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Human Resources (HR) Generalist Resume Template

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In the world of Human Resources, an HR Generalist is seen as a jack-of-all-trades. You're the go-to expert handling a broad range of responsibilities, from recruitment to employee relations, benefits, and more. Lately, companies are seeking HR generalists who are not only well-versed in traditional HR skills, but also data-driven and tech-savvy. They're eager to find those who can leverage people analytics and HR Information System (HRIS) software to lead data-backed organizational decisions and streamline HR processes. When crafting your resume, remember that it's your personal marketing tool. It's not merely a list of job responsibilities; it's an opportunity to sell your unique blend of skills, experiences, and traits. Show your value proposition - how you can make a difference in the company's HR practices and overall business strategy. Be specific, include relevant achievements, and quantify them if possible.

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Recruiter Insight: Why this resume works in 2022

Tips to help you write your human resources (hr) generalist resume in 2024,    highlight tech savviness and analytical skills.

In the skills section, emphasize your proficiency in HRIS, applicant tracking systems, and people analytics. Describe specific instances where you used these tools to improve HR processes or make data-informed decisions.

   Showcase a blend of soft and hard skills

As an HR generalist, you need both people skills and technical know-how. Therefore, strike a balance in your resume. List instances where you managed conflict resolution or employee relations, and also detail your understanding of HR laws and compliance.

Human resources generalists can have wide-ranging responsibilities including hiring, administrative tasks, managing employee performance, and developing company policies. If you’re going for this job, use your resume to highlight your versatility and competence in a variety of different human resources-related duties (such as managing payroll or creating programs to boost employee morale).

   Focuses on human resources experience

Generalists need to be able to perform a variety of responsibilities well. Focusing your resume on similar roles that you’ve done in the past -- even if the duties weren’t identical -- shows that you can wear different hats and are experienced with the type of work that you might do in your new job.

   Good use of action verbs which highlight HR experience

Using clear and specific language also paints a clear picture of what you accomplished at past jobs and how you did it. Action verbs such as “managed”, “developed”, and “structured” are very human resources-specific and showcase relevant skills for the job.

Employee Relations Specialist Resume Sample

Talent acquisition specialist resume sample, hr business partner resume sample, senior hr advisor resume sample.

As a hiring manager who has recruited HR Generalists at companies like Amazon, Google, and Deloitte, I've reviewed hundreds of resumes. The best resumes effectively highlight the candidate's ability to support all aspects of the employee lifecycle, from recruitment to performance management. They also demonstrate strong interpersonal skills and the ability to partner with business leaders. Here are some tips to make your HR Generalist resume stand out:

   Highlight your experience across all HR functions

HR Generalists are expected to have a broad range of skills across various HR functions. Make sure your resume reflects your experience in:

• Recruiting and staffing: Partnered with hiring managers to fill 50+ positions annually, reducing time-to-hire by 20%
• Employee relations: Investigated and resolved 30+ employee relations issues, maintaining a 95% employee retention rate
• Performance management: Implemented a new performance review process for 200+ employees, resulting in a 25% increase in employee engagement scores
• Compensation and benefits: Conducted market analysis and made recommendations for compensation adjustments, resulting in a 10% reduction in employee turnover

Quantify your achievements wherever possible to demonstrate your impact.

   Showcase your ability to partner with business leaders

HR Generalists often serve as strategic partners to business leaders. Highlight examples of how you've collaborated with managers and executives to support business objectives:

• Partnered with sales leadership to design and implement a new commission structure, resulting in a 15% increase in sales revenue
• Collaborated with the operations team to develop and deliver training on new safety protocols, reducing workplace accidents by 30%

Avoid using vague statements like:

• Worked with managers on various HR initiatives
• Supported business objectives through HR programs

Instead, be specific about the initiatives you worked on and the results you achieved.

