Read the full post on the SharedHR blog.

If you are new to the world of Human Resources, the sheer mass of knowledge you must master can seem quite overwhelming. Being relatively new to HR myself, I found the following tips useful in gaining some traction and becoming more confident in administering HR.

1. Read, read, read - Spend some time researching on the internet. There are so many articles online now. Many websites have publications and information on HR rules, laws, and best practices. There you can find a wealth of information on topics that will propel your understanding of subject matter relative to your role in Human Resources. You can find information on hiring, separations, benefits, employee engagement and a whole lot more.

2. Find a mentor - If you are new to HR the best thing you can do for yourself is identify someone who can mentor you. Ideally someone who has been in the field for a while and has a depth of knowledge you can draw from. Take that person out to lunch. Pick their brain about situations they have come across in HR and how they dealt with it. Propose ideas as you come up against questionable situations and get their feedback. Oftentimes this can be the most valuable training you can get.

3. Attend trainings - There are an abundance of seminars offered on HR-related topics. You don’t have to travel and attend classes for days to get valuable training. Many of these can be done from the comfort of your desk if you attend a webinar. Many of these will cover employment law, new regulations with regard to benefit requirements, new state laws, how to train your managers, etc. Usually there will be a question and answer session at the end where you can hear other HR professionals’ experiences on the topic and ask your own questions. 

Read the full post on the SharedHR blog.