Contrary to popular belief, Human Resources is not limited to just the hiring and onboarding of new employees. There are numerous job responsibilities that the HR personnel have to plan and carry out in order to maintain an efficient workflow in an organization.
One of the most sought after HR positions in recent times has been the HR generalist. Many people are not well versed with what the responsibilities of a HR generalist are. In simple terms, they are the ones who manage the day to day operations of the HR department in an organization. Their job also requires them to oversee the administration of all HR programs, policies and procedures. Some of the duties a HR generalist will conduct on a daily basis is listed as follows.
The Responsibilities of a Human Resources Generalist
If you are an individual looking to start your career in the HR field or would like to know what is required in order to apply for the various HR generalist jobs, the information below can give you a fresh perspective.
- Oversee the compensation and benefits administration.
- Ensure communication between company management and employees.
- Conduct employee relationship management programs.
- Oversee the employee orientation, development and training.
- Oversee policy development and documentation.
- Ensure that regulatory compliance and reporting is done.
- Ensure that employee safety, welfare and wellness education are taught to all.
- Conduct performance management and improvement programs.
- Oversee all recruiting and staffing logistics.
- Oversee all organization development and space planning.
- Appoint people for the committee facilitation.

A HR generalist reports directly to the HR director in an organization. If there are trivial issues, they report to the HR manager. Also, the HR generalists are the ones who advise organizational managers on HR issues and how to implement new policies in order to stay compliant.
Based on a number of factors such as your level of experience, the organization you are applying to and your location, the amount of money you earn can greatly differ. Generally when it comes to large scale organizations, the salary of a HR generalist in the United States is around $60,880 (median Annual Salary). The top 10% annual salary is around $104,390 and the bottom 10% annual salary is around $36,270. This is according to the statistical data that was procured from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018.
What is the Role of a Human Resource Coordinator?
The Human Resource coordinator is also referred to as the HR specialist. They are responsible for conducting various HR activities and programs that generally involve employee benefits, staffing, compensation, workplace safety, training and much more.
HR coordinators also carry out the organizing and coordinating of business events onsite. They work together with managers and employees to plan and negotiate various methods to ensure that the business operations, productivity and workflow remain efficient. They assign other HR personnel with tasks and responsibilities to accomplish organizational goals and functions.
Depending on the size of the organization, there are instances where the HR coordinator is required to work offsite or from a different location. When this occurs, the HR coordinator’s duties will also include that of a HR manager. This is one of the reasons why they are sometimes given the designation of HR specialist or HR associate. Some of their job responsibilities are listed as follows.
- To update other managers on current governmental requirements and laws in their functional area.
- To provide administrative support to other members in the HR department, specifically in areas such as file maintenance, research, data entry, record keeping, etc.
- To report to the HR director or manager and advise them on their functional focus areas.
- To maintain the necessary records in order to demonstrate the impact of their functional focus areas.
- To measure the success of their HR operations and implement the necessary changes based on data.
- To interact in a professional manner and communicate with all internal customers.
As mentioned earlier, in certain situations the human resources coordinator jobs may include other additional responsibilities that are assigned when the need arises. Some of these include field operation coordinator, compensation coordinator, training and safety coordinator, etc. When this happens, the role of the coordinator will change to incorporate the following responsibilities.
- Coordination of employee pay communication.
- Coordination of research teams in order to establish and maintain a company’s pay system.
- Conducting training programs for employees and supervising employee development.
- Coordinate HR activities and provide the information needed from offsite (remote office).
- Check for all new updates on market rates regularly in order to ensure that the organization’s pay scale has a competitive advantage to attract new employees and retain existing employees.
Some of the responsibilities of the training and safety coordinator is to carry out workplace safety initiatives, conduct seminars on acceptable employee behavior, ensure that employees have submitted all government-required paperwork, etc.
The HR coordinator will sometimes have to conduct multiple duties at the same time. They will have to perform their organizational functions as well as provide guidance as an onsite recruiting coordinator, an employee relations specialist, a management coach, a compensation coordinator, an employee assistance counseling coordinator, a training coordinator and more.
These HR coordinators are perceived as the problem solvers of the organization and have to modify their role when the situation calls for it. This has to be carried out in a way where their core HR functions and responsibilities are not hindered.