HR Generalist Resume Guide: Skills & Examples

In today's competitive market, the difference between landing the right job as an HR Generalist and a great one can be the most well-crafted resume ever. An HR Generalist is one of the unique positions in human resources in that it encompasses recruitment, employee relations, benefits management, and compliance, among many other things. 

You should have a resume to prove you are unique, whether you have good technical as well as interpersonal skills.  Here is the most relevant advice and insights to let you create an HR Generalist resume that exhibits your expertise in human resource.

About HR Generalist

HR Generalists are invaluable to companies as they bring flexibility, adaptability, and a comprehensive understanding of HR practices. They keep the workforce engaged, foster positive company culture, and ensure that HR operations run smoothly, all of which are critical for a company's success and growth.

How to Write a HR Generalist Resume?

1. Start by Having a Strong Summary

First off, if the recruiter first sees of you is resume summary that impression matters because it gets them interested with having a clear resume summary a very good summary for an HR Generalist would be rather short approximately 3 to 4 lines, reflecting and capturing relevant experiences, skills and professional competencies.

Example: Results-focused HR Generalist with over 5 years of recruitment experience in employee relations, recruitment, and compliance management. Proven to help create a positive organizational culture with excellent employee satisfaction and significantly decreased turnover.

Professional experience is the heart of any HR Generalist resume. Here, list each of your previous jobs, in reverse chronological order. For each, provide the job title, company name, dates of employment, and a list of accomplishments.

Sample templates

Template 1

Template 2

Template 3

How to Best Use Experience?

2. Best ways to mention experience

Focus on accomplishments, not tasks.

Use metrics that tell a story about impact: "Decreased turnover by 20% through focused employee engagement initiatives.".

Projects in which you demonstrated cross-functional collaboration with other departments in order to highlight the strength of teamwork.

Sample

HR Generalist

XYZ Corporation | 2019-Present

• Developed and presented recruitment strategies that resulted in 25% decrease in time-to-hire.
• Established employee recognition which led to an increase of employees' satisfaction by 30%.
• Coordinated diversity and inclusion annual training to achieve enhanced understanding between different departments.
• Since HR Generalists are involved in so many diversified tasks, a well-balanced skill section with both hard and soft skills is important. Some valuable skills for HR.

3. Use Skills

Technical Skills

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS): It covers proficiency in using applications such as BambooHR, Workday, or Greenhouse.

Payroll and benefits administration: They must know about payroll processing, as well as employee benefits administration processes.

Compliance: Labor law and regulation awareness, such as FMLA, ADA, and EEOC regulations.

Soft Skills

Communication: Strong oral and written communication skills

Conflict Resolution: The individual can resolve the conflict of the employees and set an excellent working relationship at work.

Attention to Detail: Ability to handle various jobs with a high level of accuracy and efficiency.

You should include these skills on your resume to let the hiring managers get a better idea about you.

4. Utilizing Action-Oriented Verb

The best way to put energy and initiative into your bullet points is through the use of action verbs. Such terms as "implemented," "designed," "enhanced," "streamlined," and "coordinated" reflect the individual as a proactive, results-driven player.

Examples of Effective Bullet Points

• "Developed and implemented company-wide onboarding program; improved retention of new hires by 40%"
• "Enhanced the performance management system, making it easier for a 15% boost in productivity."
• Action verbs will not only give a professional sound to your resume but also help you present it concisely with maximum impact.

5. Certifications and Professional Development

Getting certified in HR will keep you one step ahead in this very competitive world of human resource management. The certification could be the SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, or PHR - any one of them; however, it indicates devotion towards professional development with extensive industry knowledge.

Certification

• SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) - 2021
• Professional in Human Resources (PHR) - 2020

This list includes workshops or online courses as professional development activities. This shows that you are proactive about keeping up to date with the trends and rules in your industry.

6. Education: Custom Fit for Your Audience

In general, most HR Generalist positions require a Bachelor's degree in Human Resources or any form of Business Administration. Therefore, make sure to note that you have a degree along with the name of your university and the year that you graduated. If you hold any honors or relevant coursework, you should take time to include that with your application, especially in the early stages of one's career.

Example:

Bachelor of Science in Human Resources Management

University of XYZ | Graduated: 2018

Labor Relations, Organizational Psychology, Talent Management

7. Volunteer Work or Internship

Volunteer work or internships in human resources can really help if you are entry-level. Volunteering or an internship will present a commitment to the industry and make a person a little more attractive.

HR Intern

Non-Profit Organization | Summer 2018

• Assisted in the onboarding process of over 50 volunteers, ensuring that they abided by the organizational policies.
• Assisted in recruiting and interviewing for several openings, which was a fantastic on-the-job experience in the evaluation of candidates.

8. Project Section

A project section is great if you have led or contributed to some big HR initiatives. Projects are good indicators of your ability to manage and execute HR functions in an orderly fashion.

Example:

Employee Engagement Project

• Increased employee engagement through organizing quarterly team-building activities. It resulted in a 20% increase in the scores of employee satisfaction.
• Designed and implemented an employee feedback system that delivered actionable insights to management.

9. Compliance and Regulatory Knowledge

The HR Generalist should have knowledge about labor laws, compliance standards, and best practices of the HR industry. Point out experience regarding compliance training, auditing, and updates on the regulatory side if relevant.

Example:

• Compliance Training and Audits
• Completed quarterly compliance audits and identified discrepancies that were corrected with a 100% pass rate in external HR audits.
• Trained employees on the observance of FMLA, EEOC, and ADA which led to fewer incidences of non-compliance.

10. Customize Your Resume for Every Job

Customize your resume for every job. Read through the job description and know some of the major requirements or skills; be sure that such skills appear on your resume. The smallest variation might just make you appear as the top candidate before the recruiting company.

Tips for Customizing

• Use similar keywords to that of the job description.
• Revise your summary and skills to match the job requirements of the employer
• Use the title of the position from the advertisement in the resume when it is suitable.

Conclusion

One perfect balance between skills, experience, and clear value representation on an HR Generalist resume will create an ideal fit for the position. While writing every section of the resume-from summary to your skill are assured that you are the ideal fit for any HR Generalist position. After all, it is a first impression given through a resume. And first impressions count. Focusing on achievements, utilizing powerful action verbs, and making sure it match up with the job will ensure a strong resume.

Here's to that well-structured HR Generalist resume: leading to exciting opportunities. Good luck.