About the HR Generalist role
An HR Generalist handles the day-to-day work of the people function across its whole surface: recruitment support, onboarding, payroll and benefits administration, employee relations, policy, and compliance. Where specialists go deep on one area, the generalist keeps every area moving.
The role is the backbone of small and mid-sized people teams. A good generalist answers the everyday questions employees bring, keeps records and processes tidy, coordinates reviews and training, and escalates genuinely hard cases to the HR Manager or leadership. In growing companies, generalists often become the first specialists as the team splits into recruiting, people operations, and HR business partnering.
In your posting, list the HR systems you use, the areas the generalist will own outright versus support, and who they report to. Generalist roles vary so much between companies that this clarity is what attracts the right experience level.
HR Generalist job description template
Job brief
We are looking for an HR Generalist to manage the day-to-day operations of our human resources department. Your responsibilities span recruitment support, onboarding, benefits administration, employee relations, and HR compliance. To succeed in this role, you should have broad knowledge of HR processes and employment law, strong organizational skills, and the people skills to be a trusted first point of contact for employees.
Responsibilities
- Administer compensation and benefit plans and answer employee questions about them
- Assist in talent acquisition and recruitment processes, from postings to interview coordination
- Conduct employee onboarding and help organize training and development initiatives
- Provide support to employees in various HR-related topics such as leaves and compensation, and resolve any issues that may arise
- Promote HR programs to create an efficient and conflict-free workplace
- Assist in the development and implementation of human resource policies
- Undertake tasks around performance management and review cycles
- Gather and analyze data with useful HR metrics, like time to hire and employee turnover rates
- Organize quarterly and annual employee performance reviews
- Maintain employee files and records in electronic and paper form
- Ensure compliance with labor regulations
Requirements and skills
- Proven experience as an HR Generalist or in a similar HR role
- Understanding of general human resources policies and procedures
- Good knowledge of employment and labor law in your jurisdiction
- Outstanding knowledge of MS Office or Google Workspace; HRIS systems experience is a plus
- Excellent communication and people skills
- Aptitude for problem solving and the discretion to handle confidential matters
- Desire to work as a team with a results-driven approach
- BSc or BA in Business Administration, Human Resources, or a relevant field
Nice to have
- HR certification such as SHRM-CP, PHR, or CIPD
- Experience with an ATS and HRIS implementation
- Payroll administration experience
- Experience in a fast-growing company where processes were built from scratch
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