HR professionals have to deal with a lot of crap in their complex and sometimes overwhelming positions. If you’re reading this, you probably know better than anyone that being a great HR professional takes a lot of work, and skill. This topic has been covered many times because, let’s face it, we all want to be good at our job! But there are a few skills that are overlooked in these discussions that should definitely come into play during your day-to-day work as an HR pro.

Take a look at these five skills that are often overlooked but strongly needed in HR professionals:

Tact

HR professionals are often faced with some prickly situations between employees, confidentiality, job openings, new hires, and policies. HR professionals are dealing with peoples careers, so to handle these situations effectively, tact is essential.

Business-savvy

Whether business executives admit this or not, HR is an essential operation in any and every business. The decisions you do and do not make have an effect on how the business runs. Being business-minded in some of your decisions will make you a better and more strategic HR professional.

Adaptability

Policies and procedures are constantly changing, not to mention current staff and job descriptions. The ability to think on your feet and adapt to new situations, ideas, and procedures will serve you well and help impact how you handle new situations.

Sense of humor

This is true for any position, but HR professionals must have a sense of humor about themselves and the situations they’re sometimes put in! Having a sense of humor AND tact can also help you navigate tense situations.

Enthusiasm

When I say enthusiasm, I mean the kick in the butt that gets you out of bed in the morning. Some might call this passion, too. Either way, having enthusiasm in your work will create a better work environment for you and your employees. You’ll become more tuned to the needs of your business’s employees, being able to provide better initiatives for their needs while getting rid of old programs or procedures that just aren’t working anymore.

This list isn’t in any particular order, as all of these skills and qualities are equally important in being a successful HR professional.

What makes you great?

What makes you a great HR professional? Can anyone be successful in HR or do certain personalities make a better fit?