Who Really Drives Core HR Activities: The HR Generalist or the HR Manager?

I am working as an HR Generalist in a reputed company. I would like to know who plays a vital role in core HR activities - the HR Generalist or the HR Manager. Please help me out.

Thanks,

Regards

Both an HR Generalist and an HR Manager play a vital role in the core HR activities of an organization.

Role of an HR Generalist

An HR Generalist is a role played by an employee in the company who takes care of activities like joining formalities, induction, training and development, performance management, payroll, statutory requirements, attendance maintenance, employee relations, employee grievances, exit formalities, etc. The nature of his/her work differentiates an HR employee as a generalist.

Role of an HR Manager

An HR Manager is a position in the company with wider applicability. He/she needs to take the lead in the generalist role, direct, and motivate his team members who perform routine HR generalist functions in the organization. In addition to the above, he/she should be instrumental in Human Resource Development by initiating activities like employee engagement, organizational development, retention strategies, etc.

Key Responsibilities of an HR Manager

1. Plan, develop, and implement a strategy for HR management and development (including recruitment and selection policy/practices, discipline, grievance, counseling, pay and conditions, contracts, training and development, succession planning, morale and motivation, culture and attitude development, performance appraisal, and quality management issues).
2. Establish and maintain appropriate systems for measuring necessary aspects of HR development.
3. Monitor, measure, and report on HR issues, opportunities, and development plans and achievements within agreed formats and timescales.
4. Manage and develop direct reporting staff.
5. Manage and control departmental expenditure within agreed budgets.
6. Liaise with other functional/departmental heads to understand all necessary aspects and needs of HR development and to ensure they are fully informed of HR objectives, purpose, and achievements.
7. Maintain awareness and knowledge of the latest HR development theory and methods and provide suitable interpretation to directors, managers, and staff within the organization.
8. Contribute to the evaluation and development of HR strategy and performance in cooperation with the executive team.
9. Ensure activities meet and integrate with organizational requirements for quality management, health and safety, legal requirements, environmental policies, and the general duty of care.
10. Audit and authenticate all documents related to legal, salary statements and distribution, policies, etc.
11. Develop and maintain healthy relations with Government and Non-Government Organizations for better and fast functioning of the organization.
12. Plan for employee performance appraisals; develop tools for appraisal, job evaluation, and development.
13. Plan and direct the training of employees, including senior managers, maintain contact with outside resources for training.
14. Employee development through Process Quality, Job Designing, ISO, Six Sigma, Project Management, Quality of Work, Work-Life Balance, etc.

Hope the info is clear.

Well, that's a really good reply, Mr. Sriram, and thanks to you. In addition to this...

HR Manager vs. HR Generalist

An HR Manager usually heads the department and is part of the administration, overseeing the Generalist staff. They supervise the HR office associates, and the HR Generalist oversees the entire company except for the General Manager.

HR managers may lead various departments, each managed by specialized HR staff such as the training manager, compensation manager, or organization development manager. Human Resources (HR) staff members advocate for both the company and its employees, requiring a good HR professional to balance both needs successfully. In other words, the manager oversees all HR functions, while the Generalist handles day-to-day tasks like screening resumes and managing benefits.

Now, I'm going to define their work and profile one by one so that you can better understand this:

- HR Generalist

HR Generalists are known for their involvement in and knowledge of a wide range of HR functions and divisions. They handle tasks such as negotiating with health benefits brokers, determining employee classifications, recruitment, medical leaves, and more. The Generalist is versatile and can manage any aspect of HR.

- HR Manager

Specialized HR Managers have extensive knowledge in a specific HR function. In addition to supervisory roles, they take on analytical tasks using their expertise in employment laws, best practices, and benchmarking. These managers typically oversee specific divisions in the HR department in medium to large organizations.

Organizational Hierarchy

In large organizations, HR Generalists occupy various positions within the HR department hierarchy. Some perform entry-level administrative tasks, while others oversee all divisions, with specialized HR Managers in between. In smaller organizations, the HR Manager handles all HR functions single-handedly, requiring a range of skills and expertise.

Another important role to consider is the Generalist HR Manager. The HR Generalist and HR Manager roles can overlap. High-level HR Managers need to have a basic understanding of all HR areas to supervise effectively. While having a specialization in a certain area, a Generalist HR Manager possesses broad knowledge to oversee any HR function effectively.

Regards.

In my view, an HR Generalist has the scope of becoming a perfect HR professional by having the opportunity to learn much more and becoming an all-rounder in HR to handle any situation, as compared to an HR Manager.

Great question! We had some great answers, thanks for it. I would like to add something - there are two roles: HR Generalist and HR Specialist, taken on by HR professionals.

HR Specialist vs. HR Generalist

A Specialist covers a narrow periphery of HR functions, such as payroll management or recruitment, etc. On the contrary, a Generalist covers a wide range of all HR activities in an organization. It requires extensive experience to be a Generalist while performing various jobs in the HR field.

Thanks,
Devendra