Human Resource (HR) is in the midst of a paradigm shift.

Companies well know that in our modern service and information economies, people are actually the most valuable assets. As such, HR has taken on an increasingly front-line, strategic function, and is as important as sales, finance, marketing, or operations.

So what does this mean for today’s breed of HR professionals?

Not to sugar coat it; but as an HR professional, your job is now more demanding and harder.

Not only are you expected to have a solid foundation in the traditional areas of HR expertise, but you have a whole new skill set and responsibilities to master, and a swarm of additional considerations. Now you have to maintain equilibrium of traditional areas like compensation, hiring, and employment codes, with new areas like retention, organizational culture, engagement, internal communications, leadership and development, and business strategy. As it stands today, the role of HR in organizations remains one of the increased responsibilities, a greater focus on strategic outcomes, and stricter accountability across the board.

So how do you do it? As an HR pro, where do you focus your time and effort? What qualities, skills, and habits do you need to master in order to provide the most value for your company?

Don’t fret, because we’ve got you covered. We’ve compiled this one-stop list that lays out the five key traits that stellar HR professionals need to have in order to thrive in today’s demanding business landscape.

1. Communicate Effectively

Communications are at the core of successful HR management. HR Manager needs to be able to easily communicate with business’s employees, its management team and everyone else that’s involved in the business’s operations. These communications skills are not restricted to verbal or written – a great HR manager needs to be able to communicate across any platform and medium to ensure their message is received and is perfectly understood.

2. Honest Ethics

Having a strong ethical attribute for effective HR management is indispensable for any good HR manager. From dealing with private, personal information to ensuring the company’s needs are met, HR requires professionals to act ethically. This extends both in the direction of the management and of the employees. HR managers need to ensure that the company follows regulations and laws effectively and that its employees are treated fairly by the business’s management.

3. Great Negotiation Skills

HR professionals often have to act between employees and management, ensuring that disputes and negotiations are handled fairly and that both parties are as close to satisfied as possible by the outcome. From compensation to work responsibilities, being an effective HR manager means being able to effectively negotiate and ensure situations provide a mutual benefit to members of the business or organization.

4. Organization Skills

HR requires a rather orderly approach. HR effectiveness depends on the proper organization of files, strong time management as well as personal efficiency. As in any job, as an HR professional, you have a list of daily tasks to get through. But, when it is Human Resources you are working in, more often than not, you are faced with a number of impromptu “issues” that creep up on you suddenly and almost always “require your immediate attention”. When that happens, the daily tasks suddenly take a backseat and you find yourself in a vortex of delayed and pending tasks. A good HR professional will manage their time in an orderly manner, keeping aside a set amount of time for the most important tasks, and managing the rest of the time around that.

5. Leadership

In many situations, employees look to HR professionals for answers and leadership. The nature of many HR positions is that you’ll be seen as an expert on a wide variety of company-related topics, so you’ll need to have the confidence to lead. This can mean anything from finding the answers to employee concerns to putting the team together. The best HR professionals can balance being a friendly presence in the office with taking control and helping things run smoothly.

Do these traits sound like you and what you’d like to learn? If so, earning your degree in human resources is a great place to start. To help you make the most of your HR career, Suryadatta Institute of Business Management & Technology (SIBMT) offers Savitribai Phule Pune University affiliated MBA with specialization in Human Resource Management. You’ll gain comprehensive knowledge and hands-on experience while developing or enhancing the skills required for HR professionals and other organizational leaders. If achieving results through people is your career goal, an MBA in HR Management can get you there. You’ll have access to key topics in human resource management and its application to a wide variety of organizations. At SIBMT, we know that HR professionals are strategic partners within organizations, and a vital part of business success. That’s why we’ve developed a program that provides you with the skills you need to be competitive in the job market and an effective member of any HR department.