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Types of HR Positions

Every company, whether big or small, has at least one person responsible for the employees. The size of the HR department typically depends on the number of employees; the larger the number, the more types of HR positions there will be.

If you are interested in an exciting job with dynamic responsibilities where you constantly work and assist other people, you should familiarize yourself with the HR hierarchy to find the perfect position depending on your skills and ambitions.

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Types of HR Positions

The importance of the human resources department is often overlooked. A typical day of working in HR involves being present on many fronts dealing with:

• Improving company relations
• Handling talent management
• Ensuring proper compensation and calculation of benefits
• Arranging training sessions
• Ensuring compliance with labor standards
• Shaping company cultures

Different types of HR positions handle specific parts of the workload. Smaller companies have only a few people in their HR department, while big businesses with many employees typically have four levels of positions.

If you are considering a career in human resources and looking for the best HR job openings, make sure to read the job description carefully; it will help you understand the responsibilities for each position.

Entry-Level HR Positions

The entry-level positions in the HR department, which include recruiters and HR assistants or coordinators, are the lowest on the hierarchy pyramid. 

HR assistant/coordinator

HR assistants/coordinators are responsible for supporting day-to-day operations. In some job openings, this role can be described as Junior Human Resources Associate.

Responsibilities of an HR assistant/coordinator

An HR assistant or coordinator is an entry-level HR job position that mainly deals with administrative tasks. The specific duties might vary on the company, but most commonly include:

• Maintaining employee databases
• Assisting other HR specialists in the recruitment process
• Planning and handling orientation sessions for new employees
• Organizing training sessions
• Managing the HR department schedules and organizing meetings

In short, working as an HR assistant means you will have to assist the supervisors and managers and ensure everything runs smoothly.

Sometimes, the roles of an HR assistant and HR coordinator can be performed by different people. This is typically the case in big corporations, where the workload is too much for one person to handle.

In such cases, HR assistants handle basic administrative duties. In contrast, HR coordinators might be more focused on assisting the recruitment process, maintaining records, providing support to the employees and ensuring compliance with legal regulations.

Required skills and education for an HR assistant/coordinator

Considering the work responsibilities, an HR assistant/coordinator must have excellent organization and communication skills, an eye for detail, ability to multitask, conflict resolution skills, research and reporting etc. In terms of formal education, a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration or a similar field might be required, but it is not mandatory. As an alternative to a bachelor's degree, certifications from HR courses might be considered an advantage.

Recruiter

When people mention HR, the first thing that comes to mind is a recruiter. Recruiters are professionals whose main job is labor management, more specifically, analyzing the company's needs for new employees and seeking adequate employees to fill the open positions. In short, recruiters are dedicated to sourcing and hiring candidates.

Responsibilities of a recruiter

The basic recruiter's responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Preparing and publishing job openings on various platforms according to the company politics
• Receiving applications for the job opening
• Screening for suitable candidates and contacting them for an interview
• Interviewing the potential candidates, answering all of their questions, explaining their responsibilities and negotiating salaries
• Presenting the candidates on the short-list to the employer or person responsible for hiring (if there is any)
• Following up with the interviewed candidates

In addition, a recruiter might be responsible for creating a strategy for attracting new employees, finding the perfect advertising channel for job openings, analyzing interest in working for the company, being brand ambassadors at job fairs, etc.

Required skills and education for a recruiter

Being a recruiter is not as easy as it looks. Although the job might seem like it is monotonous and every interview is the same, a good recruiter should be able to tailor the questions according to the candidate sitting across from them.

The must-have skills of a good recruiter include:

• Analytical skills, both for people and for the information presented in the candidate's resume
• Communication and interviewing skills
• Active listening
• Negotiating skills
• Persuasive skills
• Networking and relationship-building abilities
• Multitasking and time management
• Marketing skills

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Mid-Level HR Positions

Mid-level HR positions bring greater responsibilities and require previous experience in the sector. There are two different types of HR positions at the middle level: one is focused on overseeing the work of entry-level employees, and the other is a more specialized position with knowledge in specific areas.

HR generalist

As the name of the job title suggests, HR generalists have a wide range of responsibilities. They must have a broad knowledge of every operation connected to human resources. 

Responsibilities of an HR generalist

The daily agenda of an HR generalist can be highly versatile. Some of the duties might include:

• Assisting in creating the organizational structure
• Providing insights for creating organization guidelines
• Monitoring the resources of the entire HR department
• Supervising payroll distribution
• Responding to employee complaints and looking for solutions
• Creating new and evaluating the performance of current learning and development programs
• Coordinating all HR professionals
• Reporting on the activities of the HR department
• Analyzing employee engagement and performance
• Ensuring compliance with regulations and keeping up with the latest HR trends

Required skills and education for an HR generalist

With such versatile responsibilities, an HR generalist should have adequate skills and education. Those looking for human resource jobs as a generalist should have the following skills:

• Organization skills
• Teamwork and collaboration
• Analytical skills
• Empathy, listening and communication skills
• Judgment and decision-making skills
• Creativity
• Conflict resolution
• Knowledge of HR laws
• Excellent understanding of laws and regulations
• Leadership, coaching and advising skills
• Business administration

HR specialist

As opposed to the HR generalist, the HR specialist is a human resources position that focuses on only one aspect of the sector. There are different types of HR specialists, depending on the specific area they are experts in.

