13 Human Resources Generalist Resume Examples for 2025

As a human resources generalist, your resume needs to show your ability to handle various HR tasks. The article provides solid resume examples to follow, along with strategic advice. You will learn how to highlight your skills, experience, and achievements to impress hiring managers. Improve your chances of landing the job you want by using our proven tips and templates.

  Compiled and approved by Marie-Caroline Pereira
  Last updated on See history of changes

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At a Glance

Here's what we see in the best resumes for human resources generalists:

  • Show Numbers For Impact: Include metrics to show results. Examples: reduced hiring time by 20%, cut training costs by 15%, increased employee retention by 30%, improved compliance rates by 10%.

  • Show Skills From The Job Description: Include skills on your resume that you have and are mentioned on the job description. Some popular ones are HRIS, benefits administration, recruitment, employee relations, compliance. But don't include all of them, choose the ones you have and are mentioned in the JD.

  • Trends In HR Technology: Many resumes now mention tools like HRIS or ATS. These tools are becoming common in the field.

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Where to place education

Decide where to place your education on your resume based on your current career stage. If you are new to the workforce as a human resources generalist, show your education at the top. This helps you to demonstrate your recent learning and its relevance to the job.

For those with experience in human resource roles, list your education after your work history. Here, focus on any human resources certifications or continued training you've completed. They can provide you with an edge and should be presented clearly. Remember, you should display the most convincing information first to catch the hiring manager's attention.

Showcase HR-specific skills

Highlight skills that are specific to human resources, like knowledge of labor laws and employee relations. These are important and show you are ready to handle key tasks in the role.

Experience with HR software is also valuable. Mention any platforms like Workday or ADP you are familiar with. This shows you can manage essential HR systems effectively.

Ideal length for your resume

As a hiring manager, it's important you make a strong first impression. The resumes that stand out are often one page, especially if you're earlier in your human resources career with less than a decade of relevant experience. Your ability to summarize your skills and experiences on a single page shows you understand the key achievements that matter.

For those with more experience, going up to two pages is acceptable. In this case, you should place your most impactful contributions, such as significant projects or leadership roles, on the first page. This strategy ensures these highlights catch the hiring manager’s eye quickly.

Remember, readability is key. Avoid trying to fit too much onto one page with small fonts or slim margins. It’s better to be succinct and use the space well than to overcrowd and diminish your resume’s readability. Prioritize your jobs as an HR generalist, placing emphasis on pivotal tasks like employee relations and compliance that display your breadth of experience.

Highlight relevant experience

Emphasize any experience that directly ties to human resources, like recruiting, onboarding processes, or conflict resolution.

If you have managed employee benefits or training programs, make sure to detail these. Practical experience in these areas is often sought after by employers.

Beating the resume screeners

When you apply for jobs as a human resources generalist, your resume might first be reviewed by a computer program called an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). To pass this test, you need to make your resume easy to scan and match the job description.

Here are some tips to help you:

  • Use standard job-related keywords like 'employee relations' and 'benefits administration' to show your relevant experience.
  • Include clear headings such as 'work experience' and 'education' to organize your resume.

Make sure your job titles and the skills you list are a good match for the job you want. This will help the ATS see you as a strong candidate for the role of human resources generalist.

Customize your bullet points

It's important for you to show how you've contributed at past jobs. Make your resume fit the human resources role by listing specific tasks you've handled. This helps us see if your skills match what we need. Aim to make each point connect directly to typical human resources duties.

  • Use bullet points to highlight tasks like employee relations and performance management.
  • Show your experience with HR software, such as HRIS systems or applicant tracking systems.
  • If you are moving into HR from a different job, list specific tasks that are similar. For example, if you managed schedules or resolved staff issues, say so.

Overlooking specific skills

When you apply for a job as an HR generalist, it's important you show your specific skills. You might forget to include details about employment law knowledge or how you manage employee relations. Do not just say you have 'good communication skills.' Be clear about how these skills helped your past workplaces. For example, you could say you 'resolved conflicts in a 50-person department.' This shows how you use your skills in real work situations.

Do not list every job you have ever had. Focus on the ones that show you have the right kind of experience for an HR generalist. For example, include jobs where you used recruiting software or where you trained other workers. You should only give details about jobs that relate to being an HR generalist. Remember, focus on your relevant skills and jobs. This will help the person reading your resume see you are a good fit for the job.

