Patricia Cavalier is a leader in the human resources industry. She has spent over fifteen years of her plus twenty-year career in HR in leadership positions. She previously was the Human Resources Director for the DuPage Municipality in Illinois. She is now the Human Resources Director for Ingalls Health System in Chicago, Illinois. Effective leadership has seen her succeed in improving the wellness of employees at Ingalls Health System.
Here are three tips for being an effective leader in HR.
First and foremost, effective leaders in HR take care of their employees and the employees of the organization. Leadership is more effective when the people are taken care of. They will work harder, be willing to absorb a few blows, and treat the leadership hierarchy with respect and trust.
Effective leaders in HR are innovative in the way they compensate employees and recruit. New and exciting ideas generally generate more interest. If these new ideas work in recruiting, better employees and employees are compensated better than a leader is doing their job.
Lastly, effective leaders in HR know when to stand their ground and do so firmly. There are times when HR leaders are pressured to make difficult decisions. These decisions may have to do with ethics or simple business decisions. However, good leaders make the right decision and do not let outside influence change their decision.