HR Job Titles That Employers Should Know

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Any company has to think about how its workforce impacts its success. If a company gets large enough, it will have an entire human resource department focused on managing the relationship between employer and employee.

You may not realize it, but how a human resource department is arranged determines its effectiveness. One key component to this arrangement are the job titles you give members of HR.

Key Takeaways:

• HR job titles can be broken down into categories of entry-level, mid-level, senior-level, c-suite level, and those independent of any level.

• Most HR employees work in mid-level positions that come with three or more years of experience.

• Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) and Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are positions that focus on reducing biases and other discriminatory behavior in the workplace.

Job Title Hierarchy In Human Resources

Like most departments in any business, the human resource department has a hierarchy to its job titles. This is due to the level of experience, responsibilities, and pay grade of the position.

Human resource job titles can be broken down into four broad categories:

• Entry level

• Mid-level

• Senior level

• C-suite level

Additionally, some HR job titles fall out of the traditional hierarchy due to the independent nature of their responsibilities.

Knowing where an HR job title ranks in the hierarchy is important to running a smooth operation in your business. Employees, both within and outside of human resources, should know who is responsible for what so that tasks are handled efficiently.

Entry-Level HR Titles

The first level of HR job titles is at the entry-level position. In general, you will see a lot of commonalities between the positions. It is up to the discretion of your organization to decide how you want to title your positions.

However, there are slight differences that can have important implications, particularly in the hiring process. You want to make sure your job titles accurately reflect the job description so that candidates can have a clear understanding of their roles.

1. HR Assistant. The HR assistant provides administrative help to other members of the human resource department, particularly to the HR manager. HR assistants will focus on tasks such as data entry, payroll, and employee communications.

2. HR Associate. When most employees need to talk to someone in HR, they normally first speak with an HR associate. This role specializes in assisting employees with the human resources needs, such as with paperwork, compliance training, and job applications.

3. HR Representative. Similar to an HR associate, an HR representative works with employees to make sure all their human resource needs are met. An HR representative may also act in a public-facing role that works with clients, business partners, or any other third parties in matters related to human resources.

4. HR Administrator. The HR administrator focuses on the administrative tasks of the department. They work to organize and execute HR policies, such as filing employee records or analyzing employee data.

5. HR Intern. An HR intern will usually be a college student or recent graduate tasked with entry-level responsibilities such as data entry, organization, or assistance to fellow HR employees.

Mid-Level HR Titles

Mid-level HR roles are usually assigned to employees with three or more years of experience. Like entry-level titles, mid-level HR titles have some similarities between them, and how they are determined depends on organizational needs.

Again, understanding the slight differences is important to ensure you build an appropriate human resource team that can be effective.

1. HR Analyst. HR analysts collect information related to human resources, such as data about employees and job candidates. They analyze this information and share their findings with other stakeholders within the company. HR analysts help managers within the company make more informed decisions.

2. HR Coordinator. HR coordinators organize administrative information on behalf of employees to help them navigate HR policies. They work closely with employees, filing necessary information and creating notices to improve internal communication.

3. HR Supervisor. Depending on the size of the organization, an HR supervisor may work individually or as a leader of a small team. In either case, the HR supervisor is responsible for ensuring that all HR needs are met, such as hiring, payroll, employee relations, and company policy.

4. HR Generalist. As the name implies, HR generalists take on a general human resource role. They do not have one particular area of specialty; however, it is possible that they become specialized down the line. They are tasked with all HR responsibilities, from communication, data collection and payroll.

Senior Level HR Titles

Senior-level HR titles may or may not be the highest title level of human resources of an organization, depending on the size. These positions naturally come with more responsibility which means employees at these positions have extensive skills and at least five or more years of experience.

1. HR Manager. HR managers are either in charge of the entire human resource team or a specific department. They oversee that HR tasks like hiring, company policy, compliance, and payroll are executed effectively.

2. HR Director. At a medium size company, the HR director may be the top HR professional. At larger companies, the HR director may be in charge of a specific region or branch. HR directors oversee the HR functions and make sure they are in line with the company’s goals.

3. Vice President of Human Resources. Often found only in large companies, the VP of HR will act as the representative of human resources to the president of the company. They will also act as the leader for all HR directors below them and work towards coordinating HR policy.

C-suite Level HR Titles

C-suite HR titles are reserved for those human resources employees at the top of an organization’s chain of command. Mostly found in large corporations, the C-suite HR title will be given to someone who has exceptional credentials and the leadership required to manage so many people, tasks, and other responsibilities.

1. Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO). This is the traditional title for the top human resource employee who works directly with a company’s CEO and sits on the board of directors. A CHRO has to provide reports to the CEO that reveal current HR efforts, as well as make high-level decisions and delegate tasks down the chain of command.

2. Chief People Officer (CPO). Another title for a c-suite HR employee, synonymous with the CHRO, the CPO is in charge of HR and represents them on the board. A company may use the title CPO to reflect its people-centric priorities.

3. Chief Talent Officer (CTO). This title is equally synonymous with CHRO. The CTO may be chosen as a title because a company sees its employees as a talent that is crucial to the company’s success.

