Human resources cover a vast assortment of responsibilities, and while sometimes you need an expert, other times you need someone who can do it all—that’s where an HR generalist comes in. According to Zippia, the technology industry is the highest-paying employer for HR generalists, but their services are an essential component of every company and field. HR generalists are multi-taskers and overseers who keep an eye on the health of the organization and its employees. Some of the responsibilities of an HR generalist can include employee relations, recruitment, training, retention, administration, engagement, etc.
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The HR resource team often needs to be dynamic due to the shifting nature of an organization or even the industry overall, and the HR generalist is charged with ensuring this is possible. Let’s take a look at all you need to know about the role, from the HR generalist salary predictions to the resume details.
HR Generalist vs HR Specialist
An HR generalist acts as an expert in all fields of HR work, taking on all the various responsibilities that are assigned to HR. An HR specialist understands and oversees one area of the work in great detail, using their expertise to explore the issue. For an HR generalist, their work for the day can depend on a priority list of responsibilities. If the employee pays are due soon, they will likely address admin work first and ensure all the leaves and other details have been calculated before settling up the final amount owed to each employee. Once that’s done, they might turn their attention to company-wide feedback projects. The responsibilities of an HR generalist constantly evolve.
For an HR specialist, their daily responsibilities will revolve around one dimension and how to see the best results within it. Someone with a background in HR might choose to be a Labor Relations Specialist who oversees the contracts and concerns of the labor force. A Diversity Specialist might solely focus on the company’s DEI investments and how to expand on them.
Larger organizations often have the budget and the need for multiple specialists to handle every area of HR work due to the bulk of work there is in each dimension. They may also need HR generalists who can oversee all the avenues or those who can swing between teams according to the needs of the hour. Both roles are beneficial to an organization but the organization chooses what to prioritize.
Responsibilities of an HR Generalist
Undeniably, the HR generalist has a lot to do. They oversee every aspect of an employee’s work life from the first to the last day of their interaction with the company. An HR generalist resume may be similar to any other HR position, but it does require them to build expertise in every area in order to execute the responsibilities of an HR generalist.
Hiring and Recruitment
A company needs employees and HR generalists ensure there are enough of them with the right qualifications for each role. From the moment there is a vacancy, the HR generalist begins to compile the job description (JD) with inputs from the department, and gets started with the hiring process.
- Sourcing platforms: Chooses where to circulate the JD and how much to invest in advertising the role
- Job posting: Circulates the JD on specific platforms and creates a channel for filtering applicants.
- Interviews: Schedules interviews with eligible candidates and coordinates with the internal departments.
- Job offers: Negotiates job offers with the approval of senior decision-makers and circulates them.
- Onboarding: Prepares the candidate profile for the internal database and helps the new hire settle into the company.
- Check-in: Interacts with the new hire to either convey feedback or collect data on the candidate’s experience.
Employee Relations
Now that candidates are hired and settled in, the responsibilities of an HR generalist shift to their experiences within the company. Maintaining a healthy dynamic between management and employees and among colleagues is essential. A workplace can become toxic very fast with no checks in place and employee relations then become a core responsibility.
- Foster communication: HR generalists oversee the kind of communication that takes place and encourage interdepartmental exchanges.
- Address discrimination: Takes issues of discriminatory practices and language seriously and enforces corrective measures.
- Feedback management systems: Establishes a system to both give and receive feedback from employees.
- Grievance portals: Sets up safe channels through which employees can air out concerns without fear of those they need to report.
- Conflict resolution: Ensures conflicts are resolved in a healthy and safe manner rather than allowing them to escalate.
- Escalations to higher authorities: Takes matters that cannot be resolved or require more serious attention to those who can approve of more severe corrective action.
- Exit interviews: Interviews employees leaving the company voluntarily or involuntarily to gather input.
- Policy management: Establishes policies for employee interaction and workplace culture.
Performance Management
Another core responsibility of an HR generalist is to assist in performance management. Giving feedback is a delicate process and employees can become entirely unmotivated if done harshly. Systems are essential to ensure fair and unbiased performance reviews. They are also essential to establish a tracking mechanism to assess progress after the review.
- Appraisal systems: An HR generalist designs and implements effective appraisal systems that are regularly conducted for assessments.
- Reward systems: Plans out reward systems for good performance and motivates employees to work towards them.
- Performance Improvement Plans (PIP): Constructs plans for low-performance areas and helps teams set up a timeline and strategies to improve performance.
- Policy generation and training: Sets up policies regarding the feedback mechanism and trains management to use it efficiently.