   Emphasize your interpersonal and communication skills

HR Generalists interact with employees at all levels of the organization, so strong interpersonal and communication skills are essential. Use your resume to highlight examples of how you've:

• Mediated conflicts between employees and managers, resulting in a 90% resolution rate
• Delivered training sessions on topics like diversity and inclusion, receiving an average rating of 4.5/5 from participants
• Presented HR metrics and insights to senior leadership on a quarterly basis

Avoid generic statements like "strong communication skills" without providing specific examples to back them up.

   Tailor your resume to the specific job requirements

While HR Generalist roles share many common responsibilities, the specific requirements can vary depending on the company and industry. Review the job description carefully and tailor your resume to highlight the skills and experience that are most relevant.

For example, if the job description emphasizes experience with a particular HRIS system, make sure to call that out on your resume:

Implemented and managed Workday HRIS for a company of 500+ employees, resulting in a 50% reduction in manual data entry and a 25% increase in employee self-service

If the job requires experience with union contracts, highlight any relevant experience you have in that area.

   Include relevant certifications and professional development

HR Generalists are expected to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and best practices in HR. Include any relevant certifications or professional development courses you've completed, such as:

• SHRM-CP (Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional)
• PHR (Professional in Human Resources)
• Diversity and Inclusion Certification from Cornell University

Avoid listing irrelevant or outdated certifications that don't directly apply to the HR Generalist role.

   Use metrics to demonstrate your impact

Wherever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the impact you've had in previous HR roles. This could include:

• Reduced time-to-hire from 45 days to 30 days by implementing a new applicant tracking system
• Improved employee engagement scores by 20% through the launch of a new recognition program
• Reduced turnover rate from 25% to 15% by implementing stay interviews and exit surveys

Metrics help to quantify your achievements and make your resume more impactful. Avoid using vague statements like "improved employee engagement" without providing specific numbers to back it up.

Writing Your Human Resources (HR) Generalist Resume: Section By Section

  summary.

A resume summary is an optional section that appears at the top of your resume, just below your contact information. While not required, it can be a valuable addition for HR generalists, particularly if you have several years of experience or are making a career change. A well-written summary can quickly convey your key qualifications and career goals to a hiring manager, making your resume stand out.

When crafting your HR generalist resume summary, focus on highlighting your most relevant skills, experiences, and achievements. Tailor your summary to the specific HR generalist position you're applying for, incorporating keywords from the job description. However, avoid simply repeating information that already appears elsewhere in your resume.

To learn how to write an effective resume summary for your Human Resources (HR) Generalist resume, or figure out if you need one, please read Human Resources (HR) Generalist Resume Summary Examples , or Human Resources (HR) Generalist Resume Objective Examples .

1. Highlight your HR expertise and key skills

In your HR generalist resume summary, emphasize your core HR skills and areas of expertise that align with the job requirements. Consider including:

• Years of experience in human resources
• Specific HR functions you specialize in (e.g., recruiting, employee relations, benefits administration)
• Key skills relevant to the HR generalist role (e.g., HRIS systems, compliance knowledge, talent management)

Here's an example of a summary that effectively highlights HR expertise:

HR professional with 5+ years of experience in full-cycle recruiting, employee relations, and benefits administration. Adept at leveraging HRIS systems to streamline HR processes and ensure compliance. Proven track record of implementing successful talent management strategies to drive employee engagement and retention.

2. Showcase your impact and achievements

While it's important to highlight your HR skills and experience in your summary, avoid making generic statements or using corporate buzzwords. Instead, focus on showcasing your impact and achievements.

Compare these two examples:

• Results-oriented HR generalist with a proven track record of success.
• Highly motivated and dedicated HR professional with strong communication skills.

Instead, quantify your achievements and provide specific examples:

• HR generalist who reduced time-to-hire by 30% through implementing a streamlined recruiting process.
• Developed and delivered training programs that increased employee satisfaction scores by 25%.

By showcasing your measurable impact, you demonstrate the value you can bring to the organization and make your resume summary more compelling.

  Experience

The work experience section is the heart of your resume as an HR generalist. It's where you showcase your relevant skills, accomplishments, and impact in previous roles. Craft this section carefully to demonstrate your value to potential employers.

