hr influencer
KNOW YOUR STRENGTHS AND WHERE
YOU CAN ADD VALUE AS AN INDIVIDUAL.
IT’S IMPORTANT TO TAKE TIME AND DO
AN INVENTORY OF WHAT YOU LIKE TO DO,
AND WHERE YOUR STRENGTHS ARE. Sergii Korolko / Shutterstock.com
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on defining our common purpose so that
we can be completely aligned as a team.
We also have to demonstrate resiliency,
adaptability and flexibility, as well as continue
to evolve our skills and expertise.
Resilience has been a key theme for me,
personally, and I share that with my team.
What skills are important
for success in HR?
CD: In a lot of ways, it depends on the organization
in which you work. But, there
is a core set of skills. The first thing is
business acumen. You can’t support a business
if you don’t understand its drivers.
The next thing is influencing skills – they
are so critical. You need a strong internal
and external network, and through that
you win trust and buy-in when you need
to. Coaching and consulting skills are important.
As HR continues to evolve, the
importance of these grows – they help
our organizations to identify and resolve
issues that are important to them. And,
finally, I’d say one of the most important
skills HR needs to have is excellent communications
skills – in particular, writing
skills. Writing skills are so tremendously
important; a great deal of the persuasion
and influence we rely on is through
presentations, business cases, emails and
other written words, especially in a global
organization. Be succinct, be clear and
be impactful!
What tips do you have for new grads
or those in entry-level HR jobs who
want to move up the ladder?
CD: The number one thing is to be focused
on cultivating your personal brand.
Know your strengths and where you can
add value as an individual. It’s important
to take time and do an inventory of what
you like to do, and where your strengths
are. Build your brand and continue to
hone it. It is so critical at any stage of your
career. Also, be open to possibilities. There
are so many paths you can take.
What’s the future of HR?
CD: I’ve been reading so much about
culture lately; it’s something I think
organizations need to continue to focus
on, especially in the competitive
environment we are in. Culture drives
performance, engagement and business
results. Organizations need to pay attention
to the work environments they are
creating. It has to be a focused effort, and
it can’t happen without making sure everyone
is moving in the same direction.
Second, digitization. We’re seeing it
now with how businesses interact with
their clients and it will impact how HR
interacts with its clients – the leaders and
employees of an organization. Over time,
that technology will get more sophisticated,
as we are seeing today. HR will
continually evolve; we’ll have to change
how we do things and refocus on other
strategic areas, like analytics. n
HRPATODAY.CA ❚ JULY/AUGUST 2015 ❚ 45
