When I started my career in HR (Personnel Management) the entire functions of a Personnel Department was carried out by a team of personnels in that department. With the passage of time, new theories developed and HR was confined only to recruitment. Those who are not interested in Marketing (which is commonly understood as an act of selling products which is a tiring exercise) will say that I am interested only in HR. For him HR means a simple function of recruiting people. Those who work on salary fixation and payment assumed a separate 'designation', as HR- Compensation & Benefits and there are many who carried out both these functions. I observed that an HR generalist is one who carries out all the functions of Personnel Management. However, the Welfare Role involving management of health, welfare and security schemes of employees and Legal and "fire fighting" function of settlement of disputes, handling disciplinary action, grievance handling etc are rarely found highlighted in the present style of HR. As I understand, an HR generalist takes care of all the functions of HR like, 1. Personnel Function of manpower planning, recruitment, training & development etc 2. Administrative Role of time keeping, salary administration, records maintenance, submission of statutory returns to various authorities, such as, EPF, ESI etc, 3. Welfare Role of managing canteens, cooperatives and transports, ensuring health and safety of employees, 4. Leagl or 'fire fighting' Role of taking disciplinary action, settlement of disputes, enforcement of statutory rulings, grievance handling, collective bargaining etc. This is what I expect from a generalist. I shall be glad if others would also give inputs on it. Regards, Madhu.T.K