1. Highlight HR initiatives and projects

As an HR generalist, you've likely led or contributed to various HR initiatives and projects. Showcase these effectively in your work experience section.

Instead of simply listing your responsibilities, describe the specific initiatives you worked on and their impact. Use metrics to quantify your achievements whenever possible.

• Implemented a new applicant tracking system, reducing time-to-hire by 30% and improving candidate experience scores by 25%
• Developed and delivered a comprehensive training program on diversity and inclusion for 500+ employees, resulting in a 15% increase in employee engagement scores

2. Showcase your expertise in key HR functions

HR generalists are expected to have a broad skill set across various HR functions. Use your work experience section to showcase your expertise in areas such as:

• Talent acquisition and recruitment
• Employee relations and performance management
• Compensation and benefits administration
• Training and development
• HR compliance and record-keeping

Provide specific examples of how you've excelled in these areas. For instance:

• Managed the full-cycle recruitment process for 25+ positions annually, sourcing top talent and maintaining a 95% offer acceptance rate
• Conducted thorough investigations into employee relations issues, providing fair and timely resolutions while minimizing legal risks

3. Use strong, industry-specific action verbs

When writing your work experience section, use powerful action verbs that are specific to the HR industry. This helps create a strong impression and highlights your relevant skills.

Instead of generic verbs like 'managed' or 'handled', opt for more descriptive verbs such as:

• Orchestrated - e.g. 'Orchestrated the implementation of a new HRIS system'
• Mediated - e.g. 'Mediated conflicts between employees and management'
• Spearheaded - e.g. 'Spearheaded a company-wide initiative to improve employee wellness'
• Audited - e.g. 'Audited HR processes to ensure compliance with labor laws'

Responsible for onboarding new hires and managing employee records.

Instead, write:

Orchestrated the onboarding process for all new hires, streamlining paperwork and reducing time-to-productivity by 20%. Meticulously maintained employee records, ensuring 100% accuracy and compliance.

4. Tailor your experiences to the job description

While it's important to provide a comprehensive overview of your HR experience, you should also tailor your resume to the specific job you're applying for. Review the job description carefully and highlight the experiences and skills that are most relevant.

For example, if the job description emphasizes experience with employee training and development, focus on your related achievements:

• Created and delivered a leadership development program for high-potential employees, resulting in a 30% improvement in leadership competency scores and 50% reduction in turnover among program participants

On the other hand, if the role requires expertise in HR compliance and risk management, shift your focus accordingly:

• Conducted regular audits of HR policies and practices, ensuring 100% compliance with federal and state regulations. Implemented proactive risk management strategies, successfully avoiding any legal issues or fines.

  Education

Your education section is a key part of your HR generalist resume. It shows hiring managers that you have the knowledge and training to do the job well. Here are some tips for writing a strong education section:

1. Put your degree first if you're a recent grad

If you just finished school, put your education at the top of your resume. This is because your degree is your strongest qualification right now.

• Name of your school
• Location of your school
• Name of your degree
• Graduation year
• GPA (if above 3.5)
• Relevant coursework

For example:

Northwestern University, Evanston, IL Bachelor of Science in Human Resources Management, 2022 GPA: 3.8 Relevant Coursework: Organizational Behavior, Employee Benefits, Talent Acquisition

2. Keep education short if you have 5+ years of HR experience

Once you have a few years of HR experience, your education becomes less important. Hiring managers will focus more on your work history. So keep your education section short and sweet.

Bad example:

• XYZ University Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration Concentration in Human Resources Management Graduated: May 2012 GPA: 3.2

Instead, just include:

• Degree, University

Bachelor of Business Administration, XYZ University

3. Add HR certifications to boost your credentials

HR certifications show that you have specialized knowledge. They can give you an edge over other candidates. Some top HR certifications include:

• SHRM-CP (Certified Professional)
• SHRM-SCP (Senior Certified Professional)
• SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources)

If you have a certification, add it to your education section. For example:

Master's in Human Resources Management, ABC University, 2015 Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), HR Certification Institute, 2020

If you have several certifications, you can also create a separate "Certifications" section.

