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Human Resources Specialists

In the Human Resources Specialists occupation, workers recruit, screen, interview, or place individuals within an organization. One core duty is to interpret and explain human resources policies, procedures, laws, standards, or regulations. With a code of ECS, this is mostly a job for people drawn to leading, persuading and making business decisions. Conventional interests also help, rated 5.5 out of 7. Plan on a bachelor’s degree plus a period of work experience; O*NET labels this considerable preparation. Strength in speaking, reading comprehension, and active listening helps most here. The job can ask you to hire employees and process hiring-related paperwork. People who want leading, persuading and making business decisions usually fit better here than those who need hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world.

What they do

Recruit, screen, interview, or place individuals within an organization. May perform other activities in multiple human resources areas.

Main tasks

  • Interpret and explain human resources policies, procedures, laws, standards, or regulations.
  • Hire employees and process hiring-related paperwork.
  • Maintain current knowledge of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and affirmative action guidelines and laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
  • Prepare or maintain employment records related to events, such as hiring, termination, leaves, transfers, or promotions, using human resources management system software.
  • Address employee relations issues, such as harassment allegations, work complaints, or other employee concerns.
  • Review employment applications and job orders to match applicants with job requirements.

Skills

  • Speaking
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Active Listening
  • Writing
  • Critical Thinking
  • Social Perceptiveness

Who this career fits

May suit you if

  • You like taking the lead and making the call.
  • You like clear rules and getting the details right.
  • You are ready to spend around four years on a degree, then build experience.
  • You are comfortable relying on speaking and reading comprehension.

May not suit you if

  • You would rather not persuade, sell or manage other people.
  • You want to work with your hands for most of the day. Realistic rates 1.0 out of 7 here.
  • You want to avoid a four-year degree or its equivalent.

Interest profile

O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code ECS takes the three highest, and Enterprising comes first here.

Preparation

Considerable preparation. Most jobs here ask for a bachelor’s degree, and employers usually expect a few years of related experience as well.

Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: Bachelor's Degree. This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.

Also called

  • Corporate Recruiter
  • Employment Representative
  • HR Analyst (Human Resources Analyst)
  • HR Coordinator (Human Resources Coordinator)
  • HR Generalist (Human Resources Generalist)

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.