Employee relations specialist vs employee relations representative

The differences between employee relations specialists and employee relations representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an employee relations specialist and an employee relations representative. Additionally, an employee relations representative has an average salary of $60,816, which is higher than the $56,574 average annual salary of an employee relations specialist.

The top three skills for an employee relations specialist include performance management, excellent interpersonal and corrective action. The most important skills for an employee relations representative are performance management, labor relations, and human resources policies.

Employee relations specialist vs employee relations representative overview

	Employee Relations Specialist	Employee Relations Representative
Yearly salary	$56,574	$60,816
Hourly rate	$27.20	$29.24
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	30,109	35,780
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	4	4

What does an employee relations specialist do?

An employee relations specialist is someone who identifies the recruitment needs of employers. The specialist collects and analyzes employee data, organizes and updates employee files, and oversees employee orientation and training. Employee relations specialists promote colleges' majors to employers through mass mailings, off-site employer visits, and cold calls. They help with on-campus recruitment events and manage employment opportunity posting. The skills necessary for this job include customer service, communications skills, knowledge in software applications, and attention to detail.

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.

Employee relations specialist vs employee relations representative salary

Employee relations specialists and employee relations representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Employee Relations Specialist	Employee Relations Representative
Average salary	$56,574	$60,816
Salary range	Between $39,000 And $81,000	Between $40,000 And $91,000
Highest paying City	Boston, MA	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	New Jersey
Best paying company	Adobe	Google
Best paying industry	Finance	Manufacturing

Differences between employee relations specialist and employee relations representative education

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

	Employee Relations Specialist	Employee Relations Representative
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Southern California	University of Southern California

Employee relations specialist vs employee relations representative demographics

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

	Employee Relations Specialist	Employee Relations Representative
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 30.6% Female, 69.4%	Male, 34.3% Female, 65.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 7.6% White, 58.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	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%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between employee relations specialist and employee relations representative duties and responsibilities

Employee relations specialist example responsibilities.

Manage and implement improvements to UK recruitment and inductions/orientation.
Gather and document information to achieve litigation free outcomes or successfully defend company.
Manage departmental restructuring & redundancy program for engineering operations across two UK locations.
Generate HRIS reports and manage personnel files, management information, and candidate data utilizing standardize reporting systems.
Advise on legal compliance (e.g., ADA, FMLA, harassment) and contract and policy interpretation.
Administer to ADA, FLSA, FMLA/ PDL/ CFRA, and retirement.

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.

Employee relations specialist vs employee relations representative skills

Common employee relations specialist skills

Performance Management, 6%
Excellent Interpersonal, 5%
Corrective Action, 5%
Management System, 5%
Customer Service, 5%
Conflict Resolution, 5%

Common employee relations representative skills

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

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Employee Relations Specialist
Employee Relations Specialist vs Employee Relations Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

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