A human resources specialist is responsible for connecting employers with potential employees. Unlike a human resources manager, a human resources specialist will often work directly with a human resources company to facilitate their connection to potential staff members.

What Is a Human Resources Specialist?

Human resources specialist are extremely personable and driven individuals that can handle a multitude of tasks. They often act as a sort of matchmaker between companies and individuals. A human resources specialist will often need to deal with many companies and individuals at once, and place them responsibly. Human resources specialists need to make every possible effort to ensure accurate placement, for the happiness of both individuals and companies.

Many human resources specialists will work in the field of employment interviewing, often for a staffing agency. The human resources specialist may even be called upon to deal with temp work, in which case the specialist will need to schedule contractors as the company desires to ensure that the contractor receives work on a semi-regular basis and that the company gets the contractor that is best suited to them and their needs.

What Does a Human Resources Specialist Do?

A human resources specialist will work on two fronts. They will deal with companies directly and discuss their needs, often having to identify for the company what their core needs are within the position. Once the specialist has identified these needs, they will often use some form of staff management software to enter the company in. Often, the specialist will then do a search to see if their existing database of staff members suit the company. If so, the specialist will consult with the staff member and send them on the assignment or to interview.

The specialist will also be meeting with employees at the same time. They will often test the employees to initially determine their skill set, and then they may attempt to match them with existing companies within their database. Otherwise, the specialist will call employees at regular intervals to determine whether they are still looking for a job and they will provide temp work on an as available basis. Overall, the position of human resources specialist is extremely important, as two separate parties are depending on them.

How Do You Become a Human Resources Specialist?

A human resources specialist will usually have a Bachelor’s Degree or higher. However, the educational requirements are not as strict for a specialist as they are for a manager. The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that this degree can be in a related field, such as business. If an individual does not have the required education, a few years of experience within the industry or a closely related industry may apply.

There are some certifications involved in becoming a human resources specialist. These are not only useful to look more attractive to employers, but they are also extremely useful because the acquisition of these certifications can teach the specialist more about the industry and what will be expected of them, especially regarding state laws.

How Do You Advance as a Human Resources Specialist?

There are many opportunities for individuals in the human resources field. Those that would prefer to manage can move into a specific company to manage their human resources department. Others may stay within the human resources specialist field but gradually gain seniority and more responsibilities, as well as their own personal list of clients.

Those that do well within the human resources company may eventually become a leader within the human resources department. Acquiring a Master’s Degree can also make a specialist more competitive, as O*Net Online lists only 27 percent of specialists as holding a degree higher than a Bachelor’s Degree.