Employee relations representative vs senior human resources specialist

The differences between employee relations representatives and senior human resources specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an employee relations representative, becoming a senior human resources specialist takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior human resources specialist has an average salary of $63,956, which is higher than the $60,816 average annual salary of an employee relations representative.

The top three skills for an employee relations representative include performance management, labor relations and human resources policies. The most important skills for a senior human resources specialist are payroll, customer service, and HRIS.

Employee relations representative vs senior human resources specialist overview

	Employee Relations Representative	Senior Human Resources Specialist
Yearly salary	$60,816	$63,956
Hourly rate	$29.24	$30.75
Growth rate	-3%	8%
Number of jobs	35,780	46,316
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	4	6

What does an employee relations representative do?

Employee relations representatives are professionals who are responsible for negotiating the contracts of employees as well as offer overall support to them working for an organization. These representatives must deal with employee complaints in areas such as salary, pensions, and benefits while investigating potential disturbances in their workplace. They must educate their employees about the organization's personnel rules and practices as well as the state labor laws. Employee relations representatives must also keep complete and accurate employee records and provide guidance to limit potential lawsuits.

What does a senior human resources specialist do?

A senior human resources specialist is responsible for monitoring the human resources operations of an organization, managing employment processes and policies, and handling staffing needs and concerns. Senior human resources specialists design training and programs to maintain staff's efficiency and maximize the employees' productivity to support business functional operations. They also coordinate with management leaders to identify their hiring needs, evaluating their specifications for recruitment. A senior human resources specialist reviews the company's policies and guidelines regularly, adjusting procedures according to state regulations and business requirements.

Employee relations representative vs senior human resources specialist salary

Employee relations representatives and senior human resources specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Employee Relations Representative	Senior Human Resources Specialist
Average salary	$60,816	$63,956
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $91,000	Between $45,000 And $89,000
Highest paying City	Boston, MA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	New Jersey	New York
Best paying company	Google	Edwards Lifesciences
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Finance

Differences between employee relations representative and senior human resources specialist education

There are a few differences between an employee relations representative and a senior human resources specialist in terms of educational background:

	Employee Relations Representative	Senior Human Resources Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Southern California	University of Pennsylvania

Employee relations representative vs senior human resources specialist demographics

Here are the differences between employee relations representatives' and senior human resources specialists' demographics:

	Employee Relations Representative	Senior Human Resources Specialist
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 34.3% Female, 65.7%	Male, 24.7% Female, 75.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 8.5% White, 59.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 7.7% White, 57.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between employee relations representative and senior human resources specialist duties and responsibilities

Employee relations representative example responsibilities.

Gather and document information to achieve litigation free outcomes or successfully defend company.
Process job injury payroll and time sheets utilizing Kronos and PeopleSoft systems.
Oversee all leaves of absence including short-term disability, long-term disability, FMLA, military leave and personal leave.
Participate in the selection and implementation process for the HRIS system and maintain applicant data entry for HRIS/Lawson application tracking system.
Research and analyze the implications of the FMLA legislation on company practices, and implement employee communication and corporate compliance procedures.
Conduct disciplinary action and termination investigations and track information regarding investigations via HRIS system.

Senior human resources specialist example responsibilities.

Lead annual EEO-1 reporting team.
Manage, implement, and administer proper hiring process to reduce turnover in compliance with e-verify processes and federal law.
Maintain and update personnel records in Peoplesoft and Kronos computer programs.
Participate in regular system updates as well as providing data integrity and functionality in a global HRIS environment.
Process I9's through HireRight.
Experience in Microsoft office products and payroll/personnel systems such as Lawson and KRONOS.

Employee relations representative vs senior human resources specialist skills

Common employee relations representative skills

Performance Management, 7%
Labor Relations, 6%
Human Resources Policies, 6%
Conflict Resolution, 5%
Employment Law, 5%
HRIS, 5%

Common senior human resources specialist skills

Payroll, 12%
Customer Service, 8%
HRIS, 7%
PowerPoint, 6%
Develop Recommendations, 5%
Provide Technical Assistance, 5%

Employee Relations Representative vs. similar jobs

Employee Relations Representative related careers

Employee Relations Representative related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Business and Financial Industry
Employee Relations Representative
Employee Relations Representative vs Senior Human Resources Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse business and financial jobs