HR Generalist Job Description: Roles and Responsibilities

👩‍💼What Is an HR Generalist?

An HR generalist is a person who works in the Human Resources (HR) department and helps with many different tasks. Instead of focusing on just one thing, like hiring new workers or managing employee benefits, they do many different kinds of HR work. This can include helping to find and hire new staff, training workers, handling pay and benefits, solving employee problems, making sure company rules are followed, and keeping records.

HR generalists are found in all kinds of companies—big, medium, and small. But they are especially important in small and medium-sized businesses. These smaller companies often don’t have a large HR team, so the HR generalist takes care of most of the HR duties. They are usually the main contact person for workers who have questions or problems related to their job, pay, benefits, or work environment.

Because they work on many things, HR generalists need to be good at talking with people, solving problems, and staying organized. They help make sure the company runs smoothly and that employees are happy and treated fairly. Their job is important for both the company and its workers.

📌What is the role of HR Generalist?

The HR generalist responsibilities touch almost every part of worker management. Here's what they usually do:

💼Hiring New Workers

HR generalists help bring new people into the company:

• Writing job posts

• Looking through resumes

• Doing first interviews

• Working with managers on hiring needs

• Checking backgrounds

• Making job offers

• Helping new hires start work

🤝Worker Relations

Building a good workplace is part of the HR generalist job description:

• Handling worker concerns

• Helping solve workplace problems

• Making a good work setting

• Helping managers deal with hard worker cases

• Doing exit talks when people leave

📈Training and Growth

HR generalists help workers learn new skills:

• Finding what training is needed

• Setting up training classes

• Tracking worker growth

• Helping with career plans

💸Pay and Benefits

Understanding worker pay and benefits is a big part of the role of the HR generalist:

• Running benefits plans

• Answering questions about benefits

• Helping with pay processing

• Looking at pay rates

• Making sure that pay follows the laws

📌Setting Rules

HR generalists make sure company rules are clear and followed:

• Making and updating worker handbooks

• Telling workers about rule changes

• Making sure workplace rules follow the laws

• Making sure rules are used the same way for all

⚖️Following Laws

Keeping the company within legal limits is key:

• Staying up to date on work laws

• Making sure the company follows all work laws

• Keeping good records

• Running workplace safety plans

• Handling worker injury claims

🧠HR Generalist Skills

To do well in this job, HR generalists need certain skills. What is an HR generalist expected to have? Here are the most needed HR generalist skills:

Hard Skills

• Knowing how to use HR computer systems

• Understanding work laws

• Knowing how to hire people

• Handling pay and benefits

• Managing how well workers do

• Basic money skills

People Skills

• Good talking and writing skills

• Problem-solving skills

• Keeping things private

• Understanding feelings

• Helping solve fights

• Being well organized

• Paying close attention to details

🤝HR Generalist vs. Other HR Jobs

Many ask about the difference between HR and HR generalist jobs. Here's how they compare:

🤔A Day as an HR Generalist

What does an HR generalist do daily? Their days are busy with many tasks:

Morning:

• Reading and answering worker emails

• Talking with managers about HR issues

• Handling urgent papers (time off, new hires, people leaving)

• Going to meetings

Afternoon:

• Doing interviews for open jobs

• Meeting with workers about their concerns

• Working on ongoing projects (rule updates, benefit sign-ups)

• Handling any worker relations issues

• Updating HR records

No two days are the same, making this job fun and hard.

💰HR Generalist and Pay Tasks

Does an HR generalist do payroll? In many companies, mostly small-scale or startups, HR generalists do handle some pay tasks. This might include:

• Collecting work hours

• Making pay changes (raises, pay, etc.)

• Answering worker questions about pay

• Making sure that pay follows the laws

In MNCs, salary-related tasks might be handled by a special pay team or an outside company.

🧐How to Become an HR Generalist

If you want this job, here's what you should know as an HR generalist:

School Needs

Most HR generalist jobs need at least a four-year degree, usually in:

• Human Resources

• Business

• Psychology

• How Companies Work

Special Training

While not always needed, these certificates can help:

• SHRM-CP (HR Pro Certificate)

• PHR (Pro in HR)

• SPHR (Senior Professional in HR)

Work History

Many jobs look for:

• 2-5 years of HR work

• Know-how with HR computer systems

• Knowledge of work laws

🎢Career Growth

Is an HR generalist a good career? Yes! This job offers good growth chances and can lead to higher positions:

• HR Manager

• HR Director

• Pay and Benefits Manager

• Training Director

• Hiring Manager

The U.S. job outlook shows steady growth for HR pros, with a 7% rise in jobs expected through 2029.

💵HR and Money Planning

While not their main job, HR generalists often work with money teams on worker costs. They may help with cost planning when:

• Looking at the cost of new jobs

• Checking the money impact of benefit changes

• Looking at training costs

• Helping figure out worker costs for budgets

This teamwork between HR and money teams helps companies make good money choices for their workers.

🤔Hard Parts of Being an HR Generalist

Like any job, being an HR generalist has its hard parts:

• Handling many tasks at once

• Keeping up with changing work laws

• Balancing the needs of workers and company heads

• Dealing with private details

• Adapting to company changes

📌Tips for Success as an HR Generalist

If you want this career, here are ways to do well:

• Stay updated on work law changes

• Build good ties with all teams

• Keep good records

• Find a guide in the HR field

• Join HR groups like SHRM

• Keep learning and get certificates

• Build both hard and people skills

🤔The Future of HR Generalist Jobs

The HR field is changing with new tech and work trends:

• More use of HR data to make choices

• More focus on worker happiness

• Remote work rules

• Focus on having many kinds of workers

• Computer helps in HR tasks

Good HR generalists will change with these trends while still helping both workers and company goals.

💡Conclusion

An HR generalist does many different jobs that are all about helping a company manage its workers. They are an important part of the HR team, especially in small companies where there may not be many HR staff.

HR generalists use both people skills and knowledge of tools or systems to help make the workplace better. They make sure the company follows the rules and also supports the company’s goals.

This job is a good choice for someone who enjoys doing different tasks every day and likes working with people. It offers a lot of chances to learn and grow in your career. HR generalists play a big role in keeping both the company and its workers happy and working well together.

❓Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ)

1. What skills do you need to be an HR generalist?

Key skills include good talking, knowing work laws, HR system know-how, problem-solving, keeping secrets, and good people skills.

2. What are the 7 roles of HR?

The seven main parts of HR are: hiring workers, training, pay and benefits, worker relations, following laws, workplace safety, and helping the company grow.

3. What is the difference between HR and HR generalist?

HR is the whole team that handles all people's tasks, while an HR generalist is one job in that team that handles many HR tasks rather than just one area.

4. What does an HR generalist do daily?

Daily work includes answering worker questions, handling HR papers, doing interviews, updating worker records, addressing workplace issues, and making sure company rules and work laws are followed.

5. Does an HR generalist do payroll?

In many companies, mostly smaller ones, HR generalists do some pay tasks, though bigger companies might have separate pay teams.

6. What should I know as an HR generalist?

You should know work laws, hiring steps, benefits handling, how to manage worker growth, ways to solve problems, and how to use HR computer systems.

7. Is an HR generalist a good career?

Yes, it's a good career with steady work, good pay, and clear paths to move up to higher HR jobs. It's best for people who like having different tasks and are good with people.