Human Resource Generalist: Job Description, Requirements and Career Information

Companies need to ensure that they hire and maintain the best talent available, and human resource generalists are charged with ensuring this. Training, interviewing and hiring are handled by human resource generalists, and they also oversee employee relations. This position requires a bachelor's degree at minimum, with higher executive positions needing a master's degree. Voluntarily certification is also available.

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Human Resource Generalist

The needed education for this position often changes based on the level of responsibility and employer type. For example, most companies look for entry-level applicants with a bachelor's degree in business, human resources (HR), human resource management or human resource administration. Applicants possessing a Master of Science in Human Resource Management have access to higher-level management positions. Classes in communication, business and psychology are useful for this career.

Job Description and Career Information

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), human resource generalists are typically employed in small organizations, and their exact job duties vary greatly (www.bls.gov). Whatever an employer needs done related to HR, a human resource generalist has to be able to perform.

Administrative hiring duties like interviewing, recruiting and training can fall under the jurisdiction of a human resource generalist. Communicating regularly with employees is another important task, because human resource generalists want to ensure they keep staff members happy. Additionally, human resource generalists communicate on a regular basis with upper management to implement and create effective work policies.

Human resource generalists have to understand and know their fellow employees well to determine methods of improving or maintaining productivity and morale. If a worker is not performing well in one area, a human resource generalist might find a better use for his or her skills in a different position. In some cases, when an employee is not up to the company's standards, a human resource generalist may have to fire him or her. Overall, human resource generalists ensure that a company's employees are satisfied and working effectively.

Job Requirements

This position requires human resource generalists to be outgoing and professional; they must be careful listeners and clear communicators. Traveling is a common requirement for this vocation because human resource generalists need to find new talent at job fairs and college campuses. Human resource generalists normally work a 40-hour work week, according to the BLS, but sometimes additional work is required on nights and weekends during busy seasons.

There are many organizations that offer professional certification for human resource generalists. While these certifications are not necessary for employment, they are highly recommended because they demonstrate an extra level of commitment to employers. The Society for Human Resource Management offers two certification levels, leading to the designations of Professional in Human Resources or Senior Professional in Human Resources (www.shrm.org). Applicants for these certifications need to acquire a minimum amount of work experience and then pass an examination.

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