An HR Generalist: A Summary of Duties

• An HR Generalist is someone experienced in many different areas of human resources. Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images

  Human Resources is a career field with many specialties. The HR Generalist is someone who is responsible for all of the different duties associated with human resources and personnel. Typically a generalist will report to a human resources director and may be responsible for coordinating the human resources specialist team members. According to Gatti & Associates, an executive recruiting firm, companies are more frequently looking for generalists who have experience in many different HR areas.

Staffing

• Staffing duties incorporate all tasks involved with having enough staff to perform a company's function. wanted image by Imagenatural from Fotolia.com

  The staffing function of human resources includes developing job descriptions compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, recruiting, interviewing, selecting candidates and hiring employees. They may develop employment tests, monitor interviews, perform background checks and check references. An HR Generalist may also be involved in disciplining employees and termination processes.

Compensation and Benefits

• An employee's compensation includes much more than just the take-home pay. business bar charts and hundred dollar notes image by Elnur from Fotolia.com

  Compensation and benefits is a complex task with many associated functions. These functions include determining salary levels, managing benefits, handling retirement funds, establishing vacation levels and creating financial and non-financial compensation policies.

Orientation and Training

• HR Generalists will analyze the need for training, develop it, present it and evaluate it. good job image by Gale Distler from Fotolia.com

  The HR Generalist must monitor and administer training and orientation. Orientation sessions can come in two forms--a general orientation that all employees undergo and a specific job orientation that orients an employee to his specific job and department. Training can range from training needed to remedy job performance that doesn't meet standards, to teaching new tasks or the use of new equipment, to delivering training mandated by local and federal agencies.

Employee Relations

• HR Generalists may have to solve conflicts between employees. Three office workers image by Vladimir Melnik from Fotolia.com

  HR Generalists may be called upon to handle complaints, resolve employee grievances, improve morale and solve problems. If there is a union, an HR generalist may have responsibilities related to enforcing the contract and ensuring that labor law is followed.

Policy Making

• HR Generalists may be tasked with creating employee handbooks, putting policies into writing and ensuring that human resources policies are properly communicated to employees. HR Generalists may write up policies for computer use, cell phone use, attendance, time off, leaves of absences, privacy and confidentiality and other policies.