Compassion As A HR Skill? (The HR Hangover Follow Up)

When I heard that Mark Bennett at TalentedApps planned to host the March 3rd HR Carnival I was excited.  When I heard it was going to have a HR Hangover theme, I was even happier because I had just written a post on that very topic.  But, Mark was kind enough to link to that post in his call for contributions, so I knew I needed to write something new for him.

I had such fun writing the scenerio in my original ‘HR Hangover’ post, so be sure to check it out (and the comments from readers) if you haven’t yet.  And, while I’m certain all those things would not be presented to a HR manager all at once, it is certainly conceivable that they could all occur within a week.  It just proves the diversity of situations a HR generalist needs to be prepared for.  Some of the key skills needed to be successful in HR are:

• ability to quickly and accurately assess a situation
• ability to prioritize for maximum effectiveness
• having a clear understanding of employment laws and regulations
• ability to apply the knowledge in a sincere and compassionate way

Now, I’m sure there are people who will disagree with my thinking that sincerity and compassion are key skills or abilities that lead to success in HR.  They may be right.  But, I would argue that having those characteristics gives the HR pro the opportunity to be more successful in HR because it encourages employees and leaders to build a stronger relationship with you.

What do you think?  If you work in HR, do you incorporate compassion into your interaction with leaders and employees?  If you’re an employee, do you value a HR pro who treats you with compassion?  Tell me in the comments.