Free Human Resources Job Description Templates
Free human resources job description templates for small business: HR generalist, manager, coordinator, director, specialist, and business partner. DOCX.
Human Resources Job Description Templates
6 free templates by HR role. Download as DOCX or copy-paste.
Hiring your first HR person is a milestone for a small business. It is the moment people work stops being something the owner squeezes in between everything else and becomes someone's actual job. The challenge is that human resources spans a wide range of roles, from an entry-level coordinator who handles paperwork to a director who sets company strategy. The job description you write determines which kind of HR person you attract, and getting the level right is the difference between a hire that helps and one that costs you.
At FirstHR, we build for small businesses that hire without a dedicated HR department, where the owner writes the posting for the very first HR role. The six templates below cover the most common versions of the role: generalist, manager, coordinator, director, specialist, and business partner. Each is ready to use. Fill in the bracketed fields, adjust to match your business, and post. For the general principles behind any posting, the guide to writing a job description covers the fundamentals.
What Is a Human Resources Job Description?
A human resources job description is a document that explains an HR role's purpose, responsibilities, qualifications, and compensation so you can post a position and attract the right candidates. It typically covers a job summary, key responsibilities, required and preferred qualifications, the salary range, and how to apply. The SHRM job description tools describe a job description as a plain-language tool that explains the tasks, duties, and responsibilities of a position, and the same standard applies whether you are a national company or a single small business.
For HR specifically, the document does double duty. It attracts applicants, and once someone is hired it becomes the reference point for their responsibilities. Because the term human resources covers everything from a coordinator to a director, the most important job of the description is to make the level and scope unmistakable. The terms HR and human resources mean the same thing, so use whichever your candidates search. To understand how the role fits into a small company, the guide to HR for small business and the overview of HR roles are useful background.
Which HR Role Should You Hire?
Pick the template that matches the level of HR your company needs right now. The core structure is the same across all six, but each one emphasizes the responsibilities, experience, and language that fit a specific kind of HR role. Use this guide to choose.
6 Free HR Job Description Templates
Download all six as a single Word document or copy individual templates. Each one follows the same structure: company overview, job summary, key responsibilities, qualifications, compensation, and how to apply. Fill in the brackets before you post.
Template 1: HR Generalist
The all-in-one role for a small company, and the most common first HR hire. Owns recruiting, onboarding, employee relations, benefits, and compliance alone. The HR generalist overview explains the role in depth.
Template 2: HR Manager
For an experienced professional who leads HR and sets strategy. This is a lighter version. For the full set of HR manager variations, including a first-HR-manager hire, see the dedicated HR manager job description templates.
Template 3: HR Coordinator / Assistant
An administrative, entry-level role: records, job postings, interview scheduling, and onboarding paperwork. Ideal when you need HR support rather than HR leadership.
Template 4: HR Director
An executive-level leader who owns people strategy, leads the HR team, and shapes org design and compensation. For companies scaling toward 50 to 100 people.
Template 5: HR Specialist / Officer
A specialist in one HR area, such as recruiting, benefits, or employee relations. For companies that need depth in a specific function rather than a generalist.
Template 6: HR Business Partner
A strategic advisor who connects HR with specific teams or business units. For larger small businesses near 100 people that want to align HR with business goals.
HR Duties and Responsibilities
HR duties fall into four broad categories. A good job description picks the specific duties from each category that apply to your business and the role's level rather than listing every possible task. These are the responsibilities most often expected across HR roles.
At a small business, a generalist usually covers all four categories, while a coordinator focuses on administration and a director focuses on strategy. To scope the role precisely before you write the posting, the guide to defining job responsibilities walks through a simple process.
What to Include in an HR Job Description
Every strong HR job description includes the same core sections. The templates above are built around them, but it helps to know what each is for and how to make the duties concrete.
| Weak bullet | Strong bullet |
|---|---|
| Handle HR | Manage recruiting, onboarding, and employee relations end to end |
| Do benefits | Administer benefits enrollment, leave, and open enrollment |
| Keep records | Maintain employee records and ensure HR compliance |
| Help with policy | Develop and maintain HR policies and the employee handbook |
| Know HR software | Maintain employee data and reporting in our HRIS |
Specific, measurable duties attract candidates who can do the work and signal a serious employer. Keep the language neutral and inclusive too, since the EEOC prohibits job advertisements that show a preference based on protected characteristics. This matters doubly for an HR hire, who will be responsible for fair hiring practices once they join.
Generalist vs Manager vs Coordinator
The three most commonly confused HR levels are coordinator, generalist, and manager. Getting the distinction right ensures you attract the correct experience and set accurate pay. This table shows how they differ.
| Factor | Coordinator | Generalist | Manager |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level | Entry-level | Mid-level | Senior |
| Main focus | Admin and support | All HR, hands-on | Lead the function |
| Decisions | Follows process | Owns day-to-day | Sets strategy |
| Team | No reports | Usually solo | May build a team |
| Best for | Need HR support | First HR hire | Ready to lead HR |
If your need sits between these, the generalist template is the safest starting point for a small company, since it assumes one person handling everything. As you grow toward a dedicated leadership hire, the HR manager template above covers the senior level, with a fuller set of manager variations linked alongside it.
How to Write an HR Job Description
A strong HR job description takes about 20 minutes to write if you follow a clear structure. Here is the process the templates are built around. If this is an early hire, the small business hiring guide covers the steps around the posting itself.
Before you post, confirm the role reports to a named person and that the duties match the level you actually need. For background on how HR fits into a company structure, the overview of the HR department explains how the function is organized as a business grows.
