also referred to skills as the abilities possessed by an individual. Human resource management skills, like any other skill, usually require specific environmental stimuli in order to assess the level of skill being expressed. Human resource managers require a wide range of skills to contribute to a modern economy. In terms of labour, a skill is a measure of the amount of HR manager’s specializations, expertise, supervisory capacity, and wages. Skilled HR managers are usually trained, have more responsibilities and higher paid than unskilled ones. This section discusses the various skills that effective HR managers should have.

The first skill that effective HR managers should possess is organization. According to Scarbrough (2003), human resource management needs a very orderly framework. Strong management of time skills, organized files and personal effectiveness are central to the management of human resources in any company. Human resource managers deal with the lives and careers of people. As such, proper organization of information concerning employees’ career is important. Organization, as a skill, will also ensure easy accessibility to this information any time depending on the need. An effective HR manager should be skilled in managing time, and information. It is only through organization that HR managers are able to manage both their time and employees’ time, which is crucial in determining their output.

The second skill possessed by effective human resource managers is multitasking. Almost every day, a human resource manager addresses personal issues of at least one of his or her employee. They also deal with benefit claims and recruiting strategy. It is apparent that human resource managers deal with a wide range of tasks on a typical day. Business needs and priorities move and change fast. They need to handle all this tasks in an effective way without causing disruptions. Consequently, skills of multitasking are necessary in alleviating disruptions associated with facing a diverse range of responsibilities.

Human resource managers need to be skilled in business ethics and discretion. According to Rothwell & Wellins (2004), HR managers are the conscience of the organization, as well as the keepers of private information concerning the organization. As the HR manager serves the needs of top management, he or she monitors the approaches of officers to employees in order to ensure proper ethics are adhered to. HR manager needs to be capable of pushing back when employees are not to maintain the organization on the right course. This is not usually an easy task to HR managers, though effective managers handle it appropriately. According to Scarbrough & Swan (2001), these managers never divulge to any unauthorized person.

Another skill necessary for effective management of human resource is dual focus. Human resource managers need to consider the needs of both the management and employees. There are situations where human resource managers make decisions to safeguard individuals. During other times, human resource managers need to make decisions in order to safeguard interests, culture and values of the organization. According to Swarts & Kinnie (2003), these decisions might not be understood by some employees causing the manager to feel opposed. Explaining some of choices might compromise the confidential information, which the HR should not do.

Human resource managers should show fairness. Effective HR managers communicate fairly and clearly. They equally hear employees’ points of view; follow policies, laws and procedures. Successful human resource managers show equity. According to Zárraga & Bonache (2003), equity implies communication is clear and employees’ views are heard. Treating employees equally is crucial since it alleviates conflicts.

Another skill of effective human resource managers is dedication to permanent improvement. Human resource managers develop and coach their workforce. The main objective is to have continued innovation and improvement in addition to remediation. Moreover, looking at the company’s technological infrastructure, HR managers use technology and other ways to improve constantly the functionality of the human resource department.

According to Ulrich et al. (2009), strategic orientation is another skill of effective human resource managers. According to Ulrich & Beatty (2001), human resource managers who practice forward thinking take the leadership responsibility and influence the strategic path of the management. In measuring and filing the organization’s labour needs, and developing compensation schemes, human resource managers provide the evidence that employees are the most important asset of the company. In addition, bringing on board new skills by human resource managers results in business growth.

Team orientation is also a skill necessary for effective human resource management. Initially, companies were organized into hierarchies of workers lead by supervisors. Presently, many organizations are using teams. Human resource managers need to comprehend team dynamics and look for ways to bring disparate personalities in order to make the team work together.

Competencies of Effective Human Resource Managers

            Competency refers to the capability of a person to accomplish a task properly. It is a collection of defined behaviours providing a structured guide enabling the identification, assessment and development of behaviour of respective employees. Some authors have also referred to it as a set of skills, knowledge and behaviour deployed in improving employee performance at a workplace. Effective human resource managers exhibit diverse competencies as discussed below.

Effective human resource managers are strategically positioned. According to Swarts & Kinnie (2003), effective HR managers comprehend the universal context of business that includes political, social, economic, technological, demographic and environmental trends. In addition, they transform these trends into significant business implications. High-performing human resource managers also understand the logic and structure of their specific industries and the fundamental competitive dynamics of the universal market they serve. These competitive dynamics include competitors, customers and supplier trends. Having translated these trends into business implications, HR managers then apply their knowledge in coming up with personal vision for the company’s future. High-performing HR managers participate in developing business strategies focused on customer and in transforming the organizational strategy into yearly business goals and plans.

Effective human resource managers should act as credible activists. De Pablos & Lytras (2008) pointed out those HR managers in highly performing organizations as a specific example. Such HR managers accomplish what they said they will do. According to Ramlall (2003), such integrity based on results acts as the basis for personal trust, which, in turn, translates into professional trustworthiness. Besides, effective HR managers possess efficient interpersonal skills. In this regard, they are more flexible in developing positive chemistry with key stakeholders. According to Brockbank et al. (2012), effective HR managers translate this positive chemistry into an impact, which significantly contributes to business outcome. A significant way through which HR managers establish such impact is through clear, consistent, and insightful non-verbal and verbal communications. As credible activists, effective HR managers are more confident in their opinions concerning the organizations. HR managers also take strong grounds concerning business issues, which are grounded in thoughtful opinions and sound data. According to Lawler & Mohrman (2003), human resource managers are not only activists for organization but also advocates for the significance of human resource in influencing business results.

