How to hire a generalist

How to hire a generalist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step generalist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a generalist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new generalist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a generalist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The generalist hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect generalist also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list presents generalist salaries for various positions.

   Type of Generalist	Description	Hourly rate
   Generalist	Human resources managers plan, direct, and coordinate the administrative functions of an organization. They oversee the recruiting, interviewing, and hiring of new staff; consult with top executives on strategic planning; and serve as a link between an organization’s management and its employees.	$13-34
   Human Resources Vice President	Human resources (HR) vice presidents play a vital role in the effective administration and operation of an organization's HR department. These executives are responsible for directing an organization's staffing goals and developing strategies to support the company's profitable and productive business operations... Show more	$55-118
   Human Resource Officer	A human resources officer is typically in charge of managing and handling the employment operations in the company, including the payroll and training systems. Their responsibilities revolve around participating in advertising job openings, interviewing applicants, training and managing new employees, and devising programs that will help them learn about the policies and regulations of the company... Show more	$28-64

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Sales Floor
   • Store Sales
   • Customer Loyalty
   • Sales Growth
   • Customer Service
   • Processing Customer Transactions
   • HR
   • Basic Math
   • Math
   • Pallets
   • Data Entry
   • Patients
   • EEO
   • PowerPoint

   Check all skills

   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.

   More generalist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your generalist job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A generalist salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a generalist in Georgia may be lower than in California, and an entry-level generalist usually earns less than a senior-level generalist. Additionally, a generalist with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average generalist salary

   $46,518yearly

   $22.36 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level generalist salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average generalist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$61,811	$30
   2	New York	$52,511	$25
   3	Oregon	$51,392	$25
   4	Washington	$48,816	$23
   5	Ohio	$46,951	$23
   6	Virginia	$45,413	$22
   7	Illinois	$45,127	$22
   8	Minnesota	$44,980	$22
   9	Maryland	$44,583	$21
   10	Michigan	$44,315	$21
   11	Massachusetts	$44,003	$21
   12	Wisconsin	$43,895	$21
   13	Texas	$43,473	$21
   14	Iowa	$43,181	$21
   15	Maine	$42,796	$21
   16	Pennsylvania	$41,208	$20
   17	Colorado	$41,042	$20
   18	Nebraska	$39,275	$19
   19	North Carolina	$38,967	$19
   20	Kansas	$38,836	$19

   Average generalist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$123,517	$59.38
   2	Citi	$94,167	$45.27
   3	PayPal	$93,081	$44.75
   4	Amphenol	$85,155	$40.94	1
   5	First Republic Bank	$85,112	$40.92
   6	Wabtec Corporation	$82,073	$39.46
   7	The Citadel	$80,122	$38.52
   8	Morgan Stanley	$78,203	$37.60
   9	General Dynamics Mission Systems	$77,080	$37.06
   10	Ford Motor	$76,172	$36.62
   11	Pinterest	$76,169	$36.62
   12	Interactive Brokers	$74,993	$36.05
   13	DTCC	$73,741	$35.45
   14	University of California	$72,865	$35.03
   15	D. E. Shaw group	$72,686	$34.95
   16	Daimler Trucks North America	$69,116	$33.23	1
   17	Bain & Company	$69,044	$33.19
   18	Credit Suisse	$68,723	$33.04
   19	RSM US	$68,090	$32.74
   20	Edward Jones	$67,956	$32.67	2

4. Writing a generalist job description

   A generalist job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a generalist job description:

   Generalist job description example

   · Bachelor's Degree and 3 years in a similar role

   · 2+ years with Hubspot, Salesforce, PowerPoint and Adobe Creative Suite

   · Comfortable executing day-to-day marketing initiatives

   · Highly organized with demonstrated follow-through

   · Strong interpersonal, analytical, and problem-solving skills

   · Positive attitude and adapts well to change

   · Self-motivated, exceptional at prioritizing, and leading a team

   · Enjoy what you do!

   Core Competencies

   · Excellent and highly creative marketing experience

   · Proven skills in lead generation

   · Proven success in marketing campaigns and analytics

   · Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail

   · Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines

   · Excellent verbal and written communication skills

   · High level proficiency in Hubspot, Salesforce, PowerPoint

   · Experience with Zoominfo a plus

   Perks

   · Amazing workplace culture

   · Competitive salary

   · Hybrid work schedule

   · Medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision benefits

   · Health savings account benefits

   · Flexible spending account benefits

   · Company paid life insurance

   · 401k matching program

   · Paid time off program

   · Additional days off: Community Service Day, Your Birthday, We Care Friday (Surprise Friday off)

   With the honor of awards like - Forbes Small Giants 2017: America's Best Small Companies, Crain’s Cool Places to Work in MI, Detroit Free Press Top 100 Workplaces, Metropolitan Detroit’s 101 Best and Brightest Companies, National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For and Sloan Award for Workplace Effectiveness and Flexibility - we are proud to be recognized as a company that is moving forward with great momentum.

   If you find pleasure in exceeding expectations…we'd love to hear from you! Apply today!

   About us

   image One provides Managed Print Services and Document Lifecycle Solutions to companies throughout the United States - helping them decrease and control costs, improve productivity and simplify their printing and document workflow environments. Every day we bring energy, passion, and an unending drive to deliver an extraordinary customer experience. How awesome is that?

   Imagine working in a place where your manager truly believes in your personal and professional development.

   It’s not imaginary. It’s image One.

   It’s for real. We have an award-winning company culture like none you’ve ever experienced. We offer fantastic opportunities for professional development, financial stability and personal fulfillment.

   We invest in your success . Each year you will complete a Vision and Goals Worksheet outlining your personal, professional and health goals. Our Leadership Team is excited to help you reach your ambitions.

   We strive for life balance ,not work-life balance. We genuinely want you to be happy.

   We love to surprise you. Every single one of our team members gets a “We Care Friday” – an unexpected phone call on Thursday to tell you, “Don’t come in tomorrow. We’ve got you covered!”

   No secrets here! We practice open book management, so you will always understand our financials. You’ll learn how to read an income statement and balance sheet like a pro and you’ll be financially rewarded through our profit bonus program.

   We hire awesome people who strive to deliver extraordinary service. We’re looking for an experienced Marketing Generalist to join our growing team. We’d love to talk to you!

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5. Post your job

   To find the right generalist for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with generalists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit generalists who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your generalist job on Zippia to find and recruit generalist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as hrcrossing, ihirehr, hrjobs, shrm hr jobs.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit generalists, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new generalist

   Once you've selected the best generalist candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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