Being a Human Resources professional takes a certain amount
of finesse to balance the job-specific skills and nuances of employee
engagement. To advance in your career, you must become a great communicator and
learn how to connect with your employees.
While many Human Resources professionals have the business
savvy to do well with recruiting, policy writing, and dealing with tough
situations, they can’t truly connect with employees. Strong communication
skills and authentic connectivity will set you apart when it matters the most.
Here are some ways great communicators connect.
Make Time to Talk
In our sedentary world, it’s all too common to be stuck at
one’s desk for hours on end with all human interaction being filtered through a
screen. Getting caught in the day-to-day tasks like revising documents,
screening candidates, and checking the employee
timesheets takes away time from engaging employees.
While you certainly shouldn’t waste time socializing while
you should be working, taking a fifteen-minute break every couple of hours can help
you stay refreshed and productive. Use this time to stop by the water
cooler and have a conversation with an employee. Over time, you’ll get to know
tidbits of information about various people, that you can use to start
conversations at company social events.
Authenticity and
Transparency
Many Human Resources professionals default to an overly
friendly demeanor in an attempt to maintain an image of approachability with
employees. However, even though their intentions are pure, it often comes off
as inauthentic and untrustworthy.
When talking to employees, be yourself. Maintain an
appropriate level of professionalism, but don’t go out of your way to appear
extra friendly or enthusiastic. Great communicators speak from the heart and
don’t alter their mannerisms to appeal to the masses. They also often sincere
tokens of appreciations to the employees. A fun idea is to get some challenge
coins made, like the ones
they give out in the military. Shake hands with the employees at the end of
the conversation, and smile as they notice the coin in their hands. It will be
an endearing way of approaching and making a connection.
Listen First
Hone
your active listening skills and train yourself to listen to understand,
rather than to respond. Take time to fully comprehend what people are saying,
by asking probing questions and summarizing their words back to them. When
someone is speaking to you, the only things you should be saying are conveyed
through body language: upright posture, eye contact, nodding, etc.
Communication consists of both sending messages and
receiving them-- people tend to forget about the latter half. Great
communicators don’t just know how to talk to people; they know how to be talked
to. By being an effective listener, employees will know that you care about the
things they are saying and will become more willing to make a connection and
build trust.
Have an Open Door
Policy
Let your employees know that you have an open door policy
and that they can come to you with anything, free of judgment. Give them
various channels by which to approach you, as many people struggle with the
idea of confrontation when a problem arises.
Most importantly, don’t just say you are approachable and
trustworthy, show your people. If something arises, tell them exactly what will
take place as a result. This all circles back into being authentic and
transparent, learning to listen, and making time to talk.
The Human Resources department is meant to foster a
connection between an organization and its people. By becoming a great
communicator, you will be the frontline for this connection.
