Equip HR With The Right Skills To Future-Proof Your Organization

3 tips to uplevel HR skills training

Many human resources professionals let their own skills development fall to the wayside when they manage employee learning and development (L&D). With the increased importance of HR in the modern workplace, we can’t let this continue.  

After nearly a decade in L&D, I’ve learned firsthand that an HR team is only as effective as the skills of its people. To paraphrase an airline pre-flight safety video – you can’t help others until you first help yourself.  
 

HR, L&D, and talent acquisition pros need to prioritize their own skills development to help future-proof their organizations. The right technology, L&D tactics, and organizational culture are essential to continued HR reskilling and upskilling. 

The Skills HR Need Today

HR roles and responsibilities have transformed in recent years, so skill sets need to evolve as well. Yesterday’s HR took a backseat in many organizations, simply executing directions from leadership. But today’s HR is in the passenger’s seat alongside the C-suite, helping drive their people strategy.  

For example, HR has had to navigate Covid-19 safety regulations, reskill employees to operate in a virtual environment, and support workers’ well-being throughout the pandemic. Now, the Great Resignation is pushing HR to double down on employee retention and acquisition efforts. 

These changes have forced organizations to be more intentional in how they engage, train, and retain employees. That means HR – once perceived as a “pencil pusher” role – is now mission-critical to organizational growth and success. To manage these new responsibilities, HR pros need the right skills.

When employees don’t have the necessary skills or training, it’s harder for them to do their job. A lack of skills hurts morale, productivity, and profits. Ongoing skills training is especially crucial in HR, where an ability to get the job done right impacts every employee’s experience, from onboarding to every stage beyond.

The Skills HR Pros Need to Succeed

• Emotional and organizational skills: HR pros are often in high-stress situations and have an endless workload, which requires resiliency, setting boundaries, and strategic prioritization.
• Communication skills: HR works with executives and other company stakeholders, which calls for various types of presentation and communication skills. 
• Technical skills: In our data-driven world, HR needs analytical skills to gather, measure, and distill employee feedback into actionable recommendations. 
• Intersectional thinking: Talent acquisition, L&D, and HR strategies are increasingly connected. HR pros need to focus on the big picture, rather than remain siloed in core competencies.

Even if an HR pro has all the skills needed to do their job today, they (and the organization) will still benefit from continued upskilling. If employees (including HR teams) aren’t regularly upskilled, they’re more likely to lose interest and look for opportunities elsewhere. The business then loses valuable employees and institutional knowledge. When you invest in your HR practitioners’ ongoing learning and development, you invest in their future at your organization.   

3 Tips to Uplevel HR Skills Training 

HR, talent acquisition, and L&D pros can positively impact your business and your people long-term if they have the required skill set. To upskill and reskill effectively, HR needs the right support, tools, and direction. 

The following best practices can help your HR team meet the demands of modern business:
    
1. Make the case for a learning management system (LMS): An LMS can improve L&D outcomes and save HR time. It provides a repository of customizable learning materials in a variety of mediums. Capabilities like interactive videos, content quizzes, and journaling can help HR and all employees consume training, reinforce skills, and track ongoing progress. 

An LMS can also help reduce the burden of menial and repetitive HR tasks. Deloitte research revealed that up to 75% of HR’s L&D tasks can be automated with technology like an LMS. With that time saved, HR pros can dedicate more time to upskilling. 

2. Align HR’s training with organizational goals: By understanding the company’s long-term goals, HR can cultivate skills that support the organization’s future growth. Aligning training to business goals can also encourage leadership to invest more into L&D efforts. 

For example, if the business wants to develop its leadership pipeline, HR pros can develop skills to help identify and upskill high-achieving employees. Or, if global expansion is the goal, HR can fine-tune its ability to communicate and manage employees across time zones and cultural barriers.

3. Create a culture of learning: It’s easy to let L&D become less of a priority, especially when every task today is “urgent.” Creating a culture of learning helps L&D stay front and center in the minds of all employees, including HR. To achieve this, encourage leadership to share upskilling videos, articles, and opportunities via an employee communication platform.

Also, HR pros should set quarterly goals for how much time to spend on their own L&D and set that commitment in stone. An LMS or employee performance management software can help managers track their direct reports’ progress.  

An Investment in HR Is an Investment in the Entire Organization  

In a turbulent landscape where significant workforce changes are the norm, HR is vital in helping organizations come out unscathed on the other side. But HR pros can only support the modern workforce if they have the right skills.

Organizations need to supply HR with the knowledge, ongoing education, and necessary technologies to tackle the challenges of today and tomorrow. That will help HR succeed and help the entire business grow, adapt to change, achieve resilience, and prepare for what’s next. 

Joe Dusing is Senior Director of Learning & Development at Paylocity. Visit www.paylocity.com Connect Joe Dusing