Being a Human Resources Generalist

Human resources generalist is typically a position found within smaller businesses or organizations. This is because with smaller companies they may not be capable of having several human resources positions. Therefore human resources managers will have not human resources assistants to handle specific tasks for them. With a human resources generalist they are trained to do all the tasks in the human resources department and therefore different levels of employees in the department are not needed. The generalist is responsible for completing all the tasks within the human resources department.

When a business or organization hires a generalist for their human resources department it is important for the executives to ensure that this person has an extensive range of knowledge. It is essential for the person to understand not only how the business works and operates, but also be highly educated in the areas of interpersonal, organizations, oral, written, and mediation skills. It is also highly important for the human resources generalist to be capable of multi-tasking because there is no one to delegate other duties to. However, each business will have information and tasks that are specific to their business and therefore the person must be capable or learning tasks quickly.

Due to the diverse task list and areas of work that need to be completed the human resources generalist must have higher education qualifications than human resource assistants or coordinators. They are expected to have a bachelor’s degree preferably with diverse fields of study. It is important for the generalist to understand how the business runs as well as how to communicate effectively with the people in the work place regardless of their position. It is also extremely helpful for their education to have included some administration and computer courses. Their work often includes clerical duties and they are expected to have a high level of organization as well as understandings of computers and computer programs.

The job opportunities for a human resources generalist are most often with smaller companies and this may limit their prospects. There may not be management in the human resources department as well as further senior management positions because of the size of the business. However, it is an excellent way to gain experience in the human resources field and then move on to management positions at larger corporations. Depending on the business the job description may include necessary previous experience. This makes the position of a human resources generalist a great opportunity for people in positions as a coordinator or assistant, with education, who wish to change businesses and are seeking more advanced work or responsibilities.