Human Resources Specialist

Human Resources Specialist

Career Overview

Human resources specialists recruit, screen, interview, and place workers. They often handle other human resources work, such as those related to employee relations, compensation and benefits, and training.

Education

Applicants seeking positions as a human resources specialist usually must have a bachelor’s degree in human resources, business, or a related field. Coursework typically includes business, industrial relations, psychology, professional writing, human resource management, and accounting.

Future Outlook

Employment of human resources specialists is projected to grow 7 percent from 2019 to 2029, faster than the average for all occupations. Companies are likely to continue to outsource human resources functions to organizations that provide these services, rather than directly employing human resources specialists.

Work Environment

Human resources specialists generally work in offices. Some, particularly recruitment specialists, travel extensively to attend job fairs, visit college campuses, and meet with applicants. Most human resources specialists work full time during regular business hours.

Recommended High School Courses

  • Psychology
  • Business
  • Public Speaking
  • Marketing
  • Accounting

  • Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
  • Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
  • Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
  • Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • Negotiation - Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
  • Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
  • Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
  • Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
  • Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
  • Personnel and Human Resources - Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
  • Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
  • Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
  • Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Explain regulations, policies, or procedures.
  • Administer personnel recruitment or hiring activities.
  • Update knowledge of legal or regulatory environments.
  • Administer compensation or benefits programs.
  • Perform human resources activities.
  • Evaluate personnel practices to ensure adherence to regulations.
  • Maintain data in information systems or databases.
  • Verify application data to determine program eligibility.
  • Coordinate personnel recruitment activities.
  • Develop training materials.
  • Train personnel to enhance job skills.
  • Review license or permit applications.
  • Discuss business strategies, practices, or policies with managers.
  • Advise others on business or operational matters.
  • Inform individuals or organizations of status or findings.
  • Conduct eligibility or selection interviews.
  • Train personnel on managerial topics.
  • Evaluate effectiveness of personnel policies or practices.
  • Prepare operational reports.
  • Advise others on human resources topics.

Schools

usa_school
Abraham Lincoln Universit...
Adelphi University
Alaska Career College- An...
Allegheny College
Alvernia University
American Intercontinental...
American International Co...
American University
Arkansas Tech University
Ashworth College- Norcros...
Auburn University
Azusa Pacific University
Baker College Online
Barry University
Baruch College (cuny)
Baylor University
Bellevue University
Belmont University
Bemidji State University
Bethel University
Biola University
Bluefield College
Bob Jones University
Boise State University
Boston University
Bowling Green State Unive...
Bradley University
Brandeis University
Brenau University
Brescia University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University-...
Bryan University
Cal Poly Pomona
California Coast Universi...
California Institute Of A...
California State Universi...
Campellsville University
Capitol Technology Univer...
Central Christian College...
Central New Mexico Commun...
Central Washington Univer...
Chippewa Valley Technical...
College Of Southern Nevad...
Colorado Christian Univer...
Colorado Mesa University
Colorado Technical Univer...
Columbia International Un...
Columbia Southern Univers...
Columbus State Community...
Columbus State University
Concordia University- Irv...
Concordia University- Neb...
Concordia University- Tex...
Corban University
Cornell College
Desales University
Dickinson State Universit...
Drexel University
Excelsior College
Fairfield University
Fairleigh Dickinson Unive...
Faulkner University
Ferris State University
Florida Institute Of Tech...
Florida International Uni...
Gateway Community College...
George Washington Univers...
Golden Gate University
Grantham University
Gulf Coast State College
Herzing University- Akron...
Herzing University- Atlan...
Herzing University- Birmi...
Herzing University- Brook...
Herzing University- Kenos...
Herzing University- Madis...
Herzing University- Minne...
Herzing University- New O...
Herzing University- Onlin...
Herzing University- Orlan...
Indian River State Colleg...
Indiana University-purdue...
John Brown University
Johnson And Wales Univers...
Juniata College
King University
Michigan State University
Minnesota State Universit...
Mount Aloysius College
Navarro College- Corsican...
New York University
North Greenville Universi...
Notre Dame University Of...
Pennsylvania State Univer...
Pennsylvania State Univer...
Pennsylvania State Univer...
Pennsylvania State Univer...
Pennsylvania State Univer...
Pennsylvania State Univer...
Rutgers University- New B...
Shorter University
Suny At Stony Brook
Suny Plattsburgh
Towson University
University Of Alaska Fair...
University Of Georgia
University Of Idaho
University Of Illinois At...
University Of Nebraska- O...
University Of North Texas
Weber State University- O...
West Virginia University-...
Western Carolina Universi...
canada_school
Academy Canada- St. Jo...
Algoma University- Bra...
Algoma University- Sau...
Ambrose University
Assiniboine Community...
Athabasca University
Bishop's University
Booth University Colle...
Bow Valley College- Do...
Brandon University
Brock University
Canadian Institute Of...
Capilano University- K...
Capilano University- L...
Capilano University- M...
Cdi College- Calgary C...
Cdi College- Edmonton...
Coast Mountain College...
College Of New Caledon...
College Of New Caledon...
College Of New Caledon...
College Of New Caledon...
College Of The North A...
College Of The North A...
College Of The North A...
College Of The North A...
College Of The North A...
Conestoga College- Bra...
Conestoga College- Gue...
Durham College- Oshawa...
Fanshawe College- Lond...
Fleming College- Suthe...
George Brown College-...
Great Plains College-...
Great Plains College-...
Herzing College- Montr...
Herzing College- Onlin...
Horizon College & Semi...
King's University Coll...
Lakehead University- O...
Lakehead University- T...
Macewan University- Ci...
Seneca College- Newnha...
Sheridan College Insti...
St. Clair College
Trillium College- King...
Trillium College- Osha...
Trillium College- St....
Trillium College- Sudb...
Trinity Western Univer...
Trinity Western Univer...
Université De Saint-bo...
Université Sainte-anne
University Canada West
Vancouver Career Colle...
Vancouver Career Colle...
Yukon University
Concordia University Of...
Concordia University- L...

Potential Scholarships

5 Strong Scholarship
Agnes M. Lindsay Scholars...

Approx Salary Expectation

Currency:
Low End:
$37,180.00 /yr
Avg/Med:
$61,920.00 /yr
High End:
$105,930.00 /yr

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/.
Trend Analysis - Explorer the Market, Labour Market Information, Government of Canada https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis.
O*NET OnLine, National Center for O*NET Development, https://www.onetonline.org/.