roles-of-hr-generalist

In the era when we are try to outsource most of the functions…in some of the
organizations even the total HR-Functions are outsourced…what are the various roles
that an HR-Professional can look up to. I have spoken to many recruitment consultants
but somehow they failed to give the clarity of role that they are “Head Hunting” for.
People with in the organization…at times are just overlapping the various functions. In
this write-up…I am just trying to explain the various roles that HR Professionals can play
in New Economy…along with the traits required for each function.

Recruitment Team (Sourcing, Hiring, Staffing, Talent Acquisition Etc)

Lets start with Recruitment Team. This team is also known as Sourcing or Hiring or
Staffing or Talent Acquisition team in various organizations. They are “Sales People”
within HR Department. Their main role is to get “Best of the Talent” available in the
market. Hence, they need to know what exactly they are looking for. Their role starts
with “Talent Requisition” raised by the respective department…and ends only with
Induction of the New Hire. In between, he needs to prepare the Job Description, Identify
the Competencies required, Identify the source for hiring, Interview the candidate,
Coordinate the interview with the respective department and complete the
documentation.

The various competencies that one must have to be a part of the Recruitment Team are as
follows:

1) Should have excellent knowledge about the Business of the Organization.

2) Should also be aware of the competitors in the same industry.

3) Need to identify the various resources for hiring and select the best one based on “Cost
Effectiveness” and “Urgency”.

4) Should have clarity of competencies that he is looking for and also have clarity on the
role a new hire is expected to play.

HR-Generalist (Operations) Team

This team is actually a backbone of the HR-Department. The job-responsibility of this
team starts on the day of Induction with Joining Formalities. The various roles that they
are expected to perform are:

1. Joining Formalities

2. Handling Employee Database (Both in Soft Form and Files Management)

3. Leaves and Attendance Management

4. Handling the payroll

5. Managing advance Salary, Ad Hoc Bonuses, Loans

6. Confirmations, Performance Appraisals, Performance Management

7. Liaison with various government organizations for Employee Provident Funds, ESI
and other Retirement Benefits

8. Exit-Interviews

9. Full and Final Settlement

Competencies Required

1) Attention to details is a must have quality

2) Self-Motivated

3) Should have updated and accurate database…on any hour of the day.

4) Should be good in coordination.

5) Should be prompt…and fast enough in his actions.

Employee Relations Team

This team is like a “Spokesperson” of the HR-Team. They are the bridge between HR
and Employees. They are the “Policy and Strategy interpreters”. An effective “Employee
Relations Team” can actually control the Attrition Rate of the organization. This team is
expected to play following roles:

1) Handling all the queries of the employees. Be it related to Salary, Leaves, Attendance,
and Transfer etc.

2) They are also expected to explain the various policies, strategies and benefits to
employees.

3) They are expected to stop all type of rumours and misleading communications.

4) They should motivate the employees on day-to-day basis.

5) They are also expected to give constructive inputs to Training and Development and
OD Team.

6) They play an important role in “Employee Engagement” …winning the trust of the
employee and hence can help the organization in controlling the attrition rate.

7) It is for this team to ensure that the employees in the organization should not leave the
organization for reasons other than salary.


1) Highly Matured

2) Level Headed

3) Should be well versed with the business of the organization and its policies.

4) Assertive but not aggressive.

5) Should be empathetic but not emotional.

6) Highly Motivated.

7) Should be highly professional…in the sense, that if this team is active…employees
will be sharing all type of doubts…concerns…information with this team…they are not
expected to misuse the information. Should not play politics…by sharing their
information with others.

8) Should be crisis manager.

Compensation and Benefits Team

This is fairly new role for HR-Professionals. The role of this team…changes, with the
growth of the company. His main role is to ensure that the employees of the organizations
take maximum salary and befits to their home and lose less to Income Tax.

He is the person…who decides how much to pay to the person; what all benefits to entitle
him…based on the market rate…keeping the competitive edge in the industry. He is the
person…who actually announces the annual increment for an organization.

This team is expected to perform following roles:

1. Job Analysis

2. Job Evaluation

3. Grading

4. Competency Mapping

5. Salary Surveys

6. Benefits Survey

7. Benchmarking


1) Should have excellent Business and Industry knowledge

2) Should be aware of competitors…and their Compensation and Benefit Programs

3) Should be good with labour laws.

4) Should also be good in Income Tax Provisions…related to Salary and benefits and also
Economics.

5) Should be excellent in Statistics and Cost Accounting.

Organization Development – Training and Development Team

As a Country is known by its people…an organization is known by its employees and
hence it is the responsibility of this team to “Develop the Employees” of the organization.
If there is any gap in “Competency Mapping” in terms of knowledge and skills required
for a particular position…it is for this team to bridge those gaps.

