5 Qualities of an HR Superhero
An HR superhero that is able to leap tall buildings in a single bound? Yes please. Here are our top five qualities we think a superhero in HR would have.
1. They Understand Regulations With a Single Seminar
How long do you have to keep applications on file? When do you have to ask employees if they want to take FMLA instead of waiting for them to ask? Is "this" a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act? Is this person truly exempt? Every HR manager likely deals with these questions, and even the varying circuit courts can't agree on the answers to all of these. Wouldn't it be fabulous if you just knew?
2. They Possess Super Truth Detector Powers
"Jane is a bully, Steve harassed me, Karen is taking 45-minute lunches but only clocks out for 30!" HR departments can't ignore these complaints — they all need to be addressed. HR needs to conduct investigations, especially on any claims of sexual harassment. HR leaders can't simply assume a side, but must listen to both sides of every story. It would be awesome to instantly know what the absolute truth was in all situations.
3. They Know How to Plan the Perfect Party
One of the main purposes for business parties is to help employees feel engaged and happy at their workplace. HR often gets stuck with the party planning. Party planning can be tough. How can you come up with something that will help build unity, appeal to everyone in every department and be in budget? Having perfect party planning skills would be a super power that would put your HR department in high demand.
4. They Can Detect Payroll Errors Before Payroll Runs
Payroll can often be a separate department from HR, so you wouldn't think of this as an HR super power, but where does payroll get its information? From HR, of course. In today's day of electronic communications, if a pay error happens, it's likely to have happened on the HR side. With this power, an HR leader would know that all raises have been processed properly, deductions are what the employee expects and everyone's time card is turned in accurately and on time.
5. They Can Spot High Performers in the Applicant Tracking System
Some people are great at resume writing and interviewing, but are lousy at doing the actual job. Other people are fantastic workers, but their resumes and interview skills are lacking. An HR manager with this super power could pull out the high performers directly from an applicant tracking system, saving everyone time and money — a true super power.
What super power do you wish your HR teams had?
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