Another competency of human resource managers is capability building. Effective human resource managers create, orchestrate and audit strong and effective organization by assisting in defining the capabilities of the organization. In this context, capability represents what the firm is known for and good at. According to Ramlall (2003), these capabilities outlive the performance or behaviour of any individual manager. Capabilities have been often viewed as the culture of the organization. Examples of these capabilities include customer focus, speed, innovation, creation of meaning and purpose at work, and efficiency. Human resource managers can significantly assist managers in creating meaning so the organization’s capability shows the deeper employees’ values.

Human resource managers should be able to champion change. Brockbank et al. (2012) point out that effective human resource managers influence the capacity of the organization for change. They achieve this by translating this capacity into effective change structures and process. They guarantee a faultless incorporation of processes of changes at the individual, initiative and institutional levels. According to Lawler & Mohrman (2003), these managers are able to build the case for change according to business and market reality. In this regard, they surmount the resistance to change by involving key stakeholders in making critical decisions and building their commitment implementation. They are able to sustain change by guaranteeing the availability of necessary resources such as people, time, information and capital, and by capturing success lessons and learning from failure.

According to Ramlall (2003), effective human resource managers are resource innovators and integrators. An important competency of human resource managers lies in their capability to incorporate the practices of human resource into few but crucial business issues. However, the challenge is making human resource more effective than the entire parts of HR. Rarely, the sub-processes within human resource departments fail to be unified with various processes. The outcome is frequently inconsistency of the process. Performance is not optimized fully and mixed messages are sent. Effective human resource managers guarantee that the desired business results are precisely and clearly prioritized. According to Ramlall (2003), they also ensure that necessary capabilities of the organization are effectively conceptualized and operationalized. In addition, high-performing human resource managers ensure that the appropriate human resource process, practices, process and procedures are aligned in order to create and maintain the identified capabilities of the organization. As these managers continue guaranteeing these things, they assist in the collective human resource practices.

High-performing human resource managers should acts as technology proponent. As mentioned above, the turmoil in technological world continues unabated. According to De Pablos & Lytras (2008), this dynamic element of business poses a crucial influence on HR profession. For several years, human resource managers have deployed technology in the basic human resource work. For instance, human resource information systems have been implemented to improve effectiveness of HR process such as payroll and benefits processing, record keeping, and other management services. However, there is a change in the technological implications for human resource professionals.

Effective HR managers are involved in two significant categories of technological deployment. Firstly, HR professionals are using social networking to assist employees stay connected to each. As such, they assist in guiding the connectedness of employees within the organization. As technology proponents, HR managers also assist in guiding the connectedness between the organization and outside people, especially customers. Secondly, they are capable of increasing their responsibility in information management, which includes identifying information that should be concentrated on. The competency of technology proponent is an emerging one that will enable HR department to add significant value to the organization. The diagram below summarizes the above competencies.

Knowledge Required By Effective Human Resource Managers

            Effective human resource managers should have knowledge concerning recruitment and selection of employees. Since knowledge management is frequently deployed by organizations in unpredictable and complex environments, traditional recruitment and selection practices have frequently been modified. It is a central concern to analyze the immediate social context used to make judgments. Human resource managers have a responsibility to recruit the right people with the appropriate knowledge to accomplish the assigned task. Recruitment and selection skills will significantly avert the problem of employing unqualified people who cannot deliver at work.

Effective human resource managers have training and development knowledge. According to Hayton (2003), continuous professional development is considered central in the professional and knowledge employees. For employees to stay at the vanguard of their professional fields, HR managers must constantly be aware of developments within particular professions and disciplines. HR managers should have a training knowledge to improve the productivity of the workforce.

Performance management knowledge is also important in the management of human resource. Performance management identifies employees who deliver crucial performance. This knowledge ensures that performance is effectively carried out. Without this knowledge, any human resource manager cannot determine the performance of the workforce.

Case Example: Sony Corporation

            Sony is one of the largest companies in the world. The company has a huge and diverse workforce, which translates into a sophisticated human resource management. The company’s HR department main objective is to be progressive worldwide human resource management (Ekankumo, Kemebaradikumo & Braye 2011). During recruitment, the various decisive factors for Sony are entrepreneurial spirit, strong communication skills and creative thinking. Human resource managers of Sony are using their time with the workforce linking the objectives of the firm and strategies in order to attain significant tasks. According to De Pablos & Lytras (2008), human resource managers are identifying jobs and then they are searching for talents needed for the job. This shows that these managers have recruitment knowledge and skills that ensure the rightful individuals are employed.

The company provides management trainee programs for its promising recruits. Recruits are on duty to establish ways of using their abilities in advancing the company. This shows that HR department performs its role of training employees to ensure continuous improvement in production. In innovative organizations, like Sony, the recruitment of individuals with appropriate skills and knowledge has been critical.

Conclusion

            Human resource management refers to the management of the human resources or workforce in an organization. Human resource managers are involved in training, recruitment, career development, compensation and benefits, industrial relations, employee relations, employment law, redundancies and disciplinary and grievance issues. The various qualities of effective managers include contentiousness, social bonds, and self-control among others. Skills of highly performing HR managers include organization, multitasking and dual focus. Competencies of effective HR managers include strategic position, change champion, capability builder, and technology proponent. The various skills required by HR managers include recruitment and selection, performance management, and training and development skills.

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