  Skills

The skills section on your human resources generalist resume is where you showcase the specific abilities and knowledge that make you a strong candidate for the role. This section should be tailored to the job description and highlight the most relevant skills that demonstrate your expertise in HR.

When writing your skills section, consider the following tips to make it stand out to hiring managers and applicant tracking systems (ATS).

1. Include a mix of hard and soft skills

As an HR generalist, you need a combination of technical skills and interpersonal abilities to succeed in your role. Make sure to include a balance of both hard and soft skills in your skills section.

Hard skills are specific, measurable abilities that are often learned through training or education. For an HR generalist, these might include:

• Human resource information systems (HRIS)
• Applicant tracking systems (ATS)
• Benefits administration
• Payroll processing

Soft skills, on the other hand, are personal attributes and traits that enable you to work well with others and handle various situations. Important soft skills for HR generalists include:

• Communication
• Problem-solving
• Conflict resolution

2. Categorize your skills for easy scanning

To make your skills section more organized and reader-friendly, consider grouping your skills into categories. This allows hiring managers to quickly scan your resume and identify the most relevant skills for the position.

For example, you might categorize your skills like this:

Human Resources : Employee relations, performance management, onboarding, policy development Compliance : Labor law, OSHA regulations, EEO compliance Technology : HRIS, ATS, Microsoft Office Suite

Avoid simply listing skills without any context or categorization, like this:

Skills: Communication, empathy, HRIS, payroll, benefits, training, compliance, employee relations, conflict resolution

3. Tailor your skills to the job description

One of the most important aspects of crafting an effective skills section is tailoring it to the specific job you're applying for. Hiring managers want to see that you have the particular skills and experience they're looking for in a candidate.

Before writing your skills section, carefully review the job description and make note of any specific skills, tools, or qualifications mentioned. Then, incorporate these keywords into your skills section wherever applicable.

For example, if the job description emphasizes experience with a particular HRIS like Workday, make sure to include it in your skills section:

Technology : Workday HRIS, ADP Workforce Now, Microsoft Office Suite

4. Highlight your level of proficiency

In some cases, it may be helpful to indicate your level of proficiency for certain skills, especially if you're highly experienced or an expert in a particular area. This can help you stand out from other candidates and demonstrate the depth of your knowledge.

One way to do this is by using proficiency levels next to your skills, like this:

Performance management (Expert) Employee relations (Advanced) Benefits administration (Intermediate) Workday HRIS (Beginner)

However, be honest about your proficiency levels and avoid overstating your abilities. Only use 'Expert' or 'Advanced' if you truly have extensive experience and knowledge in that area.

Skills For Human Resources (HR) Generalist Resumes

Here are examples of popular skills from Human Resources (HR) Generalist job descriptions that you can include on your resume.

• Accounts Receivable (AR)
• Financial Reporting
• Accounts Payable
• Financial Accounting
• General Ledger
• Account Reconciliation
• ADP Payroll

Skills Word Cloud For Human Resources (HR) Generalist Resumes

This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Human Resources (HR) Generalist job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more likely you should include it in your resume.

How to use these skills?

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Human Resources (HR) Generalist Resumes

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• Template #2: Human Resources (HR) Generalist
• Template #3: Human Resources (HR) Generalist
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• Template #6: HR Business Partner
• Template #7: Senior HR Advisor
• Skills for Human Resources (HR) Generalist Resumes
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• HR Generalist Overview
• HR Generalist Career Path
• How to Become an HR Generalist
• HR Generalist Salary
• HR Generalist Job Description
• HR Generalist Skills
• HR Generalist Interview Questions
• HR Generalist Resume
• HR Generalist Cover Letter
• HR Generalist vs. HR Administrator
• HR Generalist Behavioral Interview Questions
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• HR Resume Examples
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Home › HR Career Path › What Does an Human Resources Generalist Do? › Human Resources (HR) Generalist Resume Examples to Inspire You

Human Resources (HR) Generalist Resume Examples to Inspire You

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Trying to give your resume a boost to land a distinguished HR Generalist job?

