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Director of talent acquisition vs generalist

The differences between directors of talent acquisition and generalists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a director of talent acquisition and a generalist. Additionally, a director of talent acquisition has an average salary of $133,745, which is higher than the $46,518 average annual salary of a generalist.

The top three skills for a director of talent acquisition include human resources, TA and applicant tracking systems. The most important skills for a generalist are sales floor, store sales, and customer loyalty.

Director of talent acquisition vs generalist overview

Director Of Talent AcquisitionGeneralist
Yearly salary$133,745$46,518
Hourly rate$64.30$22.36
Growth rate7%7%
Number of jobs20,1248,585
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 76%Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age4747
Years of experience66

What does a director of talent acquisition do?

A director of talent acquisition is primarily responsible for spearheading the development of strategies that will help a company to narrow down and acquire talented individuals. Typically, they must set goals and budgets, coordinate with stakeholders or higher-ranking officials, review and assess the performance of the talent acquisition team, and conduct training and meetings. Furthermore, as director, it is essential to implement all policies and regulations, craft new ones if necessary, all while shaping the team into an efficient workforce.

What does a generalist do?

A generalist, also known as a human resource generalist, is responsible for overseeing the operations in a human resource department, focusing on employees' welfare and working conditions. They are primarily involved in the hiring and laying off processes among employees, handing training and benefits programs, and coordinating with every department in the company. Furthermore, a generalist must perform administrative tasks that mostly revolve around producing reports and processing paperwork, conducting research and analysis, and responding to correspondence.

Director of talent acquisition vs generalist salary

Directors of talent acquisition and generalists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Director Of Talent AcquisitionGeneralist
Average salary$133,745$46,518
Salary rangeBetween $87,000 And $204,000Between $29,000 And $72,000
Highest paying CityPhoenix, AZSan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateMaineCalifornia
Best paying companyBoehringer IngelheimMeta
Best paying industryManufacturingFinance

Differences between director of talent acquisition and generalist education

There are a few differences between a director of talent acquisition and a generalist in terms of educational background:

Director Of Talent AcquisitionGeneralist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 76%Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityNorthwestern University

Director of talent acquisition vs generalist demographics

Here are the differences between directors of talent acquisition' and generalists' demographics:

Director Of Talent AcquisitionGeneralist
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 63.0% Female, 37.0%Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 5.7% White, 70.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 5.7% White, 70.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage18%18%

Differences between director of talent acquisition and generalist duties and responsibilities

Director of talent acquisition example responsibilities.

  • Manage all IFC marketing campaigns and promotions on campus.
  • Perform needs assessment, manage extensive RFP process, purchase new applicant tracking system.
  • Manage RPO of non-exempt positions including VMS implementation and vendor relations.
  • Establish and manage strategic relationship with RPO partner to supplement recruiting function.
  • Manage onsite logistics for interviews; research, evaluate and negotiate compensation packages.
  • Train TA team to effectively utilize ATS that immediately improve communication, productivity, and sharing candidates.
  • Show more

Generalist example responsibilities.

  • Manage and maintain PBX and VoIP phone systems at multiple locations.
  • Manage multiple lab projects for the implementation of new lab analyzers as well as LIS functionality.
  • Plan, install and manage new locations build outs with complete VPN connectivity and VOIP utilization for the multiple locations.
  • Manage UAB and HSF faculty recruitment, staffing needs, terminations, compensation, records management, employee relations and retention.
  • Manage data process flow to ensure employee timekeeping, attendance and payroll objectives are effectively and efficiently maintain.
  • Perform chemistry, microbiology, urinalysis, hematology, and blood bank laboratory tests, equipment calibration and quality assurance reports.
  • Show more

Director of talent acquisition vs generalist skills

Common director of talent acquisition skills
  • Human Resources, 10%
  • TA, 9%
  • Applicant Tracking Systems, 6%
  • Healthcare, 6%
  • Continuous Improvement, 4%
  • Recruitment Strategies, 4%
Common generalist skills
  • Sales Floor, 21%
  • Store Sales, 17%
  • Customer Loyalty, 14%
  • Sales Growth, 12%
  • Customer Service, 6%
  • Processing Customer Transactions, 4%

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