Common Human Resources Job Titles in 2025

Are you feeling overwhelmed or confused by the many different titles used to label human resources (HR) jobs? We are here to provide clarity by explaining the most common HR job titles. There are two simple reasons for the countless job titles used today to label HR roles. The first is that there are many specialties within HR that have distinct roles and responsibilities.

The second is the emergence of trendy and creative titles. Hence, multiple titles are now being used to label the same roles and responsibilities. For example, traditional titles like human resources manager may now have creative and trendy titles such as people manager or talent manager.

Ultimately, the decision on which job titles to use is a personal one. Determine what is the best fit for your company culture and the best alignment with your other job titles and advancement opportunities.

Entry-Level HR Job Titles

There are many job titles for entry-level HR roles. College students or recent graduates may hold intern roles. Entry-level HR job titles will likely have one of these three words in it: associate, assistant, or coordinator. Many entry-level HR positions prefer or require an associate or bachelor’s degree in human resources, business, or a related field.

HR Intern

An internship is a temporary position for a predetermined length of time that may be held by a college student or recent graduate. HR intern roles are great ways to gain valuable, hands-on experience in multiple areas of HR, while developing professional skills. To determine if an internship should be paid or unpaid, use the internship fact sheet from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL).

HR Assistant

HR assistants perform administrative tasks to assist HR professionals at all levels. They typically work in many different areas of the employee lifecycle, from recruitment to retention, and maintain employee records. They may post job openings and help with payroll and benefits. This is one of the lowest HR positions, above an internship and lower than an associate or coordinator.

HR Coordinator

HR coordinators focus on higher-level administrative support and operational tasks either across all areas or in a specific area such as staffing, recruiting, or payroll. This role is at a higher level than an assistant.

• Staffing Coordinator: Handling schedules and the needs of the entire staff are the main functions of staffing coordinators.
• Recruiting Coordinator: Scheduling interviews and managing applicants during the recruitment process are handled by recruiting coordinators.
• Payroll Coordinator: Handling the many tasks involved in getting employees accurately and promptly paid is what payroll coordinators do.

HR Associate

HR associates are involved in many core HR functions and support HR managers. They handle a variety of administrative and supportive tasks throughout the employee lifecycle. An HR associate is a higher position than an HR assistant.

Mid-Level HR Job Titles

For HR professionals in the middle of their careers, there are many mid-level positions. These titles commonly include specialists, generalists, representatives, managers, or administrators.

HR Specialist

To become a human specialist, a bachelor’s degree is typically required. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook,  “Employment of human resources specialists is projected to grow 6 percent from 2024 to 2034, faster than the average for all occupations.”

HR specialists usually focus on one specific area within human resources, such as recruitment, employee relations, training, compensation, or data analysis. These specialist job titles commonly include:

• Talent Acquisition Specialist (Recruiter): Sourcing, vetting, hiring, onboarding, and training new employees are the focus of recruiters, also called talent acquisition specialists or staffing specialists. Staffing agencies can help recruiters find the best candidates to fill open positions.
• Employee Relations Specialist: Employee relations focuses on conflict resolution and prevention between employees and employers. These specialists focus on employee engagement, mediating disputes, conducting investigations, and ensuring compliance with labor laws.
• Training Specialist: Learning and development opportunities at a company can take many forms, including training and workshops. They are led by a training specialist or learning and development specialist who creates, delivers, and evaluates training and development programs.
• Compensation and Benefits Specialist: These specialists focus on overseeing base salary, payroll, benefits, and compensation packages. They set salary bands, ensure pay equity, and manage audits.
• Human Resources Information Specialist (HRIS): These professionals oversee the software and technology used in human resources and ensure the safety and security of employee data. They work closely with the IT department.
• HR Analyst: For human resources professionals who primarily focus on analyzing data and developing data-driven strategies, job titles may be HR analyst, HRIS analyst, or HR data scientist.

HR Representative (Personnel Representative)

HR representatives are the direct point of contact for employees. They answer many questions and handle employee-related issues throughout the entire employment lifecycle. They help new hires with the necessary paperwork and explain benefits.

HR Generalist

Unlike HR specialists who specialize in one area, HR Generalists handle many areas of human resources daily, ranging from hiring and onboarding to compliance. Their work involves the entire employee lifecycle and has a significant impact on the employee experience. They are a key point of contact for both employees and managers, answering questions about HR policies. In a small business, an HR generalist may be the main person handling human resources.

HR Manager

HR managers handle daily operations similar to those of an HR generalist, but they also handle administration in HR. They may specialize in one area, such as talent acquisition, employee relations, training and development, or safety. The specialty area will be reflected in the job title. For example, a talent acquisition manager focuses on recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and training talent.

Personnel managers or staffing managers are other names for HR managers. HR managers may supervise some employees with entry-level or mid-level HR job titles and may be higher in the organizational hierarchy than a generalist. In a small business or new business, all HR functions could be handled by one person, called an HR manager or HR generalist.

Senior-Level HR Job Titles

There are many varying roles for senior-level positions within human resources. Organizational charts may vary depending on the size of the organization and job titles. When viewing a hierarchy chart for leadership roles in HR, this is usually the order from top down:

1. Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO)
2. Vice President of HR
3. Director of HR
4. HR Business Partner (HRBP)
5. HR Manager

HR Business Partner (HRBP)

HR business partners (HRBP) collaborate with the company’s executives as strategic advisors to ensure that HR strategies effectively support the company’s goals. They use a broad perspective to focus on long-term strategies that align with business goals.

HR Director

HR directors are in leadership roles that oversee either the entire human resources department or one specialization area, such as a recruiting director. HR directors focus on strategic approaches, while HR managers focus on daily operations. HR directors oversee managers and report to the VP of HR.

Vice President (VP) of HR

The VP oversees the director and reports to the chief human resource officer. They focus on working with the executive team, overseeing company culture, and aligning HR strategies with business goals.

Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO)

The chief human resource officer (CHRO) is the highest job title in human resources, reporting directly to the CEO, CFO, COO, or president of the company. They directly oversee vice presidents. They may also be called chief people officers (CPO), chief talent officers (CTO), or chief human capital officers (CHCO). They collaborate with the executive team, oversee HR and employee needs, and focus on HR strategies.

Chief Diversity Officer (CDO)

Chief diversity officers are responsible for leading diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at the company. CDOs oversee the strategic effort to ensure that employees from all backgrounds feel celebrated, valued, respected, accepted, and treated fairly. They may also be called chief DEIB officers. CDOs report to the CHRO, CEO, or president and work closely with the executive team.

Traditional vs. Trendy Titles

Currently, many employers choose to replace traditional human resources job titles with more trendy and creative ones. Traditional titles use words such as human resources, personnel, staffing, or employee. Trendy titles use terms such as people, talent, capital, workforce, happiness, employee experience, and DEI.

Refind has a comprehensive list of HR job titles in three categories: traditional, modern and trendy, and creative and quirky job titles. Examples of trendy titles include talent guru, culture champion, chief happiness officer, and employee success manager.  Examples of creative and quirky titles include culture curator, employee happiness engineer, and head of vibes.

Regardless of the chosen job titles, what matters most is the role and responsibilities of the position. Employers should provide detailed job descriptions and an organizational chart, so all employees can easily view the hierarchy. Human resources professionals, especially entry-level and mid-level employees, will benefit from clear career paths for advancement. With multiple senior leadership positions in HR, there are many career growth opportunities within the field.