HR Generalist CV Example
For versatile HR professionals covering the full spectrum of HR functions including recruitment, employee relations, performance management, and compliance. Demonstrates your breadth of HR knowledge and practical experience.
Recommended template: VibrantPro
Key Skills to Include
Quick Tips
- Showcase your breadth by listing the full range of HR functions you have handled independently.
- Include your CIPD qualification level and any specialist HR certifications or training.
- Highlight your ability to work autonomously, particularly if you have been the sole HR professional in an organisation.
- Demonstrate your understanding of current employment legislation and best practices.
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Upgrade to ProHow to Write Your HR Generalist CV
An HR generalist CV should demonstrate the breadth and versatility that makes you effective across all areas of HR. Unlike specialist roles, generalists need to show competence in recruitment, employee relations, performance management, training, and compliance all at once. Your CV should convey that you can handle the full employee lifecycle and adapt to the varied demands of a standalone or team-based HR function.
CV Structure
Use a reverse-chronological format with a profile that emphasises your breadth. For each role, describe the organisation, employee headcount, and whether you were part of a team or the sole HR professional. List responsibilities covering the full range of HR activities. Include two to three achievements that demonstrate your impact across different HR areas. Two pages is standard.
CV Format
Choose a professional template that is organised and easy to scan. HR generalist roles attract many applicants, so your CV needs to stand out through clarity and impact. Ensure your CIPD qualification is visible and your achievements are clearly separated from responsibilities. Save as a PDF.
CV Profile Examples
Experienced HR Generalist
Versatile CIPD Level 5 qualified HR generalist with seven years of experience managing the full employee lifecycle across recruitment, onboarding, employee relations, performance management, and offboarding. Experienced as the sole HR professional in SME environments and as part of larger HR teams in corporate settings. Known for balancing operational delivery with strategic input to support organisational growth.
HR Generalist — SME
Hands-on HR generalist with five years of experience as the sole HR professional for a growing technology company, building HR processes from the ground up for a workforce that expanded from 40 to 120 employees. Proficient in BambooHR, skilled in employment law application, and experienced in creating an employee-centric culture while ensuring full regulatory compliance. CIPD Level 5 qualified.
HR Generalist — Multi-Sector
Adaptable HR generalist with six years of experience across healthcare, retail, and professional services sectors. Skilled in managing disciplinary and grievance procedures, coordinating learning and development programmes, and supporting senior leadership with workforce planning. Combines strong operational HR capabilities with a collaborative and approachable advisory style.
Emphasise your versatility by mentioning the range of HR functions you cover. State your CIPD qualification level, years of experience, and the types of organisations you have worked in. If you have experience as a sole HR professional, highlight this as it demonstrates independence and breadth.
Key Skills for Your HR Generalist CV
Full HR Lifecycle
Managing every stage of the employee journey from attraction and recruitment through to development, retention, and exit.
Recruitment & Selection
Running end-to-end recruitment processes including job design, advertising, screening, interviewing, and offer management.
Performance Management
Implementing and administering performance review processes, objective setting, and development planning.
Employee Relations
Advising on and managing workplace issues including conduct, capability, grievance, and absence.
HR Policy Implementation
Developing, communicating, and embedding HR policies that comply with legislation and support organisational culture.
Training Coordination
Identifying training needs, sourcing providers, and coordinating learning and development activities for staff.
Compliance & Reporting
Ensuring HR practices comply with employment legislation and producing workforce data for management reporting.
HRIS Management
Administering HR information systems for record keeping, reporting, and process automation.
Workforce Planning
Analysing workforce data to support headcount planning, succession planning, and resource allocation decisions.
Work Experience Examples
Show the full range of your HR work in each role description. Cover recruitment, ER, performance management, training, and compliance. Include achievements that span different HR areas to demonstrate that your impact is not limited to one specialism. Quantify where possible — hire volumes, turnover reductions, engagement scores, and cost savings.
HR Generalist
Oakwood Digital Solutions Ltd
Served as the sole HR professional for a fast-growing digital agency, managing all people operations for 95 employees across London and Manchester offices.
Responsibilities
- Managed end-to-end recruitment for all roles from junior developer to senior director level, handling approximately 30 hires per year.
- Provided first-line employee relations advice to managers on disciplinary, grievance, absence, and performance issues.
- Designed and implemented the company's HR policy framework, creating 18 policies covering every aspect of the employment relationship.
- Coordinated the annual performance review process, training managers on objective setting and conducting calibration sessions.
- Administered the HRIS (BambooHR), maintaining employee records and producing monthly people metrics for the leadership team.
Achievements
- Built the entire HR function from scratch as the company grew from 40 to 95 employees, establishing processes that scaled with the business.
- Reduced time-to-hire from 52 days to 30 days by introducing structured interviews, competency frameworks, and a dedicated careers page.
- Achieved an employee engagement score of 82% in the first company-wide survey, above the technology sector average of 74%.
HR Officer
Meridian Care Group
Provided generalist HR support for a residential care group with 350 employees across six care homes in the East Midlands.
Responsibilities
- Supported home managers with employee relations casework including disciplinaries, grievances, and long-term absence management.
- Managed the recruitment process for care staff, coordinating DBS checks, reference verification, and CQC-compliant onboarding.
- Delivered new manager induction training covering HR policies, employment law basics, and managing performance effectively.
- Compiled monthly workforce reports including vacancy rates, agency spend, turnover, and training compliance statistics.
Achievements
- Reduced agency staff usage by 25% within one year by improving the recruitment process and introducing a staff referral scheme that generated 30 successful hires.
- Designed a return-to-work interview framework that contributed to a 15% reduction in short-term absence across all six sites.
Education & Qualifications
Lead with your CIPD qualification, followed by your degree. Include any additional training in specialist areas such as employment law, mediation, or HR analytics. Generalists benefit from showing breadth in their professional development as well as their work experience.
CIPD Level 5 Associate Diploma
The standard qualification for experienced HR generalists, covering people management practice and employment law.
CIPD Level 3 Foundation Certificate
Entry-level CIPD qualification for those building foundational HR knowledge.
Mental Health First Aid
Training in supporting employee mental health and wellbeing, increasingly valued in HR generalist roles.
Workplace Investigation Certificate
Specialist training in conducting fair, thorough workplace investigations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a good HR generalist CV?
How do I show I can work as a standalone HR professional?
Should I specialise or stay as a generalist?
How important is CIPD qualification for an HR generalist?
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