- Hi there, today's bite is all about the HR Generalist.
You will learn what the HR Generalist is,
what they do, how to become one and everything else
you may want to know.
First things first.
What is an HR Generalist?
Usually an HR Generalist
is the first HR hire a company makes.
As the job title suggests
this is a person with a wide range
of responsibilities instead of a specialized line of work.
As such, the HR Generalist covers most of the HR functions,
including hiring, compensation and benefits,
HR administration and other tasks.
An HR Generalist has a lot of different responsibilities,
but what is it that they actually do?
The exact activities vary depending on the company
and the country the HR Generalist works in,
but responsibilities a Generalist
could have include, one recruiting.
In some small companies managers may handle
the recruitment and onboarding of new candidates themselves,
but otherwise, this is something that often falls
under the responsibilities of the HR Generalist.
Two, Benefits administration
in certain countries such as the US for instance,
your job and your healthcare are tied together,
and the HR department handles
the negotiations with benefits providers,
other benefits such as pensions,
retirement plans and vacation or run through HR as well.
Parks like on site daycare,
company cars and free employee lunches
also fall under the purview of the HR Generalist.
Three, absence administration.
Leaves of absence whether for medical or personal reasons
fall under the HR Generalist as well.
Four, employee relations.
Next to recruiting
this is probably the most visible task of an HR Generalist.
Employee relations encompass all the day-to-day
functions of overseeing the people side of the business.
Think for instance of management training,
performance improvement plans
and discrimination or harassment investigations.
Five, HR Business Partner.
This is the strategic side of the HR Generalist.
In this role, HR Generalist act as the expert on people,
and HRBP helps plan for the future focusing on
among other things, succession planning,
organizational structure
and taking the company message to the employees.
Six, technical or analytics role.
An HR Generalist needs to know how to calculate turnover
and Return on Investment on programs and policies.
A strong understanding of analytics
is necessary to grow and develop the role.
Looking at all these different responsibilities,
a logical next question
is how do you become an HR Generalist?
There are many different paths to become an HR Generalist.
You can obtain a university degree in business
with an emphasis on HR.
But you can also certify with an organization
like SHRM, the CIPD or follow a specialized course
in HR analytics or digital HR at the Academy to Innovate HR.
Of course, there are also people
who move into this role from an operational
or other non-related field.
Since we've got a pretty good picture
of the HR Generalist now,
let's take a look at the Generalist versus the Specialist.
An HR specialists can feel every area
that an HR Generalist must do.
In large organizations,
it makes sense to have subject matter
experts handle each area.
This follows for in-depth knowledge
and specialized training.
An HR Generalist knows a little
about a tremendous number of subjects,
while a specialist knows a lot about a few subjects.
For small businesses,
a Generalist with access to training and outside resources,
is the best option,
while large companies have the luxury of specialization.
Voila, that's the HR Generalist for you.
Now you know all
about Generalist tasks and responsibilities,
how you can become an HR Generalist
and the difference between a Generalist and a Specialist.
Subscribe to our channel
to stay up-to-date with our learning bites,
and if you liked our video,
make sure you like and share it.
Also if there are any particular topics
that you'd like us to cover in our future bites,
let us know in the comments below
and I'll see you soon in our next learning bite.