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Personnel specialist skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Dr. Gregory Kordsmeier

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical personnel specialist skills. We ranked the top skills for personnel specialists based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 9.7% of personnel specialist resumes contained hr as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a personnel specialist needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 personnel specialist skills for your resume and career

1. 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 personnel specialists use hr:

Work with HR Manager and department administrative staff on salaried faculty/academic staff appointment monitoring, academic terminations and transfers.
Completed mission-critical global projects, supported reorganizations, and advised leaders on HR policy.

2. Audit Pay

Here's how personnel specialists use audit pay:

Maintain and audit pay and records of military personnel.
Audit payroll results Research and process payroll discrepancies.

3. Customer Service Functions

Here's how personnel specialists use customer service functions:

Charged with performing customer service functions for military transfer activities, separations and retirements, compensation, and personnel records.
Performed routine office, receptionist, and customer service functions; records management of files, manuals and documents.

4. Personnel Actions

A personnel action means any action taken which affects compensation, appointment, promotion, transfer, assignment, reassignment, reinstatement, evaluation of performance, layoff, dismissal, discipline, commendations, or any other action that affects the status of employment, etc. For example organizational reassignment, hiring an employee, or an employee leaving the company, are represented by separate personnel actions.

Here's how personnel specialists use personnel actions:

Prepared and reviewed personnel casualty reports, retirement packages, warrant officer flight training and suspension of favorable personnel actions.
Provided difficult management advisory services for highly complex and unstable organizations involving a wide variety of position and personnel actions.

5. Personnel Policies

Here's how personnel specialists use personnel policies:

Coordinated administrative requirements relating to personnel policies, procedures, or changes.
Monitor the progress of implementation and execution of personnel policies and procedures.

6. ID

Here's how personnel specialists use id:

Controlled and managed the issuance of ID cards and reviewed questionable applications to determine eligibility for privileges.
Managed the military ID card process by issuing identification cards to military members and eligible dependents.

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7. Personnel Data

Here's how personnel specialists use personnel data:

Monitored and track personnel data through various automated systems, to retrieve information necessary to prepare military personnel transfer packages.
Monitored the maintenance and security of personnel database systems ensuring content met regulatory requirements and was safeguarded.

8. General Education

Here's how personnel specialists use general education:

Provided enlisted personnel with information and counseling about Navy jobs, opportunities for general education and training, and promotion requirements.
Provided Navy personnel with information and counseling related to Navy occupations, opportunities for general education, and military pay entitlements.

9. Personnel Support

Here's how personnel specialists use personnel support:

Supervised 22 personnel supporting enlisted records promotions board and microfiche conversion project; Recognized for Outstanding Service.
Provided clerical assistance and customer service within the Personnel Support division to military personnel and their dependents.

10. DOD

Definition of Done (DoD) is a set of deliverables that are needed to devise software. These deliverables are valuable to the system and can be exemplified by writing code, coding comments, unit testing, integration testing, design documents, release notes, and so on.

Here's how personnel specialists use dod:

Prepared and audited deployment packets for each soldier and DOD employees by resolving problems that would limit deployment quickly and efficiently.
Provided customer services over 3000 Active Duty, Reserve and DoD civilian personnel.

11. HRIS

Here's how personnel specialists use hris:

Performed routine data input into Human Resources Information System (HRIS) to establish and update applicant records and benefits information.
Used PeopleSoft HRIS to complete human resource transactions affecting pay and data for over 10,000 employees with100% accuracy.

12. Performance Evaluations

Performance evaluation is a formal and productive process to measure an employee's work and results based on their job responsibilities over a defined period of time and to properly measure an employee's contribution to the workforce and employers and achieve a high level of quality and quantity of work produced. The evaluation also helps employees provide information about deficiencies in job performance and the company's expectations for the future.

Here's how personnel specialists use performance evaluations:

Maintained a database/management information system to track performance evaluations, length of service awards and employees with portability of benefits.
Developed and delivered supervisory training on preparation of job descriptions and performance evaluations.

13. PowerPoint

Here's how personnel specialists use powerpoint:

Developed PowerPoint presentations for the new hire orientation process.
Created and conducted training presentations in PowerPoint.

14. Personnel Issues

Here's how personnel specialists use personnel issues:

Counseled employees and managers regarding personnel issues including Academic, Career, Vocational, Drug/Alcohol and Rehabilitation.
Verified, updated and processed data relating to military personnel issues.

15. Financial Reports

Here's how personnel specialists use financial reports:

Prepared and maintained financial reports to determine travel entitlements, deductions and military pay of enlisted personnel.
Assisted in performing travel claim accounting; preparing financial reports and pay entitlement information.

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What skills help Personnel Specialists find jobs?

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

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

Dr. Gregory Kordsmeier

Director, Institute for Learning and Teaching, Indiana University Southeast

Many employers are looking for the skills that sociology majors have developed over the course of their major, but many of these employers will not phrase it as looking for a sociology major. Skills like working in teams, data analysis and communication, written and oral visualization, and an ability to work with diverse populations are all prized by employers and common among sociology majors. Your job as a recent graduate is helping translate the work that you did and the skills you developed in college into terms that prospective employers can understand.

Do you want to know more?

List of personnel specialist skills to add to your resume

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

HR
Audit Pay
Customer Service Functions
Personnel Actions
Personnel Policies
ID
Personnel Data
General Education
Personnel Support
DOD
HRIS
Performance Evaluations
PowerPoint
Personnel Issues
Financial Reports
Personnel Administration
Personnel Transactions

Travel Arrangements
Background Checks
Identification Card
Office Equipment
Travel Claims
Evaluation Reports
Sailors
Labor Relations
Government Funds
Administrative Functions
FMLA
Disciplinary Actions
EEO
PCS
Deers
Corrective Action
Career Development

Personnel Functions
Career Progression
Personnel Programs
Position Management
Nsips
PeopleSoft
Maintaining Payroll
Position Descriptions
OPM
Defense Travel System
ATM
DMO
Travel Entitlements
Benefit Programs
Mmpa

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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