HR generalist job description template

What a HR generalist does

An HR generalist handles a bit of everything in HR: onboarding, benefits questions, leave tracking, employee relations, and records. In a small HR team, the generalist is often the first person employees go to with a problem. The description should say which areas the generalist owns and which they support, and how much employee relations work is involved. That's what helps candidates match their experience to your needs.

HR generalist job description template

Copy the description, replace everything in [brackets], and cut any line that isn't true for your job. The duties and requirements are a starting point written by HR practitioners, not a legal standard, so edit them to match the real work.

HR generalist

Details
- Department: [Department]
- Reports to: [Manager title]
- Location: [City, State, or remote]
- Employment type: [Full-time, part-time, or seasonal]
- FLSA status: [Exempt or nonexempt]
- Pay range: [$X to $Y per year]

About [Company]
[Two or three sentences about what your company does, who it serves, and why people like working here.]

Job summary
We're looking for an HR generalist to support our employees and managers across onboarding, benefits, leave, employee relations, and HR operations.

What you'll do
- Run onboarding and offboarding, including I-9 verification and new hire paperwork.
- Answer employee questions about policies, benefits, and pay.
- Administer leave programs, including FMLA, ADA accommodations, and state leave.
- Support managers with performance and employee relations issues.
- Keep employee records and HRIS data accurate and confidential.
- Coordinate benefits enrollment and vendor issues.
- Help with compliance reporting, audits, and required postings.
- Support recruiting, training, and engagement programs.

What you'll need
- [Two] or more years of HR experience.
- Working knowledge of employment law and HR practices.
- Experience with [HRIS].
- Excellent communication and discretion.

Nice to have
- Bachelor's degree in human resources or a related field.
- SHRM-CP or PHR certification.
- Multi-state HR experience.

Skills
Employee support, Leave administration, HRIS, Confidentiality, Policy knowledge, Organization.

Physical demands and work environment
Office, hybrid, or remote setting.

Pay and benefits
[$X to $Y per year], based on experience and location. [List benefits, such as health insurance, retirement plan match, paid time off, and training.]

Equal opportunity
[Company] is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected by law. If you need a reasonable accommodation to apply or interview, contact [name] at [email or phone].

How to customize it for your job

• List the HR areas the role owns.
• Say how many employees it supports.
• Name your HRIS.
• Describe the HR team structure.

Then check it against the HRTally job description standard, our 10-point checklist, and run it through the inclusive language swap list. Both take about five minutes.

How much to pay a HR generalist

Half of US human resources specialists earned more than $36.51 an hour in May 2025, and half earned less, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That national figure is a starting point, not a pay range. Pay for the same job can differ by 30 percent or more between metro areas, so check the BLS occupation profile for state and metro data before you set your range.

To convert between hourly and annual pay, use our salary to hourly calculator. If you hire in a state or city with a pay transparency law, the range must appear in the posting itself. Our pay transparency laws guide lists where, and our guide to salary bands explains how to set ranges you can defend.

Exempt status, licenses, and legal notes

FLSA status: Depends on duties. Job titles don't decide overtime eligibility. Duties and pay do. Our guide to exempt vs non-exempt employees walks through each test, and the overtime calculator shows what a nonexempt employee is owed.

HR generalists may be exempt under the administrative exemption when they exercise independent judgment on significant matters, such as interpreting policy or investigating complaints. Generalists who mostly process paperwork and data entry are often nonexempt. Generalists who handle accommodations and leave should know the ADA's interactive process and FMLA notice deadlines.

This is general information for US employers, not legal advice. Laws change and vary by state and city, so confirm the current rules or talk to employment counsel before you rely on them.

Interview questions to ask

Ask every candidate the same core questions and score answers against the same criteria. Structured interviews are fairer and predict job performance better than open conversation.

1. Walk me through how you'd handle an accommodation request.
2. An employee tells you their manager is treating them unfairly. What do you do?
3. How do you keep HR records accurate?
4. Tell me about a time you explained a policy an employee didn't like.

When you're ready to schedule, use our interview invitation email template. For a full hiring process, read the recruitment process guide.

Frequently asked questions