Finding the Right Path in Your HR Career

Last Updated January 30, 2020

Human resources (HR) professionals are employed by organizations in various industries, and are tasked with several responsibilities, depending on the needs of the organization. On a high level, HR careers generally follow one of two paths: that of a HR generalist or a HR specialist.

HR Generalists

HR generalists are those who have a number of responsibilities, including staffing, training and managing an organization’s workforce. HR generalists work with other managers to design fair compensation programs and develop policies that employees find equitable. Often the first person that an employee will contact with concerns, an HR generalist should be flexible and empathetic in dealing with diverse issues on a daily basis. Issues may also include assessing the degree to which company policies are in line with workplace laws. The HR generalist track provides a connection to the many different departments of an organization and their people.

HR Specialists

For professionals who wish to focus on a particular area of HR, the specialist career path may be a more compelling option. HR specialists are employed to provide the technical knowledge for specific work areas. While some organizations may include areas that are not mentioned below, and some smaller organizations may not utilize specialists at all, the following list discusses the five most common specialization areas in HR:

• Workforce planning and employment – This area focuses on the staffing process, including the hiring and termination of an organization’s workforce. Specialists in this area research and implement recruiting strategies, screening tests, background investigations and interviews to ensure that incoming employees meet the standards of the organization. When an employee is to be terminated, these HR specialists conduct exit interviews and process requisite paperwork for the termination.

• Development – HR development specialists focus on staff training and evaluation. Primary job responsibilities include conducting training and information sessions and professional development programs, including maintaining records of employee participation and completion. It is also the responsibility of the HR development specialist to provide ongoing career planning for employees wishing to advance.

• Total rewards – Specialists who work in this area focus on employee compensation programs, primarily determining appropriate salaries for an organization’s workforce. Compensation specialists are responsible for analyzing both current job duties and future needs to write effective job descriptions. In order to reach equitable salary figures, compensation specialists conduct surveys of other positions and organizations. Beyond salary responsibilities, compensation specialists also analyze benefit programs, including their attractiveness to employees and their overall cost to an organization.

• Employee and labor relations – Employee and labor relations specialists focus on the relationship between employees, employers and unions to which workers may belong. In union cases, specialists work with contracts or bargains on behalf of their organization and also address employee grievances that have been raised through the union. In other cases, specialists focus primarily on resolving issues between employees and management. Specialists may also focus on employee engagement programs and relationship issues that might develop between different employee groups.

• Risk management – Risk management specialists are concerned primarily with safety, particularly in workplaces where physical labor may increase the risk of accidents. These specialists perform inspections, develop safety programs and record details of accidents that occurred on-site. Given the large number of federal laws on workplace safety, risk management specialists also prepare reports on organization compliance. In non-health cases, risk management specialists may focus on network and data security to ensure that IT departments are prepared for potential systems breaches.

While some large organizations may employ HR specialists in additional areas, these five areas give a sense of the level of focus that HR specialists are asked to bring to the workplace. Where a generalist may deal with each of these areas to some degree, a specialist chooses one area of primary interest and works almost exclusively in that area.

It may also be helpful to consider whether you would like to work for a large or small organization, as smaller organizations may be more likely to employ generalists while larger organizations typically favor specialists or a combination of both. In either case, take some time to consider which of these two options is more appealing to you so you can begin your path toward what can be a rewarding and successful HR career.