Use dynamic verbs for impact

When you apply for a human resources generalist role, your resume should show you are active and effective. Use strong verbs that demonstrate your involvement in key tasks. These words will not only show you can do the job but also that you can do it well. Remember, your goal is to make an impact with each bullet point on your resume.

Here's a list of action verbs that are good for a human resources generalist resume. They will help you describe your experience and skills in a clear and powerful way.

  • To show leadership and initiative, use coordinated, developed, implemented, managed, oversaw.
  • For problem-solving and decision-making, include verbs like analyzed, resolved, streamlined, transformed, upgraded.
  • To highlight interpersonal skills, choose mediated, facilitated, engaged, coached, consulted.
  • If you have a strong background in recruitment, use recruited, screened, interviewed, hired, onboarded.
  • To show your ability to manage information, pick maintained, documented, compiled, monitored, reported.

Want inspiration for other action verbs you can use? Check out synonyms to commonly used action verbs like Delivered, Help, Advised, Executed, Doing.

Show achievements, not tasks

When you write your resume as a human resources generalist, remember to focus on what you have achieved at work, not just what your job was. This tells hiring managers how you can help their company.

Instead of listing your daily tasks, think about the results of your work. Ask yourself, 'How did my work make a difference?' Here are ways to change responsibilities into accomplishments:

  • Before: 'Handled recruitment process for multiple departments.'
    After: 'Improved recruitment process, reducing time-to-hire by 30% for key departments.'
  • Before: 'Managed employee relations and addressed concerns.'
    After: 'Enhanced employee satisfaction by developing an open-door policy that resolved 95% of issues within the first meeting.'

Key skills for HR resumes

As you prepare your resume, focus on the skills that show your capability in HR. Make sure these skills are included in a dedicated section and woven throughout your work experience to help pass the Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that many companies use.

  • Employee relations
  • HR policies
  • Recruitment
  • Onboarding
  • Performance management
  • Compliance
  • Benefits administration
  • Payroll processing
  • HRIS software
  • Data analysis

Choose skills that match your experience and the job you want. For example, if you have strong experience in benefits administration, highlight it. If you are applying to a tech company, show your proficiency in HRIS software like Workday or SAP SuccessFactors.

Place your skills in the resume's skills section and also mention them in your job descriptions. This helps show how you've used these skills in practice. Remember, you don't need to list every skill, just those that are most relevant and that you are good at. This tailored approach will make your resume stronger.

Show leadership and growth

When you apply for a job as a human resources generalist, showing your growth and leadership skills is key. You might think your experience doesn't show this, but there are common ways to do it.

Think about your past jobs. Did you ever get a new title or more responsibility? These are signs of promotion. Did you lead a project or a team? That shows leadership. Here are some ideas:

  • "Promoted from HR assistant to HR generalist within 2 years due to strong performance and leadership in employee relations."
  • "Led a team of 4 in creating a new onboarding process, improving employee retention by 15%."

Even without a formal title change, you can show leadership. Did you train new staff? Did you make a guide or policy that the company used? These details can show your skills. Here are examples:

  • "Trained over 30 new employees, creating a comprehensive mentorship program that supported staff development."
  • "Developed and implemented an updated leave policy that increased compliance with state regulations."

Quantify your HR achievements

When you show your impact with numbers, it helps hiring managers understand the value you can bring to their team. Think about how you have improved processes or achieved results in your past human resources roles, and then put those achievements into numbers.

Here are some examples to guide you:

  • Reduced employee turnover by 15% through improved engagement strategies
  • Increased training attendance by 25% by implementing interactive sessions
  • Streamlined the recruitment process, cutting down hiring time from 30 days to 20 days
  • Developed a performance review system that increased employee productivity by 10%
  • Managed a benefits program that led to a 20% cost savings for the company
  • Implemented HR software that saved 5 hours a week in administrative tasks
  • Increased employee satisfaction scores by 30% with new wellness programs
  • Developed training materials leading to a 40% decrease in compliance issues

As you prepare your resume, think about the specific ways you have helped your company. Maybe you improved employee retention, or you trained new hires more effectively. Always try to estimate the impact you had with numbers, such as how much time you saved or how much you decreased costs. Remember, even if you are unsure about the exact figures, an estimated percentage can still show your impact clearly.

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