Many professionals think that an HR Generalist and an HRBP (Human Resources Business Partner) are the same. Here’s the reality – they are different. Both are required to know all functions of the human resources department, but they use their knowledge and skills differently.
What does an HR Generalist do?
An HR Generalist is an employee in the Human Resources Department who handles a variety of Human Resources responsibilities while using technological skills. According to SHRM, the Human Resources Generalist runs the daily functions of the HR department including hiring and interviewing staff, administering pay, benefits and leave while enforcing company policies and practices.
What does an HRBP do?
An HRBP is a senior Human Resources professional who has a comprehensive understanding of and expertise in how the HR function makes a line of business within the company successful.
Here is a video that gives a day in the life of an HR Generalist. In this video, I give an overview of the daily duties and expectations of an HR Generalist.
According to ADP, a Human Resources Business Partner is an HR professional who can handle everything from hiring to benefits to compliance and employee relations. It continues that some employers hire a dedicated HRBP within their HR department. While addressing the duties of an HRBP, ADP states that they direct their clients on how to best reduce employment-related risks. Their guidance covers the full range of HR issues that can happen on any given day. This includes, but is not limited to, employee conflicts, compliance questions, worker classifications, and HR policies. HRBP also performs some tasks on behalf of their client, such as training employees or evaluating benefits packages, which can alleviate administrative burdens.
What is the difference between an HR Generalist and HRBP?
The key differences between the two are that an HR Generalist gets high input from the HR Leader (i.e.. HR Manager, HR Director, VP of HR, etc.), but the HRBP does not. The HRBP is strategy-focused while the HR Generalist is projects and duties-focused. The HR Generalist works with and for the entire company, but the HRBP focuses on company vertical (s) or a business within the organization.
In this video, I give a complete view of the differences between an HR Generalist and an HRBP, including the salary of each. Indeed does a great job of describing the difference between an HR Generalist and an HRBP as well.
What are the similarities between an HR Generalist and HRBP?
Both, the HR Generalist and the HRBP, must know the entire Human Resources department and all of its functions. They both require extensive experience in HR. By the time a professional has reached either position, they should have an HR Certification or be in the process of obtaining their certification.
Comment below and let me know which one you’re interested in obtaining or which one you’re currently doing.
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