Smart decision. 

Building a resume for a human resources position is like baking a cake for a baking pro. HR managers know their businesses and that includes all about resume-building. This means that you have to master it too.

But don’t worry. This guide will walk you through every section of a perfect HR Generalist resume with examples to inspire you. 

How to Make a Winning HR Generalist Resume

The most effective resumes are the ones that include only relevant information for the job you are applying for. 

Recruiters dedicate on average 7 seconds to each resume, which means that you don’t want them to spend this precious time going over things that won’t guarantee that you are an excellent candidate for the role under review.

The secret to winning an interview with your resume is focusing on quality over quantity when it comes to information.

After years of recruiting experience, I found that the best resumes follow a structure that looks like this:

Contact Information

Academic background, profile summary, skills and capabilities, professional experience, certifications.

Whether you should include all these sections on your resume or not, depends on how much experience you have on the field, and whether you hold credible certifications. If you have plenty of professional experience, for example, you don’t necessarily have to include a skills section.

Let’s explore the specifics of each of these sections:

There are no secrets when putting together this first part. Just make sure you include your name, email address, phone number, and home address on the top of the page

Your name should be in evidence, with the other information items underneath it. Make sure to organize this section in a way that doesn’t take much space on your resume page. 

Example for Inspiration:

I’ve seen many applicants leaving this section out. When I ask the reason, they say that they were told that their degree was not very significant.

That’s not true. Even though professional experience has more value in this day and age, your education still counts, especially for entry-level positions. 

Most companies hiring a HR Generalist require candidates to have at least a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Management, Business Administration, or a similar field.

Just make sure to keep this section simple and direct. There’s no need to mention coursework or honors. 

If your college GPA is higher than 3.5, you can mention it. If that’s not the case, don’t bother to include it.

Your school name, years of completion, degree, and field of study should be enough.

Examples for Inspiration:

The profile summary’s purpose is to maximize the few seconds that the recruiters will spend reading your resume.

In three or four sentences, you will tell them why you are the right fit for the position.

If you succeed in getting their seal of approval on this section, they might dedicate a few extra seconds to review your resume with more attention.

A lot of pressure to make the profile summary right, uh?

To make sure you hit the key aspects, you should include a mix of these three points:

• A summary of your human resources career. For example: “Human Resources generalist and SHRM certified professional with 2 years of experience in the technology industry.”
• Concrete results backed by numbers. For example: “Increased employee engagement rate at [previous company name] by 38% and employee productivity index by 16%.”
• Evidence that you know what it takes to succeed in the role. For example: “Seeking to increase training engagement and decrease cost-per-hire at [company name].”

These sample resumes show three different ways you can format your profile summary:

In this section, you get to use keywords to tell your hiring manager what are your strengths as a human resources generalist. 

But don’t just throw beautiful HR words there at random. To get your recruiters’ seal of approval, you must show you have the right skills for the job.

To find out what these specific skills are, I recommend opening the job post and highlighting keywords that tell you what they are looking for in terms of qualifications, and capabilities.

Once you have these keywords, just choose about six of the most relevant ones (make sure that you actually have these skills) and include them in this section. 

If the job posting has “Generate, organize, and make conclusions from the human capital database” as one of the main job responsibilities, for example, it is a good idea to include “Data-driven” as one of your skills.

Most HR Generalist job descriptions require a combination of a few of these following skills:

• HRIS Expertise
• Data-driven
• Conflict Resolution
• Employee Relations
• Intercultural Sensitivity
• Administration Tasks Expert
• ​MS Office Programs
• Benefits Administration 
• Employee Incentive Programs Management
• Tax Compliance
• ATS and CRM knowledge 
• Employee Performance Management
• Employment Law Expertise
• Talent Acquisition 
• Project Management

The resume format above shows the level of expertise in each of the skills, which helps the hiring managers to understand how far goes each of your capabilities. 

