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Human factors specialist skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Claire Strom Ph.D.,

Elisha Blankson

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical human factors specialist skills. We ranked the top skills for human factors specialists based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 18.3% of human factors specialist resumes contained user research as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a human factors specialist needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 human factors specialist skills for your resume and career

1. User Research

User research is a term that has a direct connection with the psyche, behavior, needs, and thoughts of a user. On a large scale, it refers to the studying and understanding of all these facets so that product managers and brands may improve the usability of their products or services by redesigning their business models to fit the user's needs.

Here's how human factors specialists use user research:

Developed process for user-centered design service delivery, and established importance of user research activities.
Prepare usability and user research reports and presentations.

2. User Interface

The user interface (UI) is the area or point where a person communicates with or transfers information to an electric computer or application. The user interface enables applications to offer precise product details to their intended customer without causing any misunderstanding. Customers want modern technology to behave in a certain manner for their convenience, so it is advised to create a user interface that is simple to use, precise, and predictable so that customers are fully pleased with its services. It can make a significant difference in converting visitors into customers.

Here's how human factors specialists use user interface:

Designed user interface for aircraft tracking and fleet management, and wrote functional specifications for software development teams.
Led cross discipline design reviews digital frame, HD TV, HD dock user interface specifications.

3. Industrial Design

Here's how human factors specialists use industrial design:

Project Management Experience: Incorporating Human Factors (HF) into the Industrial Design Team's internal review process.
Develop design requirements for both engineering and industrial design teams.

4. Human Factors Research

Here's how human factors specialists use human factors research:

Generated 8 patents for various Flight Deck modifications generated using human factors research.

5. I-9

I-9 is a government verification form that indicates, whether an individual is eligible for work in the US. The form was created by the United States Department of Homeland Security division, named as the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) which requires that all US citizens must fill out and submit an I-9 form to start their working career in the US. An I-9 form includes a person's identification information and education credentials, that are ought to be verified by the employer.

Here's how human factors specialists use i-9:

Performed voluntary I-9 and other internal system audits to ensure accuracy and compliance; documenting any issues or potentially questionable data.
Processed new employees, including: collecting demographic information, I-9 documentation, criminal background checks and professional license verification.

6. Personnel Policies

Here's how human factors specialists use personnel policies:

Interpreted and applied personnel policies and procedures and counseled departments.
Contributed to the Human Resources programs in development, implementation and administration, consulted with management on personnel policies, implementation.

7. Human Resources Policies

Here's how human factors specialists use human resources policies:

Formulated and recommended human resources policies and objectives for the network.
Supervised five human resource representatives in administration of human resources policies/procedures for Detroit cable system with 300 union and non-union employees.

8. UI

Here's how human factors specialists use ui:

Designed Kodak's Pulse first digital frame screen UI which has #1 customer satisfaction rating.
Provided technical leadership and mentoring to Human Factors colleagues in support of digital camera UI development.

9. Performance Management

Here's how human factors specialists use performance management:

Performed assistance with employee performance management and annual awards processes.
Managed the executive/supervisory performance management training program.

10. Organizational Charts

Here's how human factors specialists use organizational charts:

Created, developed, processed and updated position classifications, descriptions and organizational charts.
Constructed and updated organizational charts for all University divisions.

11. HRIS

Here's how human factors specialists use hris:

Customized HRIS to accommodate European and Canadian employees, improving headcount reporting functions and accuracy of global labor force personnel transactions.
Reviewed applications and weekly payroll registers for accuracy, scheduled interviews, and separated salaried/hourly time cards -ORACLE HRIS payroll administrator

12. HR

HR stands for human resources and is used to describe the set of people who work for a company or an organization. HR responsibilities revolve around updating employee records and carrying out management processes like planning, recruitment, evaluation, and selection processes. HR is a key contributor to any company or organization's growth as they are in charge of hiring the right employees, processing payrolls, conducting disciplinary actions, etc.

Here's how human factors specialists use hr:

Provide information on HR policies, practices and processes to ensure compliance with FMLA, ERISA and HIPAA.
Provide education and coaching to school leaders on HR policy, procedure, practices, processes and tools.

13. FMLA

Here's how human factors specialists use fmla:

Monitored FMLA requests and flagged program abusers.
Manage leave administration to employees including: Worker's Compensation, Short Term Disability and FMLA issues/allowances/guidelines/policies.

14. Usability Studies

Usability study is a study in which a product can be used by specific users to achieve specific objectives with effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction in a specific context of use. Usability studies are important for developing user-friendly and enjoyable products and identifying design flaws that can affect the user experience.

Here's how human factors specialists use usability studies:

Work includes usability studies, client interviews, task analysis, and prototype development.
Established a formalized department-wide process for collecting, validating, and statistically analyzing quantitative results from usability studies.

15. Product Design

Product design can be described as a process of imagining, creating, and iterating products that solve user's problems and talk about the specific needs of users in the market. Product design is an engineering disciple and it is the basic design and idea that goes before the mass production of the product.

Here's how human factors specialists use product design:

Create prototypes and conduct usability testing to evaluate product designs as needed.
Conducted usability testing, verifying and validating product design.

What skills help Human Factors Specialists find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What human factors specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Claire Strom Ph.D.

Rapetti-Trunzo Chair of History, Rollins College

Gaining more facility with computers will always be beneficial-as we have all found out during the pandemic. Generally, however, I encourage students to use a gap year to have adventures and do things out-of-the-ordinary. Students are focused on their trajectory for all their lives and a gap year provides an unusual opportunity to do something different. In my experience, such adventures always prove fruitful and helpful, although it is never clear how until they are over. Thus, I would suggest AmeriCorps, VISTA, teaching abroad, and other related activities.

What type of skills will young human factors specialists need?

Elisha Blankson

Program Director NCCU, Assistant Professor, North Carolina Central University

Graduates will need a skill set about the field in which they received training and additional skills useful to the job market. For example, with the changing demographics in the United States, extra skills in information technology and foreign languages will be a plus when entering the job market.

Do you want to know more?

List of human factors specialist skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a human factors specialist resume and required skills for a human factors specialist to have include:

User Research
User Interface
Industrial Design
Human Factors Research
I-9
Personnel Policies
Human Resources Policies
UI
Performance Management

Organizational Charts
HRIS
HR
FMLA
Usability Studies
Product Design
Design Reviews
Application Development
Disciplinary Actions

EEO
Employment Law
Data Analysis
Background Checks
FLSA
Reference Checks
SharePoint

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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