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11-3121.00 · Learning planner

Human Resources Managers: a task-based learning plan

Plan, direct, or coordinate human resources activities and staff of an organization.

Explore the complete task inventory first →

Understand the profile before choosing priorities

The table shows the ten highest importance ratings among 29 skills with usable ratings. Skills tied on importance can share a rank. Importance (1–5) and level (0–7) describe different dimensions. A level of 4 is not 4/7 of a course, and neither scale is your personal score. Source dates refer to the underlying rating, not the database release date.

SkillImportance / 5Level / 7Rating date
Active Listening4.384.1208/2025 · Analyst
Management of Personnel Resources4.254.7508/2025 · Analyst
Reading Comprehension4.254.3808/2025 · Analyst
Speaking4.254.1208/2025 · Analyst
Writing4.124.0008/2025 · Analyst
Coordination4.124.0008/2025 · Analyst
Critical Thinking4.004.2508/2025 · Analyst
Judgment and Decision Making4.004.2508/2025 · Analyst
Active Learning4.004.1208/2025 · Analyst
Monitoring4.004.1208/2025 · Analyst

Anchor the plan in an actual task

Choose one reported task you want to understand better. Then choose one to three skills and describe an appropriate learning activity, evidence you will review and a date. For practical work requiring authorization, choose relevant coursework, observation or supervised training.

Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Read the scale examples

These generic examples illustrate the level scale. They are not required activities for human resources managers.

Level 4: Answer inquiries regarding credit references

Level 6: Serve as a judge in a complex legal disagreement

What would you ask the other person to clarify, and how would you confirm you understood?

Management of Personnel Resources

Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.

Read the scale examples

These generic examples illustrate the level scale. They are not required activities for human resources managers.

Level 4: Direct the activities of a road repair crew with minimal disruption of traffic flow

Level 6: Manage recruitment and training programs for a high-performance company

What roles, expectations, feedback and support would help people complete the work?

Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

Read the scale examples

These generic examples illustrate the level scale. They are not required activities for human resources managers.

Level 4: Understand an email from management describing new personnel policies

Level 6: Read a scientific journal article describing surgical procedures

Which instruction, constraint or exception in a document would you need to explain accurately?

Speaking

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Read the scale examples

These generic examples illustrate the level scale. They are not required activities for human resources managers.

Level 4: Interview applicants to obtain personal and work history

Level 6: Argue a legal case before the Supreme Court

How would you explain the task, audience needs and next step in a short conversation?

Writing

Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Read the scale examples

These generic examples illustrate the level scale. They are not required activities for human resources managers.

Level 4: Write an email to staff outlining new directives

Level 2: Write down a guest's order at a restaurant

What document would another person need, and how would you check that they could act on it?

Coordination

Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Read the scale examples

These generic examples illustrate the level scale. They are not required activities for human resources managers.

Level 4: Work with others to put a new roof on a house

Level 2: Schedule appointments for a medical clinic

Who would need what information, and at which handoff would timing matter?

Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

Read the scale examples

These generic examples illustrate the level scale. They are not required activities for human resources managers.

Level 4: Evaluate customer complaints and determine appropriate responses

Level 6: Write legal brief challenging a federal law

What assumption could change your conclusion, and what evidence would you check first?

Judgment and Decision Making

Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Read the scale examples

These generic examples illustrate the level scale. They are not required activities for human resources managers.

Level 4: Evaluate a loan application for degree of risk

Level 6: Decide whether a manufacturing company should invest in new robotics technology

Which options, constraints and consequences would you compare, and what could change the choice?

Active Learning

Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Read the scale examples

These generic examples illustrate the level scale. They are not required activities for human resources managers.

Level 4: Determine the impact of new menu changes on a restaurant's purchasing requirements

Level 6: Identify the implications of a new scientific theory for product design

What new information would change your approach, and how would you record the change?

Monitoring

Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Read the scale examples

These generic examples illustrate the level scale. They are not required activities for human resources managers.

Level 4: Monitor a meeting and revise the agenda to ensure important topics are discussed

Level 6: Review corporate productivity and develop a plan to increase it

What result or exception would you inspect during the task, and when would you revisit it?

Review the result

Your plan should explain why the selected skills matter for your chosen task, what you will do next and what evidence you will examine. Revisit the plan after that activity. Completing a worksheet or matching an occupation’s ratings does not establish professional competence.

Keep your worksheet

Download before leaving this page. Unsaved writing remains only in the page and is cleared on refresh. Notes and learning actions are not sent to a server. This guide describes an occupation and supports study planning; it does not provide clinical, legal or equipment-operating procedures.

Source and practice material

Occupational context uses the O*NET® 31.0 Database from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, under CC BY 4.0. View the occupation.

Skill Workbench selected and adapted the occupational information and added its own fictional cases, calculations, guidance and worksheets. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these additions. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.