Become A Human Resource Specialist
Where do you want to work?
Working As A Human Resource Specialist
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
- Interacting With Computers
- Getting Information
- Staffing Organizational Units
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
Deal with People
Unpleasant/Angry People
Mostly Sitting
$60,523
Average Salary
What Does A Human Resource Specialist Do
Human resources specialists recruit, screen, interview, and place workers. They often handle tasks related to employee relations, compensation and benefits, and training.
DutiesHuman resources specialists typically do the following:
- Consult with employers to identify employment needs
- Interview applicants about their experience, education, and skills
- Contact references and perform background checks on job applicants
- Inform applicants about job details, such as duties, benefits, and working conditions
- Hire or refer qualified candidates for employers
- Conduct or help with new employee orientation
- Keep employment records and process paperwork
Human resources specialists are often trained in all human resources disciplines and perform tasks throughout all areas of the department. In addition to recruiting and placing workers, human resources specialists help guide employees through all human resources procedures and answer questions about policies. They sometimes administer benefits, process payroll, and handle any associated questions or problems, although many specialists may focus more on strategic planning and hiring instead of administrative duties. They also ensure that all human resources functions comply with federal, state, and local regulations.
The following are examples of types of human resources specialists:
Human resources generalists handle all aspects of human resources work. They may have duties in all areas of human resources including recruitment, employee relations, compensation, benefits, training, as well as the administration of human resources policies, procedures, and programs.
Placement specialists match employers with qualified jobseekers. They search for candidates who have the skills, education, and work experience needed for jobs, and they try to place those candidates with employers. They also may help set up interviews.
Recruitment specialists, sometimes known as personnel recruiters or “head hunters,” find, screen, and interview applicants for job openings in an organization. They search for applicants by posting listings, attending job fairs, and visiting college campuses. They also may test applicants, contact references, and extend job offers.
Show More
Show Less
How To Become A Human Resource Specialist
Human resources specialists must usually have a bachelor’s degree.
EducationApplicants seeking positions as a human resources specialist must usually have a bachelor’s degree in human resources, business, or a related field.
Coursework typically includes business, industrial relations, psychology, professional writing, human resource management, and accounting.
Work Experience in a Related OccupationSome positions, particularly human resources generalists, may require previous work experience. Candidates can gain experience as human resources assistants, in customer service positions, or in other related jobs.
Licenses, Certifications, and RegistrationsMany professional associations that specialize in human resources offer courses intended to enhance the skills of their members, and some offer certification programs. For example, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) offers the SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) and SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP).
Although certification is usually voluntary, some employers may prefer or require it. Human resources generalists, in particular, can benefit from certification because it shows knowledge and professional competence across all human resources areas.
AdvancementHuman resources specialists who possess a thorough knowledge of their organization, as well as an understanding of regulatory compliance needs, can advance to become human resources managers. Specialists can increase their chance of advancement by completing voluntary certification programs.
Important QualitiesDecisionmaking skills. Human resources specialists use decisionmaking skills when reviewing candidates’ qualifications or when working to resolve disputes.
Detail oriented. Specialists must be detail oriented when evaluating applicants’ qualifications, performing background checks, maintaining records of an employee grievance, and ensuring that a workplace is in compliance with labor standards.
Interpersonal skills. Specialists continually interact with new people and must be able to converse and connect with people from different backgrounds.
Listening skills. Listening skills are essential for human resources specialists. When interviewing job applicants, for example, specialists must pay careful attention to candidates’ responses, understand the points they are making, and ask relevant followup questions.
Speaking skills. All specialists need strong speaking skills to be effective at their job. They often give presentations and must be able to clearly convey information about their organizations and jobs within them.
