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Human resources consultant skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
Quoted experts
Dr. Vinh Nguyen Ph.D.,
J. Adam Shoemaker Ph.D.
Human resources consultant example skills
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical human resources consultant skills. We ranked the top skills for human resources consultants based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 8.8% of human resources consultant resumes contained performance management as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a human resources consultant needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 human resources consultant skills for your resume and career

1. Performance Management

Here's how human resources consultants use performance management:
  • Facilitated performance management Calibration sessions.
  • Managed dispute resolution, assisted managers with employee relations and performance management concerns, conducted investigations and participated in disciplinary proceedings.

2. Shared Services

Here's how human resources consultants use shared services:
  • Managed transition to shared services practices for all payroll and benefits administration efforts.
  • Worked in partnership with regional and state HR professionals to move our agencies human resource function toward a Shared Services model.

3. Workforce Planning

Here's how human resources consultants use workforce planning:
  • Provide necessary assistance to the Human Resources Director in overseeing workforce planning, organizational development, and strategic planning.
  • Participated in workforce planning for supported businesses within the market and provides supporting justification during the roll-up process.

4. Employee Engagement

Here's how human resources consultants use employee engagement:
  • Analyzed employee engagement survey results and conducted employee focus groups; identified themes and presented improvement solutions to business leaders.
  • Evaluated large scale organizational needs around change management, organizational effectiveness, employee engagement and talent management systems and processes.

5. Payroll

Payroll is the sum of all the compensation that an organization has to pay to employees at a specified time. Payroll is managed by the finance or HR department while small business owners may handle it themselves. Payroll isn't fixed as it varies every month due to sick leaves, overtime, etc.

Here's how human resources consultants use payroll:
  • Ensured all required employment and payroll documentation was accurate and properly submitted to payroll and benefit agencies for each company.
  • Configured Payroll areas generated pay periods using Payroll and date modifiers and configured control record to each Payroll accounting area.

6. Customer Service

Customer service is the process of offering assistance to all the current and potential customers -- answering questions, fixing problems, and providing excellent service. The main goal of customer service is to build a strong relationship with the customers so that they keep coming back for more business.

Here's how human resources consultants use customer service:
  • Implemented wellness, customer service, diversity awareness, prevention of sexual harassment and corporate policy and procedure training programs.
  • Demonstrated excellent teamwork skills by partnering with case managers to quickly identify clients' needs and providing personalized customer services.

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7. HRIS

Here's how human resources consultants use hris:
  • Coordinated activities with other IT areas to ensure successful integration and implementation of HRIS configuration.
  • Served as the HRIS system administrator ensuring proper data management and accuracy of reporting metrics.

8. Project Management

Here's how human resources consultants use project management:
  • Provided Senior consultative and project management expertise in acquisitions for human capital systems, policy changes and status communication to facility.
  • Directed development, re-development and implementation of vendor-provided project management and cross-cultural training, saving over $100k per year.

9. EEO

Here's how human resources consultants use eeo:
  • Composed over 150 Final Agency Decisions on EEO complaints utilizing knowledge of federal regulations, relevant anti-discrimination statutes and case law.
  • Operated discreet interviews and information processing according to EEO policy and procedures.

10. Business Development

Business development is the ideas or initiatives that work to make business work better. Selling, advertising, product development, supply chain management, and vendor management are only a few of the divisions involved with it. There is still a lot of networking, negotiating, forming alliances, and trying to save money. The goals set for business development guide and coordinate with all of these various operations and sectors.

Here's how human resources consultants use business development:
  • Provide consulting and business development services for business start-ups and connecting start-ups with necessary resources and ongoing target market strategies.
  • Facilitated and participated in executive business development team resulting in new core marketing messages and business development plan.

11. Strong Problem-Solving

Here's how human resources consultants use strong problem-solving:
  • Exhibited a proven track record of creating sourcing strategies combined with strong problem-solving skills.
  • Apply strong problem-solving skills to address concerns of all levels of employees in a professional manner.

12. Employment Law

Employment law іѕ the соllесtіоn of laws аnd rules that rеgulаtе thе rеlаtіоnѕhір bеtwееn employers and еmрlоуееѕ. It gоvеrnѕ whаt еmрlоуеrѕ саn еxресt from еmрlоуееѕ, whаt еmрlоуеrѕ саn ask of еmрlоуееѕ, and employees' rights аt wоrk. Employment law covers a wіdе range оf issues, frоm реnѕіоnѕ аnd retirement рlаnѕ to occupational safety аnd tо discrimination in thе workplace.

Here's how human resources consultants use employment law:
  • Created and implemented progressive discipline process and termination procedures to ensure all terminations were executed according to employment laws and regulations.
  • Provided technical expertise in critical areas such as employment law, disciplinary action, reorganization plans and policy interpretation.

13. Labor Relations

Labor relations refer to the relationship between the employer and its employees. It usually deals with labor-management wherein it focuses on the collective bargaining agreement regarding work between the union of the employee in making decisions for the organization. On the other hand, findings mean the proper wages, hours of duty, working conditions, safety, and employee protection while at work, grievances, and other related concerns.

