HR professionals are in a unique position in the modern workplace. They are both the gateway into the organization and the glue that holds it together. If you want to be successful in human resources, you need to cultivate the right skills, and learn what to stop doing that is preventing you from growing in your career. Here are the five biggest career mistakes that HR professionals make, so that you can identify and stop doing these in 2016!
- Being Late.
When you’re late to a meeting, it doesn’t just affect you. The message you are sending to the people with whom you are meeting is that your time is more important than their time. Stop doing this. As an HR professional, it is critical that you value the time of your clients, employees, and vendors just like you value your own. You don’t like having your time wasted, don’t waste theirs. - Expecting special treatment.
As it turns out, the answer to the question “Do you know who I am?” is no. Just because you are part of the HR team does mean you get special treatment from your company, your staff, or anyone else. Remaining humble and engaged is part of providing the best services to the people around you. - Ignoring important requests.
It also isn’t up to you to decide if one person’s request is more urgent than someone else’s. As an HR professional, it is your job to treat everyone in your office with the same respect across the board. If you get a request from an entry-level employee, it should be treated with the same importance as one from your CEO. - Listening only to respond.
We are all guilty of this one, so it is time to be aware and try to limit the occurrences. When you’re listening to someone speak, you’ll often craft your answer before they’re even finished. Or, you’ll wait for a pause where you can insert your own story. Instead, really listen to hear what they are saying. When they are done, repeat back some key points and tell them you want to really think about it. - Demanding the ultimate authority.
Finally, while you need to have some authority to do your job right, HR shouldn’t be the be-all end-all for decisions. It helps to get input from your team and your executives before you implement something. You may have the final say, but don’t treat it like you’re the only person in charge or that only your ideas matter in the long run.
Do you want to expand your HR career in 2016? Harvard Resource Solutions is now hiring for jobs in Detroit MI, so call us today!
