HR professionals need several key capabilities to be effective in their roles. These include understanding the business, having strong assessment skills to evaluate talent, and managing talent over time through interventions. They must also have strong influencing abilities, as most have not been trained in how to effectively influence others. Additionally, emotional intelligence is important, as it allows HR professionals to self-reflect, self-regulate, motivate themselves, empathize with others, and build relationships at different levels within an organization.