How To Become A Human Resources Team Leader: What It Is and Career Path

What is a human resources team leader and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Sandi Dornhecker,

Thomas Byrnes

The company's Human Resources department has many facets. Given that there are different facets in HR, they must meet all targets of each facet. This may include recruitment targets, engagement activities, total rewards initiatives, and training and development sessions. Since there are many sub-teams under the department, companies usually assign leads for each sub-team. They are called the Human Resources Team Leaders.

Human Resources Team Leaders oversee a particular facet of HR. They should have years of experience handling activities in the specific facet to be qualified as a team leader. This is to ensure that they know what they are doing and can actually lead a team. This will also help them come up with best practices to ensure efficiency in the department. Human resources team leaders are expected to continuously pursue innovations related to their facet's processes.

If you consider yourself a people-person, this role would be good for you. However, you need to remember that people in HR should advocate for both the employees and the management team. A good balancing act is key.

What general advice would you give to a human resources team leader?

Sandi Dornhecker

Vice President of Human Resources, Chicago Zoological Society

To always remain positive. The job market has been flooded with unemployed workers, so the competition may be much steeper than usual, although I've read some articles that say this may not be the case as the number of quality applicants in the workforce remains the same. If you haven't found a position in your desired career yet, take positions and work when and where you can. Give it your all while you are working, strive to excel in your performance, no matter what your job is, and be a dedicated worker while you are there. If one is looking for employment, take your time to review the job(s) and requirements of the positions you are applying for to make sure you meet the minimum qualifications and/or are able to speak to how your skills are transferable; don't just take a shotgun approach. Write a customized cover letter for each position you apply for that reflects how your knowledge, background, and skills apply to the position and why you are interested. Answer all on-line application questions honestly and thoroughly. Write a thank-you note, if you are granted an interview. When you start a new job, be a sponge. Learn as much as you can and be willing to go the extra mile. This is a unique year to start one's career, and a graduate can learn unique lessons in both positive and challenging experiences.

ScoreHuman Resources Team LeaderUS Average

Salary

4.0

Avg. Salary $51,660

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.6

Growth rate 7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.40%

Asian 5.71%

Black or African American 7.65%

Hispanic or Latino 11.14%

Unknown 5.09%

White 70.01%

Gender

female 70.04%

male 29.96%

Age - 47

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47

Stress level

8.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.4

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.3

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a human resources team leader

Explore human resources team leader education requirements

Most common human resources team leader degrees

Bachelor's

68.5 %

Master's

13.0 %

Associate

11.0 %

Start to develop specific human resources team leader skills

Skills	Percentages
Succession Planning	9.51%
HRIS	7.44%
Corrective Action	6.06%
Performance Management	4.56%
I-9	4.24%

Research human resources team leader duties and responsibilities

Manage compliance review of FLSA classification and analyze headcount and turnover reports and provide recommendations to management regarding appropriate headcount actions.
Assess and adjust processes to target aforemention goals while remaining EEO and employment law compliant.
Provide guidance, interpretation and assistance to non-exempt staff regarding payroll, leave of absence, FMLA and benefits.
Implement process improvement, including execution of a new payroll, time reporting, and HRIS resulting in overall business efficiency.

Get human resources team leader experience

Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a human resources team leader. The most common roles before becoming a human resources team leader include human resources manager, human resources coordinator team lead and human resource specialist.

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