What does an industrial relations specialist do?
Industrial relations specialist responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real industrial relations specialist resumes:
- Generate HRIS reports and manage personnel files, management information, and candidate data utilizing standardize reporting systems.
- Monitor and handle all EEOC, ADA, and FMLA issues.
- Follow the mission and objection of CET to assist trainees from low income families find work in their new vocational field.
- Establish and maintain content across several areas of the corporate intranet, gaining familiarity with SharePoint functionality and features.
- Organize, communicate and oversee quarterly BAMA events attend by Toyota top executives and executive management of suppliers.
Industrial relations specialist skills and personality traits
We calculated that 42% of Industrial Relations Specialists are proficient in Industrial Relations, Labor Relations, and CBA. They’re also known for soft skills such as Detail oriented, Listening skills, and Interpersonal skills.
We break down the percentage of Industrial Relations Specialists that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Industrial Relations, 42%
Coordinated (tracking system for Industrial Relations Specialist and Administrator.
- Labor Relations, 26%
Provide guidance on matters such as labor relations, certified payrolls, and employee classification.
- CBA, 11%
Initiated temporary Memorandum of Agreements for bargaining unit employees performing activities not covered under the CBA.
- Arbitration, 7%
Prepared company attorneys for arbitration by gathering evidence, preparing witnesses, and advising attorneys on pertinent issues.
- Davis-Bacon, 7%
Ensured Federal Labor Standards and Davis-Bacon regulations and compliances are adhered to.
- Labor Organizations, 4%
Acted as labor liaison between client, labor organizations, contractors and other vendors.
"industrial relations," "labor relations," and "cba" are among the most common skills that industrial relations specialists use at work. You can find even more industrial relations specialist responsibilities below, including:
Detail oriented. The most essential soft skill for an industrial relations specialist to carry out their responsibilities is detail oriented. This skill is important for the role because "specialists must be detail oriented when evaluating labor laws and maintaining records of an employee grievance." Additionally, an industrial relations specialist resume shows how their duties depend on detail oriented: "manage unemployment claims process by responding to claims with relevant and detailed information. "
Listening skills. Another essential skill to perform industrial relations specialist duties is listening skills. Industrial relations specialists responsibilities require that "listening skills are essential for labor relations specialists." Industrial relations specialists also use listening skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "provided corrective action recommendations to management staff and worked with them to ensure actions are delivered and communicated effectively. "
Interpersonal skills. industrial relations specialists are also known for interpersonal skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to industrial relations specialist responsibilities, because "interpersonal skills are essential for labor relations specialists." An industrial relations specialist resume example shows how interpersonal skills is used in the workplace: "utilize knowledge of principles and practices of personnel administration, effective oral and written communication skills, & excellent interpersonal skills. "
Writing skills. A big part of what industrial relations specialists do relies on "writing skills." You can see how essential it is to industrial relations specialist responsibilities because "all labor relations specialists need strong writing skills to be effective at their job." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical industrial relations specialist tasks: "crafted/edited station promos, press releases, copy points & marketing materials for underwriting agreements & event sponsorships. "
The three companies that hire the most industrial relations specialists are:
- Deloitte19 industrial relations specialists jobs
- Northeastern University15 industrial relations specialists jobs
- Hawthorne Cat7 industrial relations specialists jobs
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Compare different industrial relations specialists
Industrial relations specialist vs. Union representative
Employee relations representatives are professionals who are responsible for negotiating the contracts of employees as well as offer overall support to them working for an organization. These representatives must deal with employee complaints in areas such as salary, pensions, and benefits while investigating potential disturbances in their workplace. They must educate their employees about the organization's personnel rules and practices as well as the state labor laws. Employee relations representatives must also keep complete and accurate employee records and provide guidance to limit potential lawsuits.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, industrial relations specialist responsibilities require skills like "industrial relations," "cba," "davis-bacon," and "wage rates." Meanwhile a typical union representative has skills in areas such as "collective bargaining agreements," "contract negotiations," "contract language," and "collective bargaining." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
The education levels that union representatives earn slightly differ from industrial relations specialists. In particular, union representatives are 0.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than an industrial relations specialist. Additionally, they're 3.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Industrial relations specialist vs. Employee relations representative
Specialists are employees who are responsible for specific tasks or activities in the department they are assigned to. The actions or tasks they work on are related to their educational background or work experiences. They are usually highly skilled in specializations related to the work they are assigned to. Specialists are also highly trained on the competencies that are required of their specialty. As such, they are focused on the skills and competencies that are needed to enhance their experience in their specific field further.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that industrial relations specialist responsibilities requires skills like "cba," "davis-bacon," "wage rates," and "labor organizations." But an employee relations representative might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "excellent time management," "performance management," "human resources policies," and "conflict resolution."
Average education levels between the two professions vary. Employee relations representatives tend to reach similar levels of education than industrial relations specialists. In fact, they're 1.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 3.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Industrial relations specialist vs. Specialist
An Employee Relations Coordinator is responsible for supporting the human resources department operations, acting as a liaison between the senior management and employees. They facilitate the hiring process, coordinating with the hiring managers for their staffing needs and qualification requirements. They reach out to potential candidates, review applications, and schedule assessments and interviews with qualified applicants. An Employee Relations Coordinator must have excellent knowledge of the human resources disciplines to resolve issues immediately and update the employees on all the changes and updates with the company policies.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, an industrial relations specialist is likely to be skilled in "industrial relations," "labor relations," "cba," and "arbitration," while a typical specialist is skilled in "patients," "customer service," "work ethic," and "patient care."
Most specialists achieve a lower degree level compared to industrial relations specialists. For example, they're 8.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.9% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Industrial relations specialist vs. Employee relations coordinator
Even though a few skill sets overlap between industrial relations specialists and employee relations coordinators, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, an industrial relations specialist might have more use for skills like "cba," "davis-bacon," "wage rates," and "labor organizations." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of employee relations coordinators require skills like "human resources," "powerpoint," "data entry," and "employee engagement. "
In general, employee relations coordinators hold lower degree levels compared to industrial relations specialists. Employee relations coordinators are 5.8% less likely to earn their Master's Degree and 1.3% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of industrial relations specialist
Updated January 8, 2025