4. Chief Diversity Officer (CDO). The CDO works to ensure that company policy takes into account diversity and equality in the workforce. This is accomplished through audits, bias training, oversight, and other accountability measures. The CDO may report to the CHRO or directly to the CEO, depending on the company.

Independent HR Positions

Some HR positions do not fall in the traditional tiered structure of human resources. These are positions that can act independently and focus on their responsibilities regardless of the environment around them.

1. Staffing Recruiter. A staffing recruiter simply focuses on finding candidates for open job positions. The staffing recruiter may be a contract position or a specific position within the company. They manage job postings, review applications, schedule interviews, and may even perform the initial screening interviews.

   Staffing recruiters may also seek out passive candidates, that is, people who are not actively looking for a job if they think their talent meets the hiring manager’s needs. A good staffing recruiter will work alongside the hiring manager to source the best possible candidate.

2. Safety manager. A safety manager focuses on the compliances related to employee safety. Safety managers have to be well-versed in federal and state regulations. They make sure all employees are properly trained and that emergency resources are provided and periodically inspected.

3. Benefits administrator. This role specifically assists employees with their benefits. They help employees navigate the policies and choices in areas such as retirement plans, insurance plans, and scheduling vacation days.

4. Payroll administrator. A payroll administrator focuses on the payroll questions and concerns of employees. They make sure employees turn in necessary paperwork so that their salary or wages are provided properly.

5. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Director. Similar to the CDO, a DEI director oversees an organization’s DEI policy. They work closely with both upper management and regular employees to provide the necessary resources and training, in addition to shaping policy, so that a company has a diverse staff and inclusive work environment.

New and Trending HR Titles

Lately, many companies have taken a deeper look into their human resource department. This can be attributed to a greater overall economic trend that focuses on the human element of a workforce. Companies recognize how the needs, values, and goals of employees must be taken into account to create a more productive workforce and successful organization.

With this in mind, companies have noticed certain areas in need of updates and other priorities lacking entirely. To rectify this, they have begun to create new HR positions to help improve engagement, retention, and productivity.

1. Director of HR Analytics. The Director of HR Analytics takes charge of all data related to human resources. Their goal is to analyze the data to help organizations make more informed decisions related to policies. They will also come up with systems of data collection and analysis that can be distributed to the rest of the HR team.

2. Talent Acquisition Specialist. This is the title for a role similar to a traditional staffing recruiter. The only major difference is that a talent acquisition specialist views candidates as a talent to be sought after rather than workers to fill positions.

3. Employee Wellness Officer. An employee wellness officer is there to make sure the needs of an employee are met. They act as a point of contact for employees to give feedback or air grievances.

4. Employee Experience Manager. Similar to an employee wellness officer, an employee experience manager aims to improve the work life of employees. This is done by shaping company policy procedures, developing more suitable work environments, and analyzing data related to employee engagement.

Why HR Job Titles Are Important

As an employer, you will want to recognize that HR job titles are important because:

• They provide clarity. When an employee’s job title matches their job responsibilities, it helps set clear expectations that are important in communication, delegation, and execution of HR tasks.

• Determine policy implementation. Depending on the policy, certain HR roles will be more affected than others. You can be sure your policies are handled more smoothly if you know who is responsible for them.

• Make you competitive. When job candidates look for open positions, they will use job titles related to their interests. Making sure your job titles match popular trends helps you attract talented individuals.

• Reflect company values. A job title is more than a name, it shows what the company is focused on, and this is especially true in human resources. Having positions dedicated to diversity, wellness, or safety shows what your organization’s priorities for its workforce are.

An organization needs to be mindful of how they title their job descriptions, and positions in human resources are no exception. HR job titles may seem like a small thing, but getting them right has important implications down the line.

You want your human resource team to be as efficient and effective as possible, and this is the first step to that success.

Human Resources FAQ

1. What are the roles of HR?

   The roles of HR are:

   • Recruitment and hiring

   • Compensation and benefits

   • Training and development

   • Compliance

   • Workplace safety

   • Company culture

   • Discipline and termination

   Every company approaches human resources differently, but in general, these are areas that HR must be responsible for to ensure a legally compliant and internally motivated workforce.

2. What are the levels of HR?

   The levels of HR are transactional, operational, and strategic. The transactional level of HR refers to daily operations that meet the immediate needs of the company. The operational level focuses on medium-term activities that build up to long-term goals. The strategic level is these long-term goals and how they can align with company policy.

3. What are the four P’s of HR?

   The four P’s of HR are people, purpose, process, and productivity. The overall goal of HR is to create the most productive workforce possible for an organization. This is achieved by having a clear purpose that is geared towards people and processes that uplift them.

4. What is the golden rule in HR?

   The golden rule of HR is to treat others as you would want to be treated. This is the golden rule found in many cultures, and it speaks to the core of an HR department’s values. Your HR staff wants to make sure that everyone is treated fairly as they work together to achieve shared professional goals.

References

1. Bureau of Labor Statistics – Occupational Outlook Handbook

2. UC Berkeley – Guide to Managing Human Resources

Author

Conor McMahon

Conor McMahon is a writer for Zippia, with previous experience in the nonprofit, customer service, and technical support industries. He has a degree in Music Industry from Northeastern University and in his free time he plays guitar with his friends. Conor enjoys creative writing between his work doing professional content creation and technical documentation.