A human resources generalist performs basic, general duties in a company’s human resources department. This often includes tasks related to calculation, organization and low-level management of the department’s assets. For example, a human resources generalist may be hired to work on the payroll calculations, assisting the clerks and managers in completing their tasks in shorter periods of time. The generalist is usually the last entity through which any assets pass before they’re reviewed by the department’s manager, and it’s not rare for human resources generalists to work very closely with their managers.
While a degree higher than a high school one isn’t required in most cases, there are some personal skills which are very actively sought after by most companies. These include a good knowledge of the functions of a HR department in general, good overview of the company’s structure and intricate knowledge of the procedures and strategies commonly applied by the HR department. The ability to efficiently work with the department’s manager is also beneficial.
Next to the manager of a human resources department, the human resources generalist is one of the highest-paid positions. They earn considerably more than assistants – between $37,000 – $59,000 – contrary to the fact that they’re often tasked with less duties and have an easier-going job in general. The job, even though very attractive, does have some downsides commonly attached to it, such as long working hours, which can make it a somewhat unattractive choice depending on one’s goals.