Why do you want to work in HR? Many people answer this question by saying they love working with people and want to help them. However, that is a good reason to work in operations or general management positions, but not in HR. Anyone who imagines HR is a place full of nice people whose job is easy and fun should forget about a career in HR. It is much more difficult than that.
Brian Walker, an experienced HR manager with experience in management of human resources in Europe, Asia and America, especially with the companies Walmart and Kimberly Clark, writes about this in an interesting article on the LinkedIn social network. Being nice is one of the prerequisites for work in HR but it is certainly not enough to succeed.
HR professionals must primarily be fair. You will also need empathy - the ability to take into account how others feel - since you will have to communicate unpleasant things quite often. Walker illustrates this on specific examples from his own practice.
Restructuring
Dealing with people who have lost their jobs or been shifted to lower positions or roles they dislike is not easy. All these people deserve to be treated honestly and also with respect, not just nicely.
Recruitment
Telling people they are hired is great. More applicants, however, fail and you have to tell them too. This is not fun.
Compensation
Employers don't pay their staff as much as the staff would like; they pay what they can afford. You will have to explain this to employees at all levels. You need to maintain a unified compensation system.
Talent management
Some people have great talent from your company's point of view, others don't. You have to assess their talent and justify to others why talented employees have certain advantages over others.
Training and development
A nice HR professional would arrange training and development opportunities according to what employees want. Your task, however, is to provide what they need.
Corporate culture
You can't make everyone feel satisfied but you do have to maintain a consistent and fair working environment: there is a difference.
"Helping and watching people grow is great. But helping and watching the company grow through its people is even more important and more fulfilling," says Brian Walker.
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