What Does a Human Resource (HR) Generalist Do?
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Human resource generalists provide HR services to many small and medium-sized businesses. They recruit and hire talent, provide onboarding plans, navigate payroll and handle other administrative tasks related to human resources. HR generalists need soft and hard skills to do their jobs well.
Human resources (HR) is one of the essential departments in any company. HR professionals are responsible for guiding the company’s policies and ensuring fair treatment among employees.
Hiring and onboarding can often be taxing as companies seek new team members, but a good HR department can streamline the process. The most common HR hire for small to medium businesses with limited resources is the human resource generalist.
What is a Human Resource Generalist?
Most companies hire an HR generalist before they staff other human resources-related roles. HR generalists have a broad range of tasks. Think of an HR generalist position as a “jack of all trades,” fulfilling many vital responsibilities that a large company's entire human resources department would tackle.
Because smaller companies often cannot afford to hire specialists for the job, HR generalists handle the day-to-day work of human resources tasks . On any given day, they might audit employee performance, make recruiting phone calls, process benefits packages or write new policies.
What Does a Human Resource Generalist Do?
Because HR generalists wear many hats, their job duties are broad. Some of the most common daily tasks an HR worker handles include:
HR Generalist Job Description Example
What does the job description for an HR generalist look like? It can vary depending on the company, but it might be something like this:
Job Summary
The Human Resources (HR) generalist serves the needs of the company’s HR department through hiring, pay administration, benefits management and enforcing company standard policy and practices.
Supervisor Responsibilities
In some cases, the HR generalist may oversee members of the HR department and assist in performance evaluations for team members.
Daily Duties
Required Skills
Education and Experience
Physical Requirements
How to Become an HR Generalist
Aspiring HR generalists have several paths available to them. Some obtain a college degree focused on HR, while others have experience in a different field. Much of the training for this role involves developing numerous skills : administrative expertise, soft skills, business acumen and digital/data literacy.
Education Requirements
Most HR generalists come to the job with a bachelor’s degree in human resources management . Others work to earn a diploma in a closely related field.?
Training & Certifications
HR generalists can also seek certification for their roles. Many organizations offer specialized training paths to get better at the position. These certifying organizations include:
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Necessary Skill Set
HR generalists need skills in multiple areas to succeed and perform their daily responsibilities. Some essential skills to have in their toolkit include :
Where Do HR Generalists Work?
HR generalists work primarily for small or medium-sized businesses with some form of an office setting. Many human resources professionals even work from home or in a remote capacity . As more companies seek to save money on office space and invest in technology, the expanded talent pool makes finding a remote HR position likelier than ever.
What is the Average Salary of an HR Generalist?
HR generalist salaries can vary based on location and experience, but the average salary for this position is $61,280 . Obtaining certifications and gaining additional skills can raise the pay. Some organizations have tiered levels of HR generalist roles; for example, an HR generalist II position may make as much as $81,497 .?
Pros and Cons of Working as an HR Generalist
Like any job, working in HR offers plenty of pros and cons .
On the one hand, HR professionals (including generalists) have direct ownership of parts of their company’s well-being and face new challenges each day. They can earn attractive salaries and meet a wide variety of interesting people.
On the other hand, careers in HR demand an enormous workload , especially as generalists. Human resources teams must act as mediators between employees and management, which can sometimes be stressful. A job in HR often means minimizing the impact of office politics and promoting a healthy workplace through good company culture. Depending on the workplace, this may be easier said than done.
HR Generalist Career Path
Human resource generalists may enjoy their work, but some choose to push their skills further and develop their management skills. Many people enter HR as coordinators or specialists and grow into generalist positions. From there, they can advance to management and even wind up in the C-suite as a vice president of human resources. A typical career path for an HR generalist can include time spent in the following roles.
HR Specialist
HR specialists have decided to focus on one specific HR element or function. They may become clerks, payroll specialists, training managers or focus on employee relations.
HR Generalist
Some people consider an HR generalist to be a management trainee. Companies often hire their HR generalists with an eye toward promotion. HR generalists often have similar requirements to specialists.
HR Manager
HR managers overlook procedures, policies and compliance with state and government regulations. HR managers typically need a bachelor’s degree and five years of experience. Most HR managers take part in business planning and help develop company budgets.
HR Director
HR directors can head up several departments or manage only those HR managers who report to them. They are strategic partners to a company’s employees and may deal with complaints and day-to-day issues.
Vice President HR
The vice president (VP) of HR often handles administrative responsibilities and makes critical decisions related to new projects or processes. Most companies that only have a VP of HR are those with executive employee sections. In other organizations, the HR director reports to a chief human resources officer (CHRO).
Career Outlook for Human Resource Generalists
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates an 8 percent growth over the next decade for human resources roles. Companies will always need human resources experts to help steer the ship. The only difference may be that organizations outsource these responsibilities to firms rather than hiring internal candidates. As employment laws and benefit options increase complexity, HR generalists will become even more vital.
Starting a Career in Human Resources
Working in HR can be a rewarding experience but excelling in this field takes much hard work and dedication. Still, for those individuals with strong people skills and a desire to make a lasting impact on a company’s culture, it can be a great fit. The above-average job outlook and competitive salary, combined with an excellent pathway for advancement, can lead to a lucrative career in organizations large and small.
Top Takeaways
(Reporting by NPD)