Their specialty can be related to any part of the employee lifecycle within the organization. For instance, a company can have an HR specialist exclusively for handling compensation, another specialist for training new employees, a third one for employee relations etc.

Responsibilities of an HR specialist

The duties of the HR specialist vary depending on their expertise. To illustrate, an HR specialist for onboarding and training can be responsible for ensuring all new employees fit into the company culture as quickly as possible, understand their job duties, and have proper training.

An employee relations HR specialist would have slightly different job duties, such as understanding the needs and problems of the employees and mediating conflicts. All in all, it is their job to ensure a positive work environment.

Required skills and education for an HR specialist

Some general skills an HR specialist should possess are team working ability, empathy, knowledge of laws and regulations in their field of work, time management, multitasking, responsibility, communication and interpersonal skills. In addition, an HR specialist should have specialized knowledge in the focus area.

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Senior-Level HR Positions

Senior-level HR positions require at least five years of experience in the sector and relevant formal education and certifications. Generally, this level of HR oversees all strategic HR functions and aligns organizational goals with available human capital. The two types of HR careers that are part of the senior-level HR hierarchy are the HR manager and the employee relations manager.

HR manager

HR managers have mainly administrative roles and oversee the department’s operations. Their role is vital for ensuring excellent performance, and development of the department.

Responsibilities of an HR manager

HR managers have many duties, with the most important ones being:

• Handling staff issues
• Overseeing the work of the entry-level and mid-level HR
• Using their experience and knowledge to provide expert advice and assistance to however needs it
• Planning and coordinating the workforce and making sure their talents are put to best use

Required skills and education for a HR manager

Becoming an HR manager requires both experience and academic qualifications. Regarding an HR manager's interpersonal skills, they should have decision-making skills, empathy, organizational skills, time management, strategic thinking, leadership, command of HR technology and much more.

Employee relations manager

As the job title suggests, an employee relations manager is responsible for managing the relationships in the company. Specifically, their primary focus is to ensure a good relationship between employees and management.

Responsibilities of an employee relations manager

A primary employee relations manager does the following activities:

• Creating and implementing employee relations programs and policies
• Communication with employees about their relationships
• Acting properly when there are breaches in employee relations

Required skills and education for an employee relations manager

An employee relations manager should have at least a bachelor’s degree in human resources. Key skills for an employee relations manager are being able to make unbiased decisions and solve propblems. Other significantly important skills are analysis, communication, empathy and negotiation.

Executive-Level HR Positions

The top steps in the HR department ladder in one company are an HR director and a chief human resources officer.

HR Director

The human resources directors have a leading role in the department. Directors make executive HR decisions based on their in-depth expertise and strategic leadership skills.

Responsibilities of an HR director

HR directors have a lot on their plate. Some of their key duties include aligning the overall HR policies to the business objectives, overseeing HR operations, and driving cultural initiatives.

Additionally, most HR directors are responsible for managing the entire HR staff, and employees in the lower department report to them. They oversee all HR functions, including recruitment, performance management, compliance, employee relations, employee satisfaction rates, and more.

An HR director might also manage risks and handle sensitive legal issues. They should be capable of understanding and analyzing HR performance metrics and data to improve overall HR processes and strategies.

Finally, HR directors also manage budgets and allocate resources when necessary. Their priority is ensuring the HR department operates smoothly, efficiently, and cost-efficiently.

Required skills and education for an HR director

To become an HR director, one must have years of experience in different HR jobs. In addition to experience, one must have overseeing skills, analytical and critical thinking skills, the ability to manage complex company relations, budgeting skills, leadership abilities, etc.

Chief human resources officer (CHRO)

In some organizations, the chief human resources officer is the same as an HR director. But, the difference is that CHROs are responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations.

Responsibilities of a chief human resources officer

While an HR director wants to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of the department by implementing HR technology and streamlining processes, the chief human resource officer is focused on creating a strong employer brand and developing future leaders.

Required skills and education for a Chief Human Resources Officer

The above-mentioned skills apply to a chief human resources officer. But besides those, the other two top skills a chief human resources officer should have are business acumen and strategic foresight. At the same time, they should be experts in talent acquisition, ethical leadership, data analytics and have strategic vision.

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Start and Grow Your HR Career with Afni

For anyone looking for a human resource career, the best place to start is at Afni. There are job openings in the HR sector in different U.S. states, including Arizona and Illinois.

The perks of working for Afni are that you won’t be just an employee but rather part of a family. The working atmosphere sparks positivity, and everyone is encouraged to advance in their careers. At Afni, employees can both learn and grow. If you are ready to take advantage of these perks and much more, check out the open HR positions and apply today!

Author

Samantha Byard is the Recruitment Marketing Manager for Afni and brings a wealth of knowledge and tips for job seekers. She holds a bachelor's degree in public relations and marketing from Mount Saint Vincent University as well as a masters degree in digital marketing and advertising from Liberty University.