Show More
Show Less
Human Resource Specialist jobs
Human Resource Specialist Career Paths
-
Senior Human Resources Administrator 4.2 years
-
Senior Human Resources Specialist 4.0 years
-
Human Resources Administration Manager 4.0 years
-
Senior Human Resources Representative 3.8 years
-
Human Resources Supervisor 3.7 years
-
Human Resources Coordinator 3.6 years
-
Senior Human Resources Assistant 3.3 years
-
Human Resource Director Assistant 3.3 years
-
Human Resource Specialist 3.0 years
-
Human Resources Technician 3.0 years
-
Human Resources Associate 2.4 years
-
Human Resources Contractor 1.6 years
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Office Manager 4.9%
-
Recruiter 3.6%
-
-
Sales Associate 3.3%
-
Benefit Specialist 2.9%
-
Cashier 2.8%
-
Internship 2.6%
-
Office Assistant 2.5%
-
Assistant Manager 2.5%
-
Executive Assistant 2.3%
-
Receptionist 2.1%
-
Secretary 2.1%
-
-
Manager 1.8%
-
-
Human Resources Manager 16.7%
-
-
-
-
Recruiter 5.3%
-
-
-
Office Manager 3.5%
-
-
-
Benefit Specialist 2.8%
-
-
-
-
-
-
Sales Associate 1.8%
-
-
Executive Assistant 1.6%
Average Length of Employment
Top Careers Before Human Resource Specialist
Top Careers After Human Resource Specialist
Human Resource Specialist Demographics
Gender
-
Female
72.7% -
Male
25.0% -
Unknown
2.3%
Ethnicity
-
White
78.5% -
Hispanic or Latino
12.1% -
Asian
7.1% -
Unknown
1.6% -
Black or African American
0.7%
Languages Spoken
-
Spanish
65.1% -
French
7.3% -
Mandarin
2.9% -
German
2.7% -
Portuguese
2.6% -
Korean
2.4% -
Chinese
2.2% -
Arabic
2.2% -
Russian
2.0% -
Italian
2.0% -
Japanese
1.4% -
Vietnamese
1.2% -
Hindi
1.2% -
Cantonese
1.2% -
Tagalog
1.0% -
Carrier
0.9% -
Gujarati
0.5% -
Urdu
0.4% -
Turkish
0.3% -
Croatian
0.3%
Human Resource Specialist
Unfortunately we don’t have enough data for this section.
Human Resource Specialist Education
-
University of Phoenix
25.4% -
Strayer University
8.3% -
Ashford University
6.3% -
Webster University
5.8% -
University of Maryland - University College
5.3% -
Liberty University
5.0% -
Troy University
4.7% -
American InterContinental University
4.2% -
Kaplan University
3.6% -
Capella University
3.5% -
Columbia Southern University
3.3% -
Villanova University
3.2% -
Central Texas College
3.1% -
Walden University
2.9% -
Southern New Hampshire University
2.9% -
Michigan State University
2.9% -
Grand Canyon University
2.6% -
American University
2.5% -
George Mason University
2.4% -
Central Michigan University
2.3% -
Business 33.5%
-
-
Psychology 5.7%
-
Management 4.7%
-
Criminal Justice 3.6%
-
Accounting 3.5%
-
Communication 3.2%
-
General Studies 2.4%
-
-
Education 1.8%
-
-
Liberal Arts 1.7%
-
Marketing 1.6%
-
Sociology 1.5%
-
English 1.5%
-
-
Political Science 1.3%
-
Nursing 1.2%
-
Finance 1.1%
-
Elementary Education 1.1%
-
Bachelors
41.5% -
Masters
24.2% -
Other
17.8% -
Associate
9.7% -
Certificate
4.6% -
Doctorate
1.1% -
Diploma
0.9% -
License
0.2%
Schools
Majors
Degrees
Human Resource Specialist
Unfortunately we don’t have enough data for this section.
