The Top 10 Technical HR Skills to Include on a Resume

November 21, 2020

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By: Indeed Editorial Team

Having the right technical skills can be essential for success in human resources and human resource management. These technical skills can give you the confidence you need to fulfill your HR job. Learning more about the skills required for human resources helps you establish which skills to improve upon before adding them to your resume. In this article, we define technical HR skills, review 10 examples and demonstrate their importance on a resume and in the job field.

Related: 10 Careers in Human Resource Management

What are technical human resource skills?

Technical human resource skills are skills that relate to the daily tasks of HR professionals. These skills help HR employees and managers alike to find and hire talented individuals, manage payroll and communicate ideas between upper management and lower-level employees. Being able to complete these tasks further contributes to a successful corporation.

Related: How to Write a Human Resources Resume Objective

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10 technical skills for human resources

There is a wide variety of technical skills that HR professionals should have. Some are more role-specific, while others span across roles. Experience in these skills can make you a more competitive job candidate or employee. Review these 10 human resource skills and see how they fit in your professional role:

1. HR software
2. Talent management systems
3. Recruitment
4. Onboarding
5. Interviewing
6. Compensation and benefits management
7. Scheduling
8. Budgeting
9. Employee relations
10. Corporate law

Related: How to Write a Human Resources Resume Summary

1. HR software

There is a multitude of HR software programs that help promote better organization within HR departments. This is essentially an employee management system that allocates personal and professional data for each employee. With more and more corporations turning to technology to better organize their employee data, HR software programs are an excellent technical skill to add to your resume. This shows employers that you can help introduce HR software to their department, or if they already have HR software, it shows that you already have experience using these programs.

2. Talent management systems

Talent management systems are software programs that help HR professionals manage the recruitment process for new employees, record and manage employee performance and monitor their contributions to the company. This is a great technical skill, especially for those looking for positions in HR management or HR planning because it shows employers that you know how to use software to find, introduce and retain top talent for the company.

3. Recruitment

Recruitment is the process by which companies seek out qualified individuals for internal positions. This is an important technical skill for HR professionals as some companies have a section of HR devoted to recruiting employees. By including recruitment as a technical skill on your resume, you present yourself as an HR professional with expertise in the recruitment process. This further helps employers identify you as an individual who can identify the best candidates for their company.

Related: How to Highlight Recruitment Skills on Your Resume (Plus an Example)

4. Onboarding

Onboarding is a term used to describe the process where HR professionals introduce newly-recruited employees to the company by explaining company values, policies, benefits packages and even the new employees' specific job duties. HR has an essential role in this process of helping new employees establish themselves within the company. By putting onboarding on your list of HR skills, you show employers that you know how to successfully introduce new employees to a company and help them adapt to their situation, essentially creating a strong foundation for their position.

5. Interviewing

Sometimes department heads complete interviews for new employees, but companies can also enlist members of the human resource department to interview job candidates. This is why interviewing could be a great technical skill for your HR resume. This shows employers that you also have other relevant skills like active listening, evaluation, verbal communication and personableness that enable you to conduct an interview efficiently.

6. Compensation and benefits management

The responsibilities of a human resource department include the management of employee benefits and distributing compensation should an employee need time off for disability, illness or pregnancy. By including skills like employee compensation or benefits management on your resume, you demonstrate to employers that you have experience choosing benefits packages, administering and approving leave applications as well as organizing the company's compensation and benefits offerings into a readable format for employees to reference.

Related: Essential HR Career Competencies

7. Scheduling

Scheduling is an essential skill for human resources for a variety of reasons. First, the HR department might be responsible for scheduling important training dates or HR presentations for new and existing employees to discuss new procedures or address workplace topics such as time management. When employers see scheduling on your list of skills, they can conclude that you are an organized individual with an ability to keep track of multiple deadlines or events.

8. Budgeting

Budgeting is a technical skill that implies your ability to manage a sum of money and strategically divide it over a period of time to the right areas. HR professionals have a responsibility to manage payroll, benefits and other company finances, which require strategic planning. Also, HR managers may be responsible for handling a department budget and spending it wisely on software programs and office supplies. By including budgeting as a technical skill on your resume, you demonstrate to employers that you are a responsible individual who can identify and prioritize the areas that need money the most.

9. Employee relations

Another critical aspect of an HR professional's job includes encouraging positive interactions within the workplace, whether between employees, departments or managers and their employees. Listing employee relations as a skill on your resume tells employers that you have experience in maintaining a healthy workplace environment, which can further contribute to a successful corporation and workplace productivity. Further, this skill implies that you are also potentially skilled in counseling, employee advocacy and workplace programs that promote healthy relationships between coworkers.

10. Corporate law

Another innovative technical skill that is important for HR professionals includes topics of corporate law. The human resources department acts as the governing body of an organization. That is why HR professionals need to understand the current state and federal legislation concerning employment and company standards. By listing this as a technical skill on your resume, you show employers that you have the knowledge they need to maintain good working standards for their employees.

Tips for your HR interview

After you create a resume and cover letter that reflects your professional abilities, apply for jobs and receive an interview invitation, you should start preparing for your interview. Here are some tips to help you present the best version of yourself to an employer:

Review your application materials

During your interview, an employer might ask you questions directly regarding skills, work experiences in HR or educational experiences that make you qualified to work in HR. For this reason, you should review your resume and cover letter ahead of your interview to remind yourself of what you included. This will make you more prepared to answer questions related to your application documents.

Complete a practice interview with a friend

Practice interviews allow you to get feedback on your answers and overall demeanor. Conduct a practice interview with a friend or family member who you know will give you constructive feedback. A practice interview can also help you polish your answers for the actual interview itself.

Rehearse the route to the interview location

If the interview takes place in a city or area with which you are not familiar, you should take the time to practice your commute a few times. This will help you feel more confident about the route to take and the amount of time it will take to get there. If you plan to use public transportation, this could help you determine the most efficient route to use.

Arrive early

Consider arriving between 15-30 minutes early to your interview. If you arrive 30 minutes early, wait outside in your car. This will give you time to collect your thoughts and review last-minute details about the company. Enter the building about 10-15 minutes before your interview takes place to appear punctual.

Dress professionally

Wear neutral clothing and accessories to your interview so your interviewer can focus on what you have to offer.

Discuss specific experiences that highlight your expertise

Before your interview, think of a few examples in your past professional life that would highlight your HR skills. During the interview, you can bring up specific examples where you used budgeting or helped an employee adjust to their new job, so interviewers can better visualize the scope of your qualifications.emo