So, it can be training for soft-skills…other skills…new technology or it is development of
Personality…leadership development…or high-education. Hence, the development of the
company in particular and that of its employees in general…is responsibility of this team.

If you are good in speaking…does not qualify you for being a trainer. You may be
excellent as a Public Speaker and worse in training. Being a good speaker is just one of
the “Must Have” traits for trainers but not the only trait required. There is something a
trainer is expected to do before the delivery…(Training Need Identification) and there is
something he is expected to do after delivery…(Measuring the Training Effectiveness).


1. A deep and thorough understanding of Human Behaviour

2. Positive in thoughts, approach and personality

3. Should be very good in communication. Should be rich in vocabulary.

4. Should be empathetic.

5. Clarity of thoughts is must.

6. Should be good in linguistics

7. Should have positive body language.

You need to take out Tonnes of Sand to get few Grams of Gold…hence the role of a
trainer is to get Gold.

You need to dive into the ocean to get a Shell with a Pearl…hence he is expected to be to
that diver.

HR Coach and HR Mentor

This is one of the roles, which is an outcome of New Economy. Though being a
“Mentor” is not a full time job…”Coaching” can be. We can place HR-Coach above HR-
Director but below HR-President. Just like a Cricket Coach, whose role is not only to
improve the batting or bowling…but also fielding, physical fitness, mental toughness and
overall involvement of the each player…the role of HR Coach is to increase the overall
productivity of all the above-mentioned sub-functions of HR Department. Hence, he
cannot afford to say that I don’t know about Recruitment or Compensation & Benefits
etc. He is the centre of the HR-Department and all functions revolve around him. His role
is not very sophisticated one but very tactical.


1) Experience. This is the one role where…prior experience is must.

2) Business and Industry Knowledge is Must.

3) Should be a Hub of Knowledge and should know HR in its totality.

4) Very influencing, inspirational and highly motivated personality.

5) A true leader.

6) Should be accountable, innovative, responsible and at the same time…should not be
emotional…should not get tensed up and should not create panic. In Short, a level-headed
person.

Conclusion

This is just an attempt to distinguish between various roles that an HR Professional can
play in New Economy. There is a lot that a HR Professional can do.

Human Resource Generalist
Job Title: Human Resource Generalist Company Job Code: ....................................... FLSA
Status: ....................................... Division/Department ....................................... EEO Code:
....................................... Reports to: Human Resource Manager Salary Grade/Band:
....................................... Last Revision Date: .......................................

SUMMARY

Responsible for all human resource activities for the company. Provide advice, assistance and
follow-up on company policies, procedures, and documentation. Coordinate the resolution of
specific policy-related and procedural problems and inquiries.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Responsible for all human resource activities to include employment, compensation,
labor relations, benefits, and training and development.
2. Interview job applicants; review application/resume; evaluate applicant skills and make
recommendations regarding applicant's qualifications.
3. Develop and maintain relationship with employment agencies, universities and other
recruitment sources.
4. Prepare and maintain company salary structure, job documentation, and job evaluation
systems. Complete salary survey questionnaires.
5. Prepare, process and distribute payroll.
6. Design and conduct new employee orientations.
7. Administer and explain benefits to employees, serve as liaison between employees and
insurance carriers.
8. Work with union representative to resolve labor relation issues.
9. Recommend, develop and schedule training and development courses.
10. Provide advice, assistance and follow-up on company policies, procedures, and
documentation.
11. Coordinate the resolution of specific policy-related and procedural problems and
inquiries.
12. Recommend, develop and maintain human resource data bases, computer software
systems, and manual filing systems.
13. Develop and recommend operating policy and procedural improvements.
14. Other duties as assigned.

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Perform specific research/investigation into operational issues, as requested.
2. Provide on-the-job training to new employees.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL REQUIREMENTS

1. Basic reading, writing, and arithmetic skills required. This is normally acquired through a
high school diploma or equivalent.
2. Knowledge of multiple human resource disciplines. Knowledge of federal and state
employment and benefit laws. Strong interpersonal and communication skills. Ability to
analyze data and provide recommendations. This is normally acquired through a
combination of the completion of a Bachelor's Degree and three to five years of human
resource experience.
3. Visibility requires maintaining a professional appearance and providing a positive
company image to the public.

Before we can discuss how important talent management is to a company
we first need to define talent management. There are many definitions out there, but it
can be explained briefly as developing, nurturing and retaining people with the abilities
and aptitude to meet business goals.

