HR manager job description template

What a HR manager does

An HR manager is the person leaders call when they need help with hiring, performance, pay, compliance, or a difficult employee situation. In a growing company, the first HR manager often builds everything from scratch: policies, the handbook, onboarding, and the HR tech stack. Tell candidates what already exists and what they'll build, because that's what separates a builder from someone who runs an established function.

HR manager 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 manager

Details
- Department: [Department]
- Reports to: [Manager title]
- Location: [City, State, or remote]
- Employment type: [Full-time, part-time, or seasonal]
- FLSA status: Exempt
- 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 hiring an HR manager to lead our people practices, advise leaders, and build the programs that help our [number] employees do their best work.

What you'll do
- Lead HR operations, including hiring, onboarding, performance, and offboarding.
- Advise managers on employee relations, investigations, and discipline.
- Maintain policies and the employee handbook in line with federal and state law.
- Manage compensation, benefits, and open enrollment with vendors.
- Oversee HRIS, payroll inputs, and people data.
- Lead engagement, culture, and retention programs.
- Track compliance with I-9, EEO, FMLA, ADA, and leave laws.
- Coach and develop HR team members.

What you'll need
- Bachelor's degree in human resources, business, or a related field.
- [Five] or more years of HR experience, including generalist work.
- Strong knowledge of employment law in [states].
- Experience with [HRIS and payroll systems].

Nice to have
- SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR certification.
- Experience in a growing [industry] company.
- Experience leading an HR team.

Skills
Employee relations, Employment law, Coaching, Program design, Judgment, Confidentiality.

Physical demands and work environment
Office, hybrid, or remote setting, with some travel to other locations.

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

• Say how many employees and locations the role supports.
• Describe what exists today and what needs building.
• Name the reporting line.
• List HR systems in place.

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 manager

Half of US human resources managers earned more than $71.77 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: Usually exempt. 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 managers are typically exempt under the executive or administrative exemption when they manage the HR function or exercise significant independent judgment and are salaried above the threshold. HR managers own compliance obligations such as EEO-1 reporting for employers with 100 or more employees, I-9 verification, and FMLA for employers with 50 or more employees. Investigations and terminations should follow written policy and documented process.

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. Tell me about a difficult investigation you led.
2. How do you advise a manager who wants to fire someone today?
3. What HR program have you built from scratch?
4. How do you keep up with state employment law changes?

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