Real Human Resource Specialist Salaries
Job Title
|
Company
|
Location
|
Start Date
|
Salary
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Human Resources Specialist III | Amazon Corporate LLC | Seattle, WA | Jan 08, 2016 | $140,000 |
| Human Resources Specialist | Zenpayroll, Inc. | San Francisco, CA | Sep 29, 2016 | $138,000 |
| Human Resources Specialist | Bravens Inc. | Ridgefield, NJ | Jul 13, 2015 | $135,655 |
| Human Resources Specialist | Zenpayroll, Inc. | San Francisco, CA | Aug 14, 2015 | $130,000 |
| HR Operations Specialist III | Nvidia Corporation | Santa Clara, CA | Jul 27, 2016 | $125,000 |
| Expert HR Specialist (Technical Trainer) | Acxiom Corporation | Redwood City, CA | Sep 16, 2016 | $119,870 |
| Human Resources Specialist | H Mart San Diego LLC. | San Diego, CA | Oct 09, 2016 | $116,371 |
| Human Resources Specialist | H Mart Logistics Inc. | Whittier, CA | Oct 09, 2016 | $116,371 |
| HR Specialist | Sysnet Technology Solutions | South Plainfield, NJ | Oct 19, 2015 | $115,918 |
| HR Operations Specialist | Mongodb, Inc. | New York, NY | Oct 01, 2015 | $110,000 |
| Expert HR Specialist (Training & Development) | Acxiom Corporation | Redwood City, CA | May 01, 2016 | $109,845 - $125,000 |
| HR Reporting & Data Quality Specialist | Flowserve U.S. Inc. | Irving, TX | Dec 09, 2016 | $105,000 |
| Human Resources Operations Specialist | Stripe, Inc. | San Francisco, CA | Mar 28, 2016 | $102,710 - $115,000 |
| Talent Management and Human Resources Specialist | Mondelez Global LLC | Santa Clara, CA | Aug 15, 2016 | $101,220 |
| Human Resources Specialist | New Jersey Institute of Technology | Newark, NJ | Aug 31, 2016 | $59,966 |
| Human Resources Operational Excellence Specialist-Senior | Cummins Inc. | Columbus, IN | Aug 01, 2016 | $59,900 - $84,600 |
| Human Resources & Global Support Specialist | USA 111, Inc. | Columbus, OH | Oct 26, 2015 | $59,883 |
| Human Resources Specialist | Thato International, LLC | Tustin, CA | May 13, 2016 | $59,696 |
| Human Resources Specialist | Chinese American IPA, Inc. | Day, NY | Sep 20, 2016 | $59,259 - $65,000 |
| Human Resources Specialist | Crystal Window & Door Systems, Ltd. | NY | Nov 05, 2016 | $59,259 |
| Human Resources Specialist/ | Compass Tech International, Ltd | Dublin, OH | Sep 24, 2015 | $48,859 - $60,000 |
| Human Resources Specialist | Compass Tech International, Ltd | Dublin, OH | Aug 29, 2016 | $48,797 |
| HR Specialist | JYC International, Inc. | Duluth, GA | Oct 27, 2016 | $48,797 |
| Human Resources Specialist | XCMG American Research Corporation | Saint Paul, MN | Jan 06, 2016 | $48,298 |
| Human Resource Specialist | John's Automotive, Inc. | Montclair, NJ | Feb 08, 2016 | $48,293 |
| Human Resources Specialist | Collabera Inc. | Morristown, NJ | Aug 25, 2016 | $48,250 |
| Human Resources Specialist | Maricopa Association of Governments | Phoenix, AZ | Jul 01, 2015 | $48,235 |
| Human Resource Specialist | Yourmembership.Com, Inc. | Lombard, IL | Jun 14, 2016 | $48,151 |
No Results
To get more results, try adjusting your search by changing your filters.
Top Skills for A Human Resource Specialist
Show More
Top Human Resource Specialist Skills
- Human Resources Policies
- Personnel Records
- Payroll System
- Interpret and explain human resources policies, procedures, laws, standards, or regulations.
- Entered and retrieved personnel records using an automated information system.
- Collected employee time and payroll data and input on payroll system.
- Provide general advice to managers and employees about the organization's benefit policies, procedures and guidelines.
- Developed and communicated company policies to new and existing employees.
Top Human Resource Specialist Employers
Pasona N A, Inc.
United States Army Reserves
Show More
Human Resource Specialist Videos
Career Advice on becoming a Human Resources Manager by Jennifer C (Full Version)
Day In The Life: Human Resources New Hire at P & G