Here's how human resources consultants use labor relations:
  • Represented company in contract negotiations & effects bargaining as well as providing recruiting, benefits administration, and labor relations support.
  • Managed and lead all HealthCare Collective bargaining and Labor Relations initiatives, and organizational development initiatives safety and risk management programs.

14. Organizational Development

Here's how human resources consultants use organizational development:
  • Support strategic/enterprise organizational development and change management initiatives across Client organizations.
  • Provided full service HR consulting from needs assessment through successful project implementation including Executive Search, Training and Organizational Development assignments.

15. Conflict Resolution

Conflict resolution is an often necessary skill in business, employed for processes such as contract negotiations, legal matters, and even personal, emotional situations and conflicts. It is the ability to find and create an appropriate and peaceful solution to some sort of dilemma or argument in which two or more parties are involved. The resolution itself must benefit and satisfy all parties and this is what makes it so difficult to reach a peaceful point sometimes.

Here's how human resources consultants use conflict resolution:
  • Provided leadership on employee relations issues and investigations offering a diplomatic and confidential approach to conflict resolution.
  • Designed and conducted a management/union training program for win-win bargaining, collaborative skills and conflict resolution.
top-skills

What skills help Human Resources Consultants find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on human resources consultant resumes?

Dr. Vinh Nguyen Ph.D.Dr. Vinh Nguyen Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Professor of Business Administration, Coe College

The most important skills for new graduates, particularly for HRM majors, are adaptability and problem solving. The ability to continuously learn and change is critical during this crisis and with on-going technological advancements. A willingness to face any problems and to find creative solutions is also highly desirable in this changing world. Thus, people who are highly aware and possess a growth mindset will stand out in the labor market.

What hard/technical skills are most important for human resources consultants?

J. Adam Shoemaker Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Management & Human Resources, Saint Leo University

Even though these skills are much more trainable, it helps if HR professionals are familiar with HR information systems.
There are too many to name them all here (sorry, no free advertising)! It would be difficult for a candidate to be familiar with every platform a company might use for their HRIS, but it is good to know that they generally work in the same ways.
If the company asks if you have experience with a particular platform that you have never heard of, always be truthful but still be ready to ask intelligent questions about it: "I'm not too familiar with that platform, but I'd be curious to know about your employees' experiences with it. How long have you been using it, and how robust is the self-service interface?"

What soft skills should all human resources consultants possess?

J. Adam Shoemaker Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Management & Human Resources, Saint Leo University

FYI, soft skills are a lot more difficult to train than hard skills. This is part of the reason that there is so much demand for soft skills - for the most part, they need to be innate to the candidate.
Here again, communication comes up - and here, it is important to recognize that communication is much more than just telling people. A good communicator is a great listener. He knows when to speak his mind and when to wait and see what happens. She knows how to collaborate effectively with people and how to take action when needed.

What human resources consultant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Dr. Michael Pasquale Ph.D.Dr. Michael Pasquale Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Professor of Linguistics, Humanities Division Chair, Cornerstone University

Graduates should continue to develop expertise and fluency in their language learning and development. They should focus on developing language fluency in the career areas they are pursuing. For example, they should read extensively and listen to podcasts in their target language to understand the field and how to use the language fluently and effectively in those contexts.

What type of skills will young human resources consultants need?

Paul Johnson Ph.D.Paul Johnson Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Associate Professor, Bowling Green State University

Educational leaders will need to be adept at leading staff to address the needs of the whole child; the academic, the social, and the emotional, with a special focus on the academic. To accomplish this, leaders must be excellent communicators and group facilitators who "listen before they lead" staff toward the district's vision and mission.

What technical skills for a human resources consultant stand out to employers?

Adam Smith Ph.D.Adam Smith Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Bicentennial Professor, Associate Professor of Management, Enactus Sam Walton Fellow, Indiana University Kokomo

That varies by industry, employer, level, and position. Also, it depends on their approach to hiring and training. It is important that students research employers and industries that interest them. But overall, it may be skills such as decision-making, problem-solving, critical thinking, time management, and collaboration that remain vital. Going forward, effective communication, tech savviness, a positive view of change (as opportunity), and an openness to continuous learning may set people apart in organizations.

List of human resources consultant skills to add to your resume

Human resources consultant skills

The most important skills for a human resources consultant resume and required skills for a human resources consultant to have include:

  • Performance Management
  • Shared Services
  • Workforce Planning
  • Employee Engagement
  • Payroll
  • Customer Service
  • HRIS
  • Project Management
  • EEO
  • Business Development
  • Strong Problem-Solving
  • Employment Law
  • Labor Relations
  • Organizational Development
  • Conflict Resolution
  • Leadership Development
  • Personnel Actions
  • Employee Self-Service
  • Business Process
  • Succession Planning
  • FMLA
  • Training Programs
  • Human Resources Policies
  • FLSA
  • Workers Compensation
  • Background Checks
  • Organizational Effectiveness
  • PeopleSoft
  • Exit Interviews
  • Federal Laws
  • Benefits Administration
  • Process Improvement
  • Career Development
  • Cobra
  • Open Enrollment
  • Open Positions
  • Policy Development
  • Collective Bargaining
  • Disciplinary Actions
  • I-9
  • Provide Human Resources
  • Organizational Structure
  • Legal Compliance
  • Management Training
  • Oracle Hcm
  • Training Sessions
  • ADP
  • Unemployment Claims

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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