HR Salary by Role
Set your salary range using government data as a baseline, then adjust for level, certification, and location. Pay rises significantly from coordinator to generalist to manager to director.
Position your range against the level you are hiring: coordinators sit below the specialist median, generalists fall in between, and managers and directors sit above. Always publish a range. It is now legally required in many states and it attracts more qualified applicants. Federal wage and hour rules also apply when you classify the role, so it helps to know the basics in the Department of Labor FLSA standards. For the full duty profile of the role, the O*NET occupation summary is a useful reference.
Hiring HR Without an HR Department
Corporate HR templates assume an existing HR team, specialized roles, and a director to manage them. A small business making its first HR hire has none of that. The new person is usually a generalist, reports straight to the owner, and builds HR from scratch. The reality of hiring HR at that scale is different, and the job description should reflect it. Here is how to write the posting for that reality.
From Hiring to Onboarding
The job description is step one. Once a candidate accepts, the same document becomes the foundation for the offer letter and the onboarding plan. An HR hire is a special case, because the person you onboard will soon run onboarding for everyone else. A strong start sets the standard they will carry forward.
Send the offer letter, collect signed paperwork, give them access to your systems and records, and set clear expectations for the first 90 days. Once you have your offer ready, the offer letter template handles the next step, and an onboarding template gives the new hire a structured start. A new HR person will also likely own your employee handbook and your onboarding checklist, so handing those over early is a smart first task. FirstHR connects the offer, paperwork, and onboarding workflow in one place so a small business can manage the whole process without an existing HR department.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a human resources job description include?
A human resources job description includes a short summary, 8 to 10 specific responsibilities, required and preferred qualifications, the reporting line, a salary range, and how to apply. Because HR spans many levels, the most important job of the description is to make the role and level unmistakable. An HR Coordinator handles administrative tasks, a Generalist owns the whole function alone, a Manager leads it, and a Director sets strategy. Responsibilities should be concrete, such as manage recruiting and onboarding and administer benefits, rather than vague phrases like handle HR. For a small business, describe the breadth of the role honestly, since one person often covers many areas.
What is the difference between an HR generalist and an HR manager?
An HR generalist handles the full range of HR tasks across the company, often as the only HR person, but generally does not lead a team or set strategy. An HR manager leads the HR function, owns HR strategy, and frequently manages a team or builds one over time. The generalist is a doer across all areas, while the manager is a leader and decision-maker. For a small business, the generalist is usually the right first hire, since you need someone to handle everything hands-on before you need a strategic leader. Match the title to the actual scope, because labeling a hands-on role manager sets incorrect pay and expectations.
What HR role should a small business hire first?
Most small businesses should hire an HR generalist first. A generalist can handle recruiting, onboarding, benefits, employee relations, and compliance across the whole company, which is exactly what a 5 to 50 person business needs from its first HR person. An HR coordinator works if you mainly need administrative support and a manager or owner will still make HR decisions. Reserve HR manager and director titles for when you need someone to lead the function and set strategy, usually as you approach 50 to 100 employees. The generalist and coordinator templates here are written specifically for small companies making an early HR hire.
Do I need an HR certification requirement in the job description?
Not always. Certifications like SHRM-CP, PHR, SPHR, and SHRM-SCP signal expertise and are valuable, but requiring one narrows your applicant pool. For most small business HR roles, including generalist and coordinator positions, a certification is best listed as preferred rather than required. Reserve certification requirements for senior roles like HR manager or director where strategic and compliance expertise is essential. Listing it as preferred lets you attract strong candidates without excluding capable HR professionals who have the experience but not the credential. Experience and a track record usually matter more than a certification for a hands-on small business role.
What salary range should I list for an HR role?
Set your range using government data as a baseline, then adjust for level and location. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, HR specialists earned a median annual wage of about $72,910 in May 2024, while HR managers earned a median of about $140,030. Coordinators and assistants sit below the specialist median, generalists fall in between, and directors sit above the manager median. A certification or specialized expertise typically commands a premium. Always include a range in your posting, since many states now require pay transparency and a clear range attracts more qualified applicants while filtering out mismatches early in the process.
How do I write an HR job description for a company without an HR department?
Describe the role as a generalist who owns the entire HR function rather than a specialist in one area. Be honest that this person will wear many hats: recruiting, onboarding, benefits, employee relations, and compliance, often as the only HR person reporting directly to the owner. Use realistic requirements rather than a long corporate wish list, and emphasize versatility and independence. If the workload does not justify a full-time hire, consider a part-time generalist or coordinator. The HR generalist and coordinator templates here are written specifically for companies of 5 to 50 people that are hiring HR for the first time without an existing department.
What is the difference between HR and human resources?
There is no difference. HR is simply the abbreviation for human resources, and the terms are used interchangeably. A human resources job description and an HR job description mean the same thing, and you will see both in job postings, on resumes, and in company org charts. When writing your posting, use whichever term your candidates are more likely to search, which is usually the full human resources in the formal title and HR in the body text. What matters far more than the wording is defining the specific role and level clearly, since human resources spans everything from an entry-level coordinator to a strategic director.
What happens after I hire an HR person?
Once a candidate accepts, the job description becomes the basis for the offer letter and the onboarding plan. An HR hire is slightly unusual because the person you onboard will soon run onboarding for everyone else, so a strong start sets the tone. Send the offer letter, collect signed paperwork, give them access to your systems and records, and set clear expectations for their first 90 days. Setting this up well pays off quickly, since your HR person becomes central to how the company runs. FirstHR handles the offer letter, document collection, and onboarding workflow in one place, so a small business can move a new HR hire from offer to fully effective even without an existing HR department.