Generalist vs recruitment manager

The differences between generalists and recruitment managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a generalist and a recruitment manager. Additionally, a recruitment manager has an average salary of $87,506, which is higher than the $46,518 average annual salary of a generalist.

The top three skills for a generalist include sales floor, store sales and customer loyalty. The most important skills for a recruitment manager are customer service, client relationships, and human resources.

Generalist vs recruitment manager overview

	Generalist	Recruitment Manager
Yearly salary	$46,518	$87,506
Hourly rate	$22.36	$42.07
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	8,585	31,106
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

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.

What does a recruitment manager do?

The primary job of recruitment managers is to find and recruit job candidates to fill job vacancies. They typically work for companies or recruiting agencies. Recruitment managers are responsible for a few tasks, including identifying prospective candidates, defining job descriptions, and conducting job interviews. They are also responsible for developing recruiting procedures, overseeing the entire recruitment team, and selecting job advertising options. Most employers prefer someone with experience as a recruitment manager or related position, knowledge of labor law, and a bachelor's degree in human resources management.

Generalist vs recruitment manager salary

Generalists and recruitment managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Generalist	Recruitment Manager
Average salary	$46,518	$87,506
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $72,000	Between $57,000 And $134,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Meta	Bain & Company
Best paying industry	Finance	Technology

Differences between generalist and recruitment manager education

There are a few differences between a generalist and a recruitment manager in terms of educational background:

	Generalist	Recruitment Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Northwestern University	Northwestern University

Generalist vs recruitment manager demographics

Here are the differences between generalists' and recruitment managers' demographics:

	Generalist	Recruitment Manager
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2%	Male, 47.0% Female, 53.0%
Race ratio	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%	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 Percentage	18%	18%

Differences between generalist and recruitment manager duties and responsibilities

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.

Recruitment manager example responsibilities.

Manage the implementation of online applicant tracking system, ICIMS.
Lead RFP process for prefer staffing and background check vendors.
Manage pulling resumes off of Jobvite and screen each resume.
Manage HRIS to ensure compliance with applicant flow log, I9's, background & reference check, etc.
Schedule new hires for sales training and orientation programs, manage PeopleSoft files and on line resume tracking reports.
Manage the recruitment budget; approve and track expenses; ensure highest ROI by tracking outputs of events and postings.

Generalist vs recruitment manager skills

Common generalist skills

Sales Floor, 21%
Store Sales, 17%
Customer Loyalty, 14%
Sales Growth, 12%
Customer Service, 6%
Processing Customer Transactions, 4%

Common recruitment manager skills

Customer Service, 18%
Client Relationships, 9%
Human Resources, 6%
Business Development, 6%
Recruitment Strategies, 5%
Recruitment Process, 4%

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Generalist vs Recruitment Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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