Managing talent is not something that a company falls into - it's a deliberate undertaking
that can be advantageous to the company and each of the individuals within the
organization. To begin the process, Human Resources must strategically analyze the
current process and integrate the following:

• Recruitment - presenting the company so that the right people will be attracted
and desire employment.
• Retention - initial a reward and support program for existing employees.
• Employee Development - constant learning and development.
• Leadership Development - development programs for employees with high
potential.
• Performance Management System - feedback and measurements that nurture and
support employee performance.
• Workforce Planning - keeping up with changing workforce; include older
workforce and plan for future skills shortages.
• Business Culture - presenting a positive way of performing.

Companies can benefit from developing and retaining the workforce they have and
individuals can benefit from a company that encourages and develops them to meet their
aspirations. A Performance Management System is vital to achieving the goals of both
the company and the individuals. The specific needs are different for each company but
the common elements include -
• Employee Development - focus on personal development and plans for formal
and informal training.
• Salary Review - compensation can be linked to performance and review should be
in the process.
• Personal Performance - related to tasks, responsibilities that can all be linked to
compensation review.
• Business Performance - Individuals/Teams - track business goals as related to
groups and teams within an organization.

Organizations can save hundreds of thousands of dollars by not only retaining the talent
that are already working for the company, but increasing performance of the same
individuals by working with them and initiating a performance management system. If
the employee feels valued and on a career path where they will personally benefit -
production tends to increase and the employee is far less likely to seek employment
elsewhere.

Initiating a talent management plan can also be used to attract the types of employees that
you want to join your organization. This process will enable you to learn what types of
people work best in the organization; where improvements can be made and how to make
adjustments as business and culture change. Performance Management System and
Talent Management plan can work hand in hand to improve the overall environment of
the organization.

Hiring and retaining talent has become more difficult. Talent management is a necessary
resource. Workitect offers competency models and workshops on building a competency
model. Develop and retain your best talent.

employee performance
If your

management system is not effective – in other words, your managers
aren’t meeting their responsibility of getting their employee performance appraisals
written, approved and delivered on time - here’s the first question to ask: What happens
to the manager who doesn’t turn in all of his appraisals on time?

Too often it turns out that the answer is “Nothing,” or at least nothing sufficiently
disagreeable to get the manager to act. Managers often discover that it’s easier to put up
with toothless gripes from the personnel department about not getting employee
performance appraisals done than actually evaluating subordinates. As a result, appraisals
get pushed aside so that “real work” can be done, and your employee performance
management structure is broken.

Initiating Hardball Consequences

Make sure that there are some real consequences for not getting employee performance
appraisals in on time. For example, withholding salary increases until paperwork is up-to-
date creates a powerful incentive for getting them done on time. This is particularly true
if the human resources department has the clout to refuse making salary increases
retroactive to rescue managers who just didn’t get around to submitting them on time.

No manager wants to be in the position of explaining a subordinate’s delayed salary
increase to them – especially if the boost in pay is being held up simply because the
manager failed to submit their employee performance appraisal on time. This strategy is
called “building accountability.” It’s a tough-minded approach, but all you’re doing is
insisting that managers play by the rules.

Establishing Deadlines

A gentler measure is simply to make sure that managers know exactly what they’re
supposed to do, and when they’re supposed to do it with a checklist that provides key
dates of the employee performance management cycle. And make it easy for them to do
what you want – make sure forms and procedural instructions are readily available, and
there’s someone on hand to answer the inevitable questions that arise.

Both approaches establish shared responsibilities. Not only are line managers required to
get their employee performance appraisals written, but HR must make sure the employee
performance management process is a model for best practices. Forms should reflect the
reality of people’s jobs; managers must be able to assess all of the subtle elements of both
results and behaviors; training and other support must be available in a just-in-time basis;
and what is expected should be made crystal clear. Without all of these elements, HR
bears the lion’s share of the responsibility for not creating a system that encourages
employee performance management excellence.

Sharing the Honey

But consequences aren’t the only area where HR drops the ball. We’ve talked about
arranging negative consequences for those managers who don’t do what’s expected. But
remember — honey influences behavior better than vinegar does. How often does HR
provide positive consequences to managers who are doing a good job of meeting their
employee performance appraisal responsibilities?

A simple email from an HR rep to a supervisor saying that in reviewing the employee
performance appraisals she wrote, he was impressed by how seriously she took the
responsibility and the fact that they were all submitted before the deadline. Copy her boss
on the email, too.

Providing Gentle Reminders

It’s important to have some mechanism to remind managers when key dates are
approaching. That’s one of the great advantages of online systems. Well-designed online
systems greatly complement employee performance management efforts, providing
managers with at-a-glance information about tasks to be completed.

For example, a dashboard screen can let them know which employee performance
appraisals need to be written and when they’re due, which appraisals written by
subordinate managers have been submitted and are awaiting their review and approval,

and which subordinates need to submit self-appraisals or sign off after an evaluation has
been written and discussed.

