It has become very common to see people venture into an HR Career without knowing what the job description ‘Human Resources Officer’ actually entails. They probably see the HR guys chilling, going on vacations and having loads of fun without knowing how they got to that point in their career.

When starting out any career at all, start planning your strategy towards getting to the top from the onset. HR is more than just a people role. It is a business role. When asked why you want to kickstart a career in HR, Instead of saying “I like and relate well with people”, your answer should be “I see organizations failing and I want to help businesses grow”.

An organization is a group of people working together to achieve a common goal. An HR Manager is the person that coordinates people and brings them together to achieve that goal. If an organization is failing, the HR manager is majorly to be blamed as he or she is saddled with the responsibility of making a good, profitable and goal orientated organization. It is a well known fact that managing people can be quite frustrating, As a matter of fact, humans are the most difficult creatures to manage. As an HR manager, always remind yourself that you are not managing people because you want to have fun, you are managing people towards the achievement of a goal. Here are 5 major things you need to know before venturing into a career in HR.

1. Make Sure Your “Why” Is About The Business Goal Not About Liking People

Every business exists to achieve a goal. The efficacy of HR functioning well is the growth of the business. You should aim as an HR manager to help businesses move from point A to point B. If you don’t like business, you don’t like achieving goals, you don’t like people holding you accountable to the figures the company is bringing in, you have absolutely no business venturing into Human Resources. An HR professional who focuses more on liking people than liking the business will not go far. Similarly, one who likes the business and isn’t sensitive in dealing with people will not also succeed. As an HR officer, you should aim to strike a balance between both. However, every CEO will always prefer a manger who achieves business goals ahead of people goals. The purpose of every HR is to achieve business goals.

2.Stamp In Your Problem Solving Skills

As an HR manager, If you can’t identify problems, you are a problem. People will only listen to a leader that can identify and solve problems. You should be a natural problem solver. If you are an HR manager and you don’t know that the company’s problem is your problem, you have no business in HR. Before venturing into HR, sharpen your problem solving skills. One major reason your advice is never taken seriously in your organization is because your advice doesn’t solve problems. It is not about the role, but about the person handling the role.

Steps To Solving Problems

i. Identifying the problem: Do a root cause analysis, ask the right questions, quantify the problem- How much is your company loosing as a result of this problem, identify bypass- What is causing the problem.
ii. Give viable solutions: Recommend solutions that can actually work. Come up with how you intend to measure whether or not the solution is working.
iii. Plan its implementation: Don’t just come up with solutions, plan how it should be properly implemented.

3. Know How To Manage Executive Politics

To be successful in HR, you need to be able to manage executive influence. Know how to manage your direct bosses, line managers and even your CEO. You should be able to navigate the politics of your organization. What does it take to have an influence on your management. Your HR service delivery must balance the interest of the stakeholders and the business. Understand that one size does not fit all. What works for A might not work for B. Make sure to speak the language of each stakeholder and practise professional detachment. Build professional firewalls, develop a thick skin and don’t allow people’s bad mannerisms get to you.

4.Be Great At Communication

An HR professional should look for ways to tailor communication. Be great at communication. You need to know how to present your ideas and be able to speak up without being rude. Understand how to feed people’s ego towards the goal you want to achieve. Be a great communicator and public speaker. Implement MBWA – Management by wandering around. Know how to engage your leaders and team such that they will always listen to whatever you say. Different people have different modes of communication. Figure out what works best for each person you work with. As an HR professional, you must be a kind of person who people can listen and talk to.

5. Have A Great HR Success Plan

There must be a plan and it shouldn’t be a comfortable plan. Be ready to step out of your comfort zone. Study the HR industry and plan your goals around a viable HR competency model. To be sure that a plan will work for you, it should be a plan that has worked for others in the past. Know the competency you need as an HR practitioner, and figure out the ones you lack so that you can build on those competencies.

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Ajibola Bamidele

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