Successful HR practices at work

Today's HR professional has an ever-expanding scientific toolkit at his/her disposal. The result: a scientific, credible HR better aligned with business strategy, lending method to attraction/retention 'madness'.

However, this focus on science must be balanced with even greater interpersonal skills for successful implementation of strategy. These skills ensure a balance between employee advocacy and strategy enabler.

Easier said than done, you may say. However, a focus on strategy and soft skills will help you achieve this balance.

Clear goals

First, identify a clear strategy supported by key initiatives. These must have quantifiable metrics, based on global best practices and be communicated to all stakeholders. This provides a credible starting point in tough and uncertain times.

The skilled HR practitioner now leverages interpersonal skills to implement this strategy. Interpersonal skills are crucial in change management; ensuring high morale, retention and team work.

Second, leverage influence across management levels. Successful HR professionals take pleasure in exercising their skills of persuasion and alliance building.

They are deeply aware of the power of networking at all management levels and are born sales people in their own field. They can communicate with multiple stakeholders, sending consistent messages in different 'languages'.

They also understand the power of ideas and information and can use it effectively to generate buy-in. The skill is practised constantly, on the golf course, over lunch or in office. This skill is critical for organisational buy-in on tough change programmes and smoothening disagreements.

Third, use interpersonal facilitation skills by focusing on personal aspects of people's work-life. HR professionals have long used this skill to connect with individuals, analyse team effectiveness and leverage an individual's strengths.

They must be adept at understanding the political landscape that is inevitable in any company, but must desist from playing politics themselves.

An important aspect of this skill is the role of a 'confidant'. HR provides employees an opportunity to air grievances and concerns without fear of reprisal. Competent HR professionals typically leverage this skill to advocate employee view points and enforce the organisational agenda.

Fourth, HR professionals need to be exemplary team leaders. They need to display empathy, emotional maturity and ability to take stress on behalf of the team at all times. Additionally, they need to have excellent listening skills, ability to inspire teams and grow team members.

Inspire

Fifth, develop ability to interact and inspire masses through verbal and visual modes. This ability is critical to communicate with large employee groups.

HR professionals can use this ability to design audio visual communication that gets employees to participate in HR initiatives, communicates objectives and manages concerns in tough times.

Finally, HR must ensure highest ethical standards to lend credibility to all they do. This balance of 'hard science' and 'soft skills' ensures successful organisation strategy and a motivated workforce - enough to ensure a successful and motivated HR professional.

Sanjiv Anand is the managing director and Bhaskar Menon a principal consultant at Cedar Management Consulting International.