If you prefer not to specify the expertise level, you can use a format that looks like the resume sample below:

This should be the largest section of your HR generalist resume. 

By looking at your previous work experiences in the HR department, recruiters will confirm whether you have the skills you showcased. 

The secret to making this section powerful is including as many solid results as possible. 

Recruiters screen hundreds of resumes in a day, which means that they see lots of conducted this, managed that. Broad descriptions of your responsibilities won’t convince them. Be as specific as you can be and give them solid results.

Each bullet point should increase the hiring manager’s confidence that you can thrive on the position. To do that, you must be intentional and tailor the descriptions to the specific job you are applying for.

These are some examples of the job responsibilities that human resources recruiters will look for underneath your previous job titles:

• Performed new employee orientation and increased onboarding satisfaction by X %
• Generated data and HR policies to base decisions that led to a decrease in cost-per-hire of X %
• Managed staffing processes for X departments from resume and cover letter screening to new hire orientation
• Administered workers compensation and benefits plans based on company policies, market research, and surveys
• Led Diversity & Inclusion committee initiatives which contributed to a significant improvement in employee retention and engagement 
• Streamlined HR operations by appropriate training administration that assisted employees to further their personal and organizational development
• Investigated and managed employee conflicts in the work environment and brought up solutions before they escalated and affected labor relations
• Conducted hiring interviews, performance reviews, and exit interviews 
• Utilized the HRIS to provide, track and maintain data and optimize applicant tracking processes

Keep in mind that the Human Resources Generalist role tends to be an entry-level position in most companies. This means most candidates don’t have many years of experience in the field. 

If that is your case, I recommend thinking of the tasks you had on your previous non-HR jobs and listing the ones that helped on your development as a human resources professional.

Project management tasks, for example, are performed in most administrative jobs and will help you succeed as a human resources generalist. Same for data analysis responsibilities. 

In this last section of your resume, you will showcase your human resources credentials. Not many candidates for entry-level HR jobs hold credible certifications, so if you do, that’s an excellent way to differentiate. If you don’t you might want to start thinking about getting certified.

The most common human resources certification is offered by the Society for Human Resource Management. The institution is recognized globally, and they have different levels of certifications depending on the career stage that you are at.

Many companies require their HR Generalist candidates to hold certifications. 

In this section, you can also include awards or special achievements. Just make sure to adjust the section’s title accordingly.

If you’re interested in learning more about HR certifications to upgrade your resume, then check out our HR Certification Courses.

If you don’t hold any certification or special achievement yet, you can substitute this section for some other section that will show off some other strengths. This could be languages you speak, HR conferences you attended, associations you are part of, or even volunteer work you did.

Give Your Resume a Boost and Land a HR Generalist Job

As a HR professional, you know the power that a well-written professional resume has when recruiters are deciding who will be invited for interviews. 

Customizing your resume for the specific HR functions involved in the role is the best way to show hiring managers that you are the right person for the job.

Follow this resume writing guide and get inspired by these HR generalist resume samples to optimize your job search and land a remarkable job.

If you are new to Human Resources and are looking to break into an HR Generalist role, we recommend taking our HR Generalist Certification Course, where you will learn how to build your skillset in human resources, build your human resources network, craft a great HR resume, and create a successful job search strategy.

We offer a wide variety of programs and courses built on adaptive curriculum and led by leading industry experts.

• Work on projects in a collaborative setting
• Take advantage of our flexible plans and community
• Get access to experts, templates, and exclusive events

Become a Certified HR Manager. The HR Management Certification helps to demonstrate knowledge and skills in best practices for managing employees, handling disciplinary action, and other important aspects of the job.

Become a Certified HR Generalist. After taking this certification course, you'll better understand how to become a great HR Generalist and a letter of certification to showcase to employers and colleagues.

Become a Certified HR Business Partner. The certificate has become a popular credential because it can help individuals seeking advancement within their current organization and those looking to change jobs or industries.

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