Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Human Resources Generalist

🎯 Role Definition

An HR Generalist is the backbone of a People Operations team, acting as a versatile, hands-on professional who manages the day-to-day administrative and strategic duties of the Human Resources department. This role serves as the first point of contact for employees and managers, providing critical support across all major HR functions, including recruitment, onboarding, employee relations, performance management, benefits administration, and legal compliance. The HR Generalist ensures the seamless execution of HR policies and procedures, fostering a positive and productive work environment while balancing the needs of employees with the strategic goals of the organization.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

HR Coordinator
HR Assistant
Recruiter

Advancement To:

Senior HR Generalist
HR Business Partner (HRBP)
HR Manager

Lateral Moves:

Benefits Specialist
Compensation Analyst
Talent Acquisition Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Manage the full-cycle recruitment process, including drafting job descriptions, sourcing candidates, screening resumes, conducting interviews, and collaborating with hiring managers to fill open positions efficiently.
Administer and execute a comprehensive new hire onboarding process, ensuring a smooth and engaging experience from offer acceptance through the initial employment period, including orientation and initial training.
Serve as a primary and trusted point of contact for employee inquiries regarding HR policies, procedures, benefits, and company programs, providing timely and accurate guidance.
Provide expert coaching and support to managers and employees on sensitive employee relations issues, including conflict resolution, disciplinary actions, and performance improvement plans.
Conduct thorough, fair, and objective investigations into employee complaints and concerns, meticulously documenting findings and recommending appropriate and compliant actions.
Administer a variety of employee benefits programs, including health, dental, vision, life insurance, retirement plans, and all leave of absence policies (FMLA, ADA, parental leave).
Facilitate the annual open enrollment process by clearly communicating plan changes, hosting informational sessions, and assisting employees with their benefit selections.
Maintain and update all employee records within the Human Resources Information System (HRIS), ensuring the highest level of data integrity, accuracy, and confidentiality.
Process all employee status changes, including promotions, transfers, terminations, and compensation adjustments, in a timely and accurate manner while ensuring proper system updates and documentation.
Support the organization's performance management cycle, which includes goal setting, mid-year check-ins, and annual performance reviews, providing necessary training and support to managers.
Ensure ongoing compliance with all federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations by actively monitoring changes and updating policies, procedures, and handbooks accordingly.
Develop and maintain affirmative action programs, file EEO-1 and VETS-4212 reports annually, and maintain all necessary records and logs to conform to EEO regulations.
Assist in the strategic development and implementation of HR policies, procedures, and employee handbooks, ensuring effective communication of updates to the entire organization.
Manage the complete employee offboarding process, including conducting insightful exit interviews, processing final paychecks, and managing benefits continuation (COBRA).
Analyze trends from exit interviews, employee surveys, and other HR data to provide actionable insights and recommendations for improving employee retention and engagement.
Coordinate and, at times, facilitate employee training and development initiatives, ranging from new manager training programs to mandatory compliance-related sessions.
Assist with compensation analysis and administration by participating in salary surveys, benchmarking roles, and helping to ensure internal equity and external competitiveness.
Effectively manage workers' compensation claims by liaising with insurance carriers, ensuring timely reporting of incidents, and facilitating a safe return-to-work process.
Actively support employee engagement initiatives by helping to plan company events, administer engagement surveys, and analyze feedback to help drive a positive and inclusive company culture.
Prepare and analyze key HR metrics and reports on topics such as headcount, turnover, time-to-fill, and recruitment activity to support data-driven decision-making across the business.
Handle immigration and visa-related processes for foreign national employees, working closely with legal counsel as needed to ensure full compliance.
Partner effectively with the payroll department to ensure the accurate and timely processing of employee compensation, benefit deductions, and leave-related pay adjustments.

Secondary Functions

Assist in planning and executing company-wide employee engagement events and recognition programs.
Participate in cross-functional HR-related projects, such as system implementations, policy rollouts, or culture initiatives.
Generate ad-hoc reports and analyses from HRIS data to support various business needs and strategic planning sessions.
Contribute to the continuous improvement of HR processes and workflows by identifying opportunities for enhanced efficiency and automation.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Proficiency with Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS), such as Workday, ADP Workforce Now, or SAP SuccessFactors.
Experience with modern Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) like Greenhouse, Lever, or iCIMS for managing the full recruitment lifecycle.
Strong, practical knowledge of federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations (e.g., FMLA, ADA, FLSA, EEO).
Demonstrable competency in benefits administration, including the complexities of open enrollment and leave of absence management.
Ability to generate and analyze HR metrics using tools like Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUPs) or other data visualization software.
Experience with performance management systems and applying best practices to performance review cycles.

Soft Skills

Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills (both written and verbal) for building rapport and interacting effectively with all levels of the organization.
High degree of emotional intelligence, empathy, and the ability to handle highly sensitive and confidential situations with discretion and professionalism.
Strong conflict resolution and problem-solving abilities, with a calm and methodical approach to navigating complex employee relations issues.
An unwavering commitment to confidentiality and handling sensitive personal and company information with the utmost integrity.
Excellent organizational and time-management skills, with a proven ability to prioritize competing tasks and manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced setting.
A proactive, resourceful, and adaptable mindset, capable of thriving in a dynamic and evolving work environment.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's Degree.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor's Degree in a relevant field; Master's Degree in Human Resources Management or a related discipline; SHRM-CP or PHR certification.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Human Resources Management
Business Administration
Industrial/Organizational Psychology or Sociology

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

3-7 years of progressive experience in a Human Resources role.

Preferred:

Experience in a fast-growing tech, manufacturing, or service-oriented industry; experience supporting a diverse, multi-state employee population.