HR Generalist Job Description

HR generalist job description outlines the main duties of people employed in HR but handles all aspects of HR. They are called generalists because they handle the full range of HR issues. They are not specialists in any facet of HR but have sufficient technical know-how to handle each area of HR.

The HR Generalist job description outlines this role's core functions, including handling all day-to-day HR issues for an organization. Candidates for this role need to have expansive knowledge and experience covering the full range of HR services. Most organizations will hire the HR Generalist, who will help the organization with staffing and later with a full range of other HR services.

The details of what should be included in the HR Generalist job description are below. While the activities listed here are general to an HR Generalist job description, try to tailor them to your organization's needs. When creating your HR Generalist job description, you can use this as a model.

 Source: AIHR

HR Generalist Job Description: Overall Purpose

Provides human resources support to an organization in recruitment and selection, onboarding, payroll, employee relations, training, compensation, and benefits.

HR Generalist Job Description: Primary duties

• Ensures the organization has the talent required to drive business performance by putting a mechanism in place for hiring competent staff.
• Ensures all employees hired have a good track record by carrying out reference checks and all the necessary background checks.
• Complies with the relevant regulatory requirements by developing HR related policies and procedures to ensure compliance with the statutes.
• Integrate new employees into the organization by developing and implementing a credible onboarding process supported by a policy framework.
• Determines reasons for staff turnover by conducting exit interviews.
• Prepares HR reports by compiling data on HR operations.
• Complies with labor statutes by keeping abreast with existing and new legislation; enforcing compliance by all managers.
• Ensures employees at all levels receive required training by assessing the training needs of every employee.
• Retain competent staff by understanding staff needs and designing retention strategies.
• Cultivates a performance culture within the business by developing a system for developing performance targets and tracking progress on those targets.
• Ensures that all employee disciplinary procedures are done in compliance with the law by training managers and employees on their obligations.
• Maintain an efficient HR administration system by leveraging technology to deliver HR services.
• Enhances employee experience across all HR touchpoints by deliberately carrying out employee surveys to understand their needs and concerns.
• Enhance employee experience by supporting all employees across the HR service value chain.
• Support the business by developing HR policies that create a conducive environment for people to be productive.
• Ensures employees are paid on time by timeously and accurately processing payroll.
• Fosters a harmonious employee relations climate by handling employee relations issues such as grievances, disciplinary actions, and complaints on time.
• Develops and implement the inclusion and diversity policy by ensuring that such policies are developed to the highest standards.

HR Generalist Job Description: Educational Requirements

The qualifications for the HR Generalist job description are changing. While traditionally, it has always been a first degree in human resources or social sciences; nowadays, we see other degree holders occupying this role. These are people with a background in business studies or commercial fields. Sometimes, we seek people with pure science degrees to get into the HR Generalist role. Below I list the standard qualifications required for the HR Generalist job description.

• Degree in human resources, social sciences or any commercial degree.
• Knowledge of labour statutes is a mandatory requirement.
• Knowledge of the Microsoft suite of programs is required.
• Knowledge of new trends in HR is a requirement  

HR Generalist Job Description: Experience required

The experience requires in an HR Generalist job description tends to vary from organization to organization. The most important requirement is that the candidates for this role should have extensive experience handling key HR matters.

• 5 years experience in a similar role.
• Conflict-handling experience is a requirement.
• Experience in developing and implementing policies is a mandatory requirement.
• Experience reviewing and interpreting labor statutes for each understanding of my management and staff is mandatory.
• Extensive experience handling recruitment, onboarding, grievance handling, disciplinary matters and staff complaints is a requirement for this role.
• Experience preparing internal HR reports is a requirement.
• Experience delivering training programs is a mandatory requirement.

HR Generalist Job Description: KSAOs

When developing job description you can not leave out the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics required. The KSAOs for the HR Generalist job description will vary from organization to organization. Below I list the common ones:

• Knowledge of labor statutes.
• Ability to develop and implement human resources policies.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Ability to communicate with various stakeholders.
• High levels of critical thinking are a requirement.
• This role requires a digitally savvy individual.
• High levels of business acumen
• Excellent knowledge of key HR principles and practices is a mandatory requirement.
• Good oral and written communication skills are required.
• High levels of attention to detail skills are required.
• High levels of administration skills are a mandatory requirement.

Conclusion

The HR Generalist job description embodies what a true HR professional was expected to do before specialization. An HR Generalist can provide HR services across the whole HR value chain to support the business. Therefore, an HR Generalist job description is the core job description from which all the specialized job descriptions should be derived.

Because they are in charge of many of the day-to-day activities of the Human Resources department, HR Generalists play an essential role in every organization because of the expansive scope of their responsibilities. They are required to have an in-depth knowledge of employment laws. More importantly, they must have the ability to engage successfully with employees at all levels of the organization. The HR Generalist can ensure that the company complies with all applicable laws by utilizing the knowledge and abilities at their disposal and giving staff support and direction.

Before specialization, we start with the HR Generalist, a role every organization must have.

In developing the HR Generalist job description, be mindful that this role covers an expansive scope of HR responsibilities. Therefore, the candidates for this role must possess extensive and varied knowledge of HR practices. Such knowledge covers technical HR areas to general administration that support the delivery of HR services.