An online system can be set up to automatically send managers (and their subordinates)
regular reminders every time an action date is approaching and email red-flag
notifications if a deadline is ever missed. Finally, a good online system can track the
current status of employee performance appraisal completions for different organizational
units. Having this information will allow you to let the head of the sales department know
that the completion percentage in his department is only 84 percent, while manufacturing
and accounting are at the 100 percent level.

Lighting A Little Fire

Though HR’s role in creating an effective employee performance management system.
Senior managers also own some responsibility to make sure the company’s expectations
for employee performance appraisal quality and timeliness are followed.

Every senior manager should review each appraisal written by a subordinate manager
before that manager reviews it with the employee. This one-over-one review procedure
will ensure a level playing field, since the senior manager can make sure that all of his
juniors are applying similar standards and expectations to their subordinates. He also will
learn who’s taking the responsibilities of employee talent management seriously as he
reviews the appraisals and sees how honestly they’re written.

Remembering the Power of Shame

Shame is a powerful motivator that is often overlooked. There’s nothing wrong with
shaming managers into doing what they’re supposed to do.

How do you do it? The easiest way to make shame work for you is to ask a senior
executive if he’d like to be updated on the status of employee performance appraisal
completions – he will invariably say yes. (Senior executives always want to know the
status of everything). That’s your license to report on exactly who has their employee
performance appraisals in on time and who’s not performing.

Provide a short report beginning, “As you requested, I have listed below the current status
of appraisal completions,” followed by nothing but two columns of names — one labeled
“On time” and the other labeled “Overdue.” Send copies of your report to everyone on
both lists. You can probably count on an immediate reaction from those managers on the
overdue list to finish their appraisals and move to the list of good guys.

Again, an online system can provide executives with up-to-the-minute information about
the status of all employee performance management activities without HR having to feed
it to them. And senior managers can have a powerful influence of creating the
environment where one hundred percent appraisal completions is the norm.

Creating Fool-Proof Accountability

At one major oil company, the CEO and his VP of HR developed an employee
performance appraisal procedure that was a model of simplicity: a requirement that each
manager discuss 13 open-ended questions about performance with each subordinate in
March of each year.

The only writing the system required was a memo from each manager to the CEO every
year no later than March 31. The memo indicates whether or not the manager had
conducted all his discussions – if the discussions had not been conducted, the memo
needed to explain why. And the reason had better be good, the VP-HR explained,
because on April 1 the CEO picks up the phone and starts calling. “Why didn’t you do
what I asked you to do?” he asks each manager who didn’t complete the performance-
discussion assignment. As the VP-HR explained with a sly smile, “You don’t ever want
to get that call from Roy.”

Key Responsibility Areas for Assistant
Manager – Generalist HR
Assistant HR Manger is one of most important key who plays an very important role
between manager and the internal customers, along with the basic decision making,
recruiting, grievances handling, attrition control, maintaining databases etc. Following
are the major key responsibility areas for Assistant Manager :-

1. To be responsible for implementing the assigned areas of responsibility within the HR
function.

2. To maintain the database and updates regularly.

3. To generate reports based on database and updates.

4. To clarify employees (internal customers) policies, procedures and processes.

5. To assist in quality improvement initiatives of the areas of their work.

6. To handle employee grievances (must) properly.

7. To run the Performance Management Cycle is the key Responsibility Areas for
Assistant Manager – Recruitment.

8. To have/create liaison with the business to develop the manpower plan for the
company.

9. To coordinate and manage recruitment at various levels and finding ways to meet the
ramp up plans for the organization.

10. To give huge attention on campus hiring if doing mass recruitments.

11. To take care of the on-boarding and induction for the new hires.

12. To handle training (as and when required) Common Points for both Assistant
Manager – Recruitment and Assistant Manager – Generalist HR Accountability &
Authority Levels.

13. To be accountable for delivery of expected assignments/results.

14. To keep the department's machinery well oiled and efficient.

15. To take initiative for improving systems and processes.

16. To take ownership for meeting the information needs of internal customers Decision
Making.

17. To take routine decisions that will further the cause of the department or function.

18. To assume responsibility for problems brought to their notice until assigned to the
appropriate problem owner. Internal & External Interface.

19. Should have appropriate knowledge about benefits administrators (PF, Gratuity,
Superannuation, Insurance, etc) or training consultants, recruitment consultants, etc.

20. Should have extensive depth of Knowledge in contemporary HR practices and
processes including performance and reward management.

21. Should have excellent knowledge of the market conditions impacting HRM.

22. Should have excellent people management skills.

23. Should have skills in designing HR Systems and processes.

24. Should have skills to control attrition and maintain retention.

25. Should have excellent working knowledge of MS Office.

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