Human Resource Managers or HR Managers play a key role in all areas from technology to lifestyle. Employees are the most valuable “assets” of any organization and it is the people who contribute to its success, and successfully implement projects.

HR Managers are the ones who ensure that the “human” capital of the company is used effectively to achieve organizational goals.

And although on the surface this role looks sweet and easy, the truth is far from it. The responsibility that HR Managers have is tied not only to the success of the company, but also to the well-being of each and every employee. Because in order to be productive, an employee must not go into a burnout, must feel calm and balanced and above all try to differentiate between personal and professional life and not let problems at home affect his work and vice versa.

HR managers not only need to know the company’s business well, but also know what each employee is capable of, what their strengths and weaknesses are, and how they can “bring out” the potential and productivity of everyone in the company. The drive for continuous improvement, the ability to earn people’s trust with ease, business ethics and responsibility are just some of the skills that would make any HR manager an employee favorite. Today we will introduce you to the TOP qualities that make a successful HR Manager that TravelPerk shares with us.

The TOP Skills That Make HR Managers Successful

Communication skills
People in this position need good communication skills – both oral and written. Communication skills are needed not only to convey information effectively, but also to interact with different people and business partners. It is customary for HR Managers to easily build and maintain relationships with employees. To take a genuine interest in people.

Strategic thinking
A key part of the HR Manager’s job is to ensure that HR policies, strategies and practices are aligned with the company’s objectives. And this is where the role and need for strategic thinking comes in. It is one of the most important skills that allows analyzing situations and implementing the right solution that will benefit the business.

HR can use their strategic thinking and skills when they need to select new candidates to ensure they only select talented people who have the skills and potential to meet long-term business goals. They also know how to put in place strategies that will give their companies a competitive advantage by investing in the right people at the right time.

Leadership skills
HR Managers are the ones who help employees reach their potential, create solutions to problems, and guide the workforce toward the company’s success.

Good leaders also have good decision-making skills – they are able to take charge even in times of change and instability, can anticipate problems quickly before they arise, and lead by example – whether with themselves or another colleague who is their benchmark for success.

Interpersonal skills and empathy
There is no way to miss these qualities. One of the most important skills in HR is the ability to empathize with employees and manage productively. HR Managers are able to use their experience and judgment to manage a variety of relationships and personalities.

In addition, they possess emotional intelligence and excellent listening skills that allow them to respond appropriately and candidly, regardless of the circumstances or individuals with whom they must communicate. These abilities also help HR departments navigate conflict management processes.

Organizational skills
It is the turn of some of the most important skills, which often prove to be a difficult task especially if the commitments are countless. HR managers are responsible for a wide range of tasks. These include developing talent attraction strategies, creating professional development programs, developing onboarding processes, conducting performance reviews and much more.

In this engagement, they must possess a high level of organization and time management skills to help them prioritize tasks and execute them systematically-while being mindful of business needs and caring for employees.

Gelsinger shared his thoughts on returning to lead the company, saying:

“As the incoming CEO, I am just really thrilled that we have the opportunity to take this great icon of a company, this company that has been crucial to every aspect of technology, and have it be that leader again into the future. Because I believe that Intel has a treasure trove of technologists, of technology, and ultimately its core DNA is being that technology leader for the future. I’m just thrilled as a technologist, as a geek at heart, to be able to be in that leadership role to help bring the passions, the history, the opportunity of this great company forward as never before. Our best days are in front of us.”

Mr. Rubtsov, what is the definition of a TOP Software Company?

This is a company that has product or service that is in demand. A team everyone wants to join and a business model that can sustain.

Can a successful business develop in Bulgaria? What are the advantages and the disadvantages of the country?

The plus is good balance of cost and quality of knowledge and skills, while the minus is relatively closed internal labor market making it hard to attract the talents even from EU.

How important is the management of a company in regard of it’s development? What about the team?

The team is crucial for having a product or service in the first place. The management – to build the team and to make sure that all the issues are sorted out and the team can focus on the work.

What is the affect of the coronavirus crises? Why did some companies increase their revenues and others had to restructure their businesses? 

It heavily depends on the area of business. Diverse business gives more chances. Even the best companies in the travel sector cannot feel secure in a world where nobody travels.

What is the right business model for a successful company?

The sustainability of the business is the most important criteria. Investment and growth are great, but the goal is to reproduce value and survive with only what you have right now.

Does the number of employees matter for the successful development of the company?

Big teams help. But there are many examples of successful small software shops where both the investors and the team are happy and wealthy.

What are the tactics used by the top companies for retaining their employees?

The measures are endless. It’s not the list of tools or benefits – it’s the attitude and dedication that the management demonstrates. This keeps people in the company.

Which is more important for customers – a quality product, but more for development or rapid development and a product with potential defects? 

It depends on the client obviously. Modern software development frameworks, Agile Frameworks in particular, can deliver both the speed and the quality, if this is what the client is interested in.

What are the good work processes in a company?

The main factor of a successful internal process is transparent feedback practices. This is when everyone can influence each other and see things are getting better.

Radoslav Nikolov is the CEO of SAP Labs Bulgaria and always strives to manage a team to meet customer needs. He believes that everything could be accomplished with a lot of work and is trying to organize a secure environment for his employees. Radoslav Nikolov talked about the goals and achievements in an inspiring interview for DevStyleR.

