Benefits and Compensation Managers are critical members of the HR team. They help the company create plans that facilitate both fairness in compensation and profitability for the organization. These people must know the market, they must know the business, and they must have the skills and the experience to succeed. So just how can you find the best talent for your HR team?
Traits to Look for In Benefits And Compensation Manager Candidates
You know the qualifications and experience you’re looking for since it’s laid out in the job description, but there are some important intangible traits that make someone an ideal candidate. Throughout the interview process, look for things like:
- Strong Negotiation Skills: When a manager walks into executive meetings to propose raises or changes in benefits; or when negotiating with benefits providers, they need to be excellent negotiators.
- The Ability to Delegate: Effective delegation skills are critical for success given the amount of responsibility heaped on the shoulders of the typical benefits and compensation manager. Look for someone that understands how to prioritize, knows what can be handled by someone else, and who has the ability to choose the right people to delegate to.
- Technical Savvy: Every year HR relies less and less on manual activities and relies more and more on technology. You want someone on your team who has experience working with HR software and who understands the ways in which technology can improve HR functionality and effectiveness.
- PR And People Skills: Benefits and Compensation Managers must understand the fine art of dealing with people. Salary and benefits can be a major source of employee satisfaction – and strife. They must value fairness and they must be able to communicate the value of the salary and benefits the organization offers everyone from the C-level to the custodial staff.
- Business Acumen: Compensation managers need to be able to understand how salary and benefits fit into the overarching goals of the organization. They must be able to create plans and solutions for both the long and the short term that will help the company realize those goals while keeping employees happy and fairly compensated.
Where To Find Candidates With The Secret Sauce
Recruiting is both a science and an art form, and too often it can seem you find someone with all of the technical skills you’re looking for, with few of the soft skills or vice versa. And with the economy on the upswing, the war for talent is getting more fierce. Finding strong HR candidates is essential for the growth and health of the organization, but it can be a challenge, especially if you are facing time and resource constraints of your own.
If you are looking for a talented Benefits and Compensation manager for your HR team, or if you are looking to staff your HR department with top talent who can work successfully support your existing benefits manager, contact the professional recruiters at Contemporary Staffing Solutions today. We can help you build an efficient, effective human resources team.