What does a director of personnel do?
Director of personnel responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real director of personnel resumes:
- Manage personnel time, payroll through ADP, personnel, & HDFC insurance policies.
- Manage HRIS and payroll systems, ensure timely entry of data, provide reports and certify payroll.
- Manage UAB and HSF faculty recruitment, staffing needs, terminations, compensation, records management, employee relations and retention.
- Direct the implementation of a new HRIS system.
- Process and review all FMLA's, personal leaves of absences and emergency leaves.
- Implement EEO initiatives according to government contract requirements.
- Process leave of absences and complete FMLA notification requirements.
- Review and approve EEO investigations involving military and civilian personnel.
- Coach leaders on appropriate employee relations practices, helping them to maintain strong working relationships and accountability while avoiding potential litigation.
- Utilize PeopleSoft to enter new hires, process transfers, promotions, and terminations.
- Develop equitable compensation plan by creating/revising job descriptions/evaluations, FLSA job classifications and current market salary comparisons.
- Transition to PeopleSoft implementation project and work in both D.C. and Baltimore office for firm-wide software implementation.
- Conduct administration of severance packages, retirement information, benefit and cobra information amid schedule reductions and termination.
Director of personnel skills and personality traits
We calculated that 13% of Directors Of Personnel are proficient in Payroll Processing, Safety Program, and Personnel Policies. They’re also known for soft skills such as Interpersonal skills, Leadership skills, and Organizational skills.
We break down the percentage of Directors Of Personnel that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Payroll Processing, 13%
Instituted systems for efficiency in patient accounting, payroll processing, and human resources.
- Safety Program, 9%
Developed and coordinated employee safety program, including blood pathogens.
- Personnel Policies, 8%
Established personnel policies, created employee benefits, developed orientation programs and interpreted HR policies/procedures.
- Disciplinary Procedures, 6%
Handled under-staffing, disputes, terminating employees and administering disciplinary procedures.
- Human Resource Functions, 4%
Worked in conjunction with the Corporate Office to direct and manage all affairs of Human Resource functions and payroll.
- Workers Compensation, 4%
Handled confidential materials such as proposed legislation, personnel files, medical records, and workers compensation information.
Most directors of personnel use their skills in "payroll processing," "safety program," and "personnel policies" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential director of personnel responsibilities here:
Interpersonal skills. One of the key soft skills for a director of personnel to have is interpersonal skills. You can see how this relates to what directors of personnel do because "human resources managers regularly interact with people, such as to collaborate on teams, and must develop working relationships with their colleagues." Additionally, a director of personnel resume shows how directors of personnel use interpersonal skills: "implemented a mediation-like conflict resolution process between employees to improve overall work atmosphere, increasing productivity and reducing interpersonal distress. "
Leadership skills. Many director of personnel duties rely on leadership skills. "human resources managers must coordinate work activities and ensure that staff complete the duties and responsibilities of their department.," so a director of personnel will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways director of personnel responsibilities rely on leadership skills: "provided coaching and consultation for performance management, leadership development, retention and disciplinary matters. "
Organizational skills. This is an important skill for directors of personnel to perform their duties. For an example of how director of personnel responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "human resources managers must be able to prioritize tasks and manage several projects at once." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a director of personnel: "function in relation to organizational growth and expansion as a network; with assistance of external consultants, built a customized hris".
The three companies that hire the most director of personnels are:
- Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES1 directors of personnel jobs
- City of St. Louis1 directors of personnel jobs
- Medical University of South Carolina
1 directors of personnel jobs
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Compare different directors of personnel
Director of personnel vs. Human resources supervisor
A human resources supervisor is an individual responsible for developing and administering human resources programs so that the company can achieve efficient operations. Human resources supervisors coordinate all stages of the hiring process, such as checking all candidates' backgrounds, conducting interviews, and drug screening. They address conflicts among employees, investigate employee problems, and work with management to administer employee discipline or corrective action. The human resources supervisor also develops training and development programs for their salaried employees.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, director of personnel responsibilities require skills like "safety program," "human resource functions," "organizational objectives," and "health insurance." Meanwhile a typical human resources supervisor has skills in areas such as "customer service," "state laws," "iso," and "powerpoint." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Human resources supervisors really shine in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $69,170. Comparatively, directors of personnel tend to make the most money in the government industry with an average salary of $64,895.human resources supervisors tend to reach lower levels of education than directors of personnel. In fact, human resources supervisors are 5.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.6% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Director of personnel vs. Human resources vice president
Human resources (HR) vice presidents play a vital role in the effective administration and operation of an organization's HR department. These executives are responsible for directing an organization's staffing goals and developing strategies to support the company's profitable and productive business operations. HR vice presidents also perform other duties and responsibilities, including planning payroll and employee benefits, facilitating the enforcement of standardized HR processes, and recommending new measures for employee performance evaluations. The skills and qualifications for this position include previous experience as an HR director, strong leadership skills, and in-depth knowledge of HR processes.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real director of personnel resumes. While director of personnel responsibilities can utilize skills like "payroll processing," "safety program," "personnel policies," and "disciplinary procedures," human resources vice presidents use skills like "employee engagement," "payroll," "workforce planning," and "organizational development."
On average, human resources vice presidents earn a higher salary than directors of personnel. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, human resources vice presidents earn the most pay in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $178,898. Whereas directors of personnel have higher pay in the government industry, with an average salary of $64,895.human resources vice presidents earn similar levels of education than directors of personnel in general. They're 1.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.6% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Directors of personnel in the next 3-5 years?
Karen Sharp-Price
Instructor/Career Consultant, Daemen College
Just over the past year, video conferencing and video chat has become mainstream for most companies. Learning how to maneuver and use the many different forms of video conferencing has become an everyday occurrence now for companies. Companies that said they could never go fully remote have done so and found not only that it can be done but done well with all this technology. But in the near future, you will see many new features added to all of these mediums to enhance the experience for employees and companies to communicate with co-workers, near and far. This technology has been around for a long time but is not used to its fullest extent. Due to the pandemic, it is heavily used, and I don't see us reverting back to our old ways but only improving upon how to better utilize technology in our businesses going forward.
Director of personnel vs. Employee relations manager
An employee relations manager's responsibilities revolve around maintaining a strong professional relationship between employees and a company's management. They are also in charge of resolving conflicts and issues within the workplace, providing technical support on all employee programs, developing orientation and workshop activities among trainees and new members of the workforce, and addressing their concerns promptly and professionally. Furthermore, there are instances when an employee relations manager must conduct investigations, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from director of personnel resumes include skills like "payroll processing," "safety program," "disciplinary procedures," and "human resource functions," whereas an employee relations manager is more likely to list skills in "management system," "employment law," "employee engagement," and "corrective action. "
Employee relations managers earn the highest salary when working in the retail industry, where they receive an average salary of $87,349. Comparatively, directors of personnel have the highest earning potential in the government industry, with an average salary of $64,895.Most employee relations managers achieve a similar degree level compared to directors of personnel. For example, they're 2.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Director of personnel vs. Human resources consultant
A human resources consultant is responsible for supporting the human resources management of an organization by advising on policies and procedures for effective employee relations. Human resources consultants analyze HR programs and current processes and initiate projects to maintain stable operations. They also facilitate strategic plans to resolve HR matters and improve culture management. A human resources consultant must be highly-knowledgeable of the human resources industry, its techniques, regulations, and disciplines to help with the implementation of business advancements and achieve the organization's objectives.
Types of director of personnel
Updated January 8, 2025
