Don't Lose Your People Skills in the Tech Age

HR professionals have a variety of high-tech tools available to make their jobs easier. Although these tools are valuable, using them often puts you at risk for losing your people skills as you gain additional experience in the field. Analytics programs and HR suites make it easier to determine your turnover rate or identify problems with absenteeism, but there is no substitute for good people skills in the technological age. Use these tips for keeping your skills intact as your career advances.

Although tech-related skills topped LinkedIn's 2013 list of most important skills for getting hired, people skills are the key to succeeding in human resources. Harriet Rifkin of the "Portland Business Journal" defines people skills as the skills needed to empathize with others, build effective relationships, and interact with others respectfully. Some of the most common people skills used in the workplace include communication skills, active listening, negotiation skills, and the ability to persuade others to take action. It is possible to improve each of these skills by participating in training programs, reading relevant books and journals, and acting on feedback from your colleagues.

You do not need a communications degree to improve your ability to share information with others. In fact, it is possible to improve your communication skills in just a few minutes. Convey sincerity by maintaining eye contact when someone is speaking to you. Ask questions to show you are engaged in the conversation and make it easier to understand what the person is saying. Give people the benefit of the doubt when communicating with employees or peers. Because many people rely on short emails to communicate, it may be difficult to interpret someone's intended tone during the technological age. If you have any doubt about someone's intentions, communicate in person or via the telephone to avoid conflict.

HR professionals must be able to persuade employers to implement new policies and influence employee behaviors. This is why the ability to be persuasive is one of the most important people skills to have in this field. You must also be able to resolve conflict in the workplace. Tech tools may be able to help you identify some sources of conflict, such as understaffing in a critical department, but they will not help you solve the problem. You must be willing to keep the lines of communication open and encourage employees to voice their concerns before things get out of hand.

Whether you are screening resumes with HR software or using an analytics program to develop a new compensation system, it is easy to get too immersed in technology and forget about the people skills that make you a great HR professional. Ask colleagues for feedback about your performance, and then use the information to improve your weakest skills.

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