Would you briefly tell us about your goals, what to expect in the future?

From 60 colleagues in 2000, the company has already reached over 850 people. We plan to continue our growth and soon to become 1000 people. At the moment we have three offices in Sofia and we are working towards a new common building for all our colleagues, and expect in near future to be together in one office.

Over the years, we have strengthened our position as a strategic research and development centre. In Sofia, we develop and enhance the cloud platform of SAP – SAP Cloud Platform. The key in the company’s strategy is to integrate various business processes and applications of our customers. SAP Cloud Platform is the platform that connects the work of the main part of the teams in our company. It makes the integration and expansion of products from the SAP portfolio in a cloud environment possible. In this context, we continue to expand the range of activities in our company – from product definition, through development, maintenance and moving into different areas.

In the coming years, we want to become one of the major players being a development centre in the digital transformation of SAP as a global company and for all SAP customers.

What are your ambitions and rules that you follow?

I have always followed the rule that if an opportunity arises, you should “grab” and take advantage of it. I believe in Einstein’s maxim that everything could be accomplished with a lot of work and a bit of luck. I think the road to success is done with hard work and efforts, but sometimes luck is crucial. However minimal it could be, if you miss it, you may not succeed in anything. That’s why I have decided to take advantage of all the possibilities. If one of them is not my “luck” then the next one will be. My ambitions are relevant to the company’s business and the mission of SAP to help the world to work better and improve people’s lives. In the development centre here in Sofia, I would like we to be able to help and change the lives of millions of people for the better. I would like this mission to be to attract future colleagues who want to work together with us on key technologies and, indirectly to change our customers’ businesses and hence the lives of millions of people around the world.

What is the impact of industry development on employees in the IT sector?

The development of the IT industry enables employees to learn from the latest technologies, to influence any significant innovation in any field. In today’s world, technologies identify innovation and the development of other industries.

How do you determine and measure success?

The success of our company is determined by the success of our SAP customers, including our partners – they are also clients of our software. If their business is successful and they are happy, then we are also successful.

How would you define your greatest professional achievement?

The opportunity to be in the position I am currently, also the opportunity together, with the whole team, to develop products and contribute to the business of a giant such as SAP globally.

What are the core qualities required to be a young entrepreneur?

Entrepreneurs should not be afraid to make mistakes and try again. They need to listen to their clients, understand them and focus on the challenges clients have – not on their own ideas or products. When the entrepreneurs know what the challenges are and are flexible themselves, they can achieve the desired goal and be successful.

The good team is a prerequisite for the company’s achievements. How do you manage to retain quality people and motivate them to be the engine of the company?

We keep colleagues by meeting their needs – in the context of work and opportunities for development. Relating to this, I have a favourite maxim: “You can give people the chance for further development in the company and risk that they will leave, or you may not develop them and take the risk that they will stay.” The company creates a positive environment and pleasant atmosphere of work and relationships with colleagues. We are constantly looking for new trends and methods of work, so that colleagues could further develop in new directions if they want to. I am glad that we are united as a team and our colleagues are committed – not just to work for the company but also helping other colleagues.

What motivates you to continue to achieve your desired goals?

Progress and development. Progress and the road to achieve the goal are what bring me satisfaction, not the achievement of the goal itself. Development actually happens on the way, and then you change. And of course, when a goal is achieved, the moment of celebration must not be missed.

Which is the biggest professional challenge you have ever encountered?

“Do more with less”. This is valid for everything in today’s business. With development and gaining of experience, a team should be able to work more efficiently, doing more in less time. A challenge is when such progress must happen for a shorter period of time – a kind of “skipping” five years, e.g. in the development of the team and colleagues. This is the real challenge.

At the company level, my biggest challenge was to achieve what we are currently doing – our development centre being a key part of SAP’s global strategy, growing at the pace we are growing, and having talented colleagues to work with.

If you are at the beginning of your career what is the advice you would like to give?

One tip would be my rule to take advantage of every opportunity given to me; another one would be to focus. At certain point the need for focusing comes, and the sooner you focus, the better. Combined, the two imply that you grab the given opportunity, focus on it and remove anything that does not add value to you.

What is it that you perceive as your personal objective that’s worth fighting for?

Education. I want Bulgaria to become a strong IT player in the field of high technology worldwide. In this regard, I strive to support the development of education that is needed by future IT specialists and leaders. In this area, our company is also socially responsible. We help pupils, students, teachers, university lecturers, educational institutions in different ways. We create the conditions and stimulate our colleagues to do so too. In addition, we create an environment for colleagues to donate resources to people in need through personal engagement, and we hope to have succeeded in changing at least a few lives.

How do you keep concentration, your calm and rationality in crisis situations?

I over manage the tension through exercise and enough sleep. In time of crisis I try to control my breathing. Over time I have built the attitude not to react emotionally in difficult situations. I try not to react impulsively, to ask more questions to get the information before I answer.

What is the reading that changed your ideas about your profession?

Jack Welch’s autobiography – (Jack: Straight from the Gut.) It overturned my ideas about business in the context of governance.

What is your approach in taking important decisions?

I always start by gathering enough information and analyzing it. I ask myself what will happen “if” – what we will lose, what we will win, what the results will be. I analyse based on facts. Of course, it depends on the time I have to take a decision. But even when I have to act quickly, I try to follow this approach.