Benefit Administration
Benefits are a big factor in motivating employees to remain at a company and HR generalists can help structure them. While the potential benefits a company can offer are endless, the HR generalist should be able to consider the company budget and resources and develop a reasonable reward system.
- Structure benefits: Reviews industry standards and structures competitive benefits that are viable for the company.
- Oversee benefit distribution: Ensures the benefits are fairly distributed to employees and regulates any restrictions or negative attitudes by other team members.
- Addresses inquiries: Answers any questions employees have about the benefits and helps them understand what is available to them.
- Negotiates new benefits: HR generalists might sometimes include benefit negotiations while discussing contracts with potential recruits.
HR Information Systems (HRIS)
Next on the list of responsibilities of an HR generalist is data management. Employee records are essential, whether for internal use or legal requirements, and maintaining up-to-date databases also falls under their tasks.
- Digitalised record keeping: All information systems are now digital and an HR generalist navigates and maintains these background records.
- Payroll management: Ensures that salaries are sent out on time to the right people with the right amounts.
- Promotion assessments: Tracks performance and time at a company to hint to management when it is time to consider a promotion for an employee.
- Performance records: Maintains records of performance reviews, internal complaints, etc. for use when necessary.
- Analytics: Generates actionable data from these records for hiring decisions, policy generations, diversity metrics, and other strategic decision-making.
Employee Wellbeing
The HR generalist is often in charge of employee wellbeing and it falls to them to oversee their satisfaction levels and overall condition. They can then establish corrective procedures where they deem necessary.
- Employee engagement: Ensures the employee is engaged through various initiatives to build their relationship with the company.
- Mental health: Promotes a focus on the mental health of employees and plans interventions to help better regulate their stress and anxiety.
- Safety compliances: Ensures safe working conditions for all employees and safety measures to adhere to regulations.
- Benefits: Plans benefit strategies specific to the needs of their company and employees.
Legal Compliances
As an HR generalist, it will often fall to them to be aware of the legal requirements of both country and state to ensure their practices fall within the guidelines. While a separate legal team might be available, HR generalists must be able to answer employee queries about any existing regulations.
Laws on topics such as maternity policies, pay transparency, salary withholding, noncompete clauses, etc. are constantly evolving. If an employee wants to make any claims under these policies, the HR generalist should be able to guide them as necessary.
- Regulatory knowledge: Maintains up-to-date knowledge of regulatory policies.
- Compliance checks: Reviews the company status regularly to ensure no laws or acts are being violated by the company or its individual employees while within the workspace.
HR Generalist Salary
Yes, the tasks that an HR generalist oversees are considerable but does the compensation make it worthwhile? The HR generalist salary can vary from company to company but Glassdoor reports that as of October 2024, one can expect an average of $65,978 per year in the United States. The average additional cash compensation is reported at $4,382, with a potential range between $3,287 – $6,135.
According to PayScale, the average salary offerings are lower. Entry-level positions with less than one year of experience can offer around $50,865 based on 505 salary results. The estimates for a longer career with 10+ years of experience result in an average $63,030 salary based on 3,503 data inputs.
HR Generalist Resume
If the job description is enough to pique your interest in the field, then it might be time to get your qualifications in line and design an HR generalist resume. The educational qualifications for an HR generalist are pretty straightforward, similar to that of any human resource position. A bachelor’s degree in human resource management, business administration, or other associated fields, along with training in Human Resources is a good start. A master’s degree in HR will only boost your chances.
Additional certifications from leading institutes in the field can help you gain some expertise in the field while also increasing the impact of your HR generalist resume. Examples of institutes that offer certifications include:
- HR Certification Institute (HRCI)
- Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
- Certified Human Resource Management Professional (CHRMP)
- International Association for Human Resources Information Management (IHRIM)
- Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA)
- International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans
- Academy to Innovate HR (AIHR)
Mentioning HR-relevant skills can also add to your HR generalist resume. PayScale mentions global mobility, Learning Management System (LMS), strategic planning, consulting management, and safety training as some of the top skills that can support your application for the role. Getting started in the field should not be difficult with the basic degree in place, but ensures that along with your other skills, you also invest time in keeping yourself updated with the latest legal and industry-relevant news.
The responsibilities of an HR generalist are crucial for any organization to run smoothly. It is an important role for companies to invest in and a very fulfilling one for those with an interest in human resource management. Consider your options carefully when choosing a career and if being an HR generalist sounds right for you, get working on your resume and find a company where you can grow along with it.