What Skills Do I Need for HR Consulting?

For HR consulting, analytical as well as people skills are important. Human resources consultants are expected to not only conduct an accurate analysis of a company's personnel needs, but also be able to provide services such as conflict resolution and performance coaching. If you want to offer HR consulting, you'll need to have the ability to size up a firm's personnel and be able to create action plans to accomplish company goals using an organized approach.

For instance, if a business wants to increase the quality output of their employees, you'll need to make an action plan that the manager or supervisor of each department can enact to get the desired result. To make sure this will be effective, you may have to train the leaders in performance coaching and evaluations. In this way, both interpersonal and analytical skills must often be used together in HR consulting. You'll also need to organize schedules and procedures that fit in well with the company's operations.

Since internal analysis is likely to involve face-to-face meetings with business leaders as well as spending time in their location, the ability to get along well with others and understand their point of view is crucial in HR consulting. You and your staff should not slow down work or cause problems. It's often necessary to not "ruffle any feathers," but instead communicate with staff to reassure them the changes being made won't have a negative affect on their jobs.

Workplaces with conflict problems that may be impeding progress may require your resolution expertise. HR consultants should be adept at listening to both sides as objectively as possible when trying to resolve conflicts in order to find and suggest the best solution. Taking mediation courses can be a good way to gain conflict resolution skills. In addition to being analytical, communicative and organized, you will also have to be skilled in giving feedback. Typically, this means mentioning all of the positive things a company is doing to reach its desired goals before suggesting possible solutions to address with HR consulting.

Even the most well thought out plans and strategies are subject to unforeseeable circumstances. Being able to make changes as needed is a crucial skill to have as a successful HR consultant. You will need to be organized to be able to successfully change your original plan to provide a flexible, viable solution.