How to hire human resources managers
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Advise managers on organizational policy matters, such as equal employment opportunity and sexual harassment, and recommend needed changes. • Analyze and modify compensation and benefits policies to establish competitive programs and ensure compliance with legal requirements. • Negotiate bargaining agreements and help interpret labor contracts. • Perform difficult staffing duties, including dealing with understaffing, refereeing disputes, firing employees, and administering disciplinary procedures. • Plan and conduct new employee orientation to foster positive attitude toward organizational objectives. • Plan, direct, supervise, and coordinate work activities of subordinates and staff relating to employment, compensation, labor relations, and employee relations. • Represent organization at personnel-related hearings and investigations. • Serve as a link between management and employees by handling questions, interpreting and administering contracts and helping resolve work-related problems. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Bachelor's degree] • Strong active listening, reading comprehension, speaking, writing, active learning and critical thinking skills • Working knowledge of personnel and human resources, English Language, administration and management and customer and personal service • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $71.77 an hour ($149,280 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for human resources managers
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to advise managers on organizational policy matters, such as equal employment opportunity and sexual harassment, and recommend needed changes. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to analyze and modify compensation and benefits policies to establish competitive programs and ensure compliance with legal requirements. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to negotiate bargaining agreements and help interpret labor contracts. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to perform difficult staffing duties, including dealing with understaffing, refereeing disputes, firing employees, and administering disciplinary procedures. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
- Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What human resources managers do
- Advise managers on organizational policy matters, such as equal employment opportunity and sexual harassment, and recommend needed changes.
- Analyze and modify compensation and benefits policies to establish competitive programs and ensure compliance with legal requirements.
- Negotiate bargaining agreements and help interpret labor contracts.
- Perform difficult staffing duties, including dealing with understaffing, refereeing disputes, firing employees, and administering disciplinary procedures.
- Plan and conduct new employee orientation to foster positive attitude toward organizational objectives.
- Plan, direct, supervise, and coordinate work activities of subordinates and staff relating to employment, compensation, labor relations, and employee relations.
- Represent organization at personnel-related hearings and investigations.
- Serve as a link between management and employees by handling questions, interpreting and administering contracts and helping resolve work-related problems.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for human resources managers
- Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree (BLS)
- Experience usually needed to start: 5 years or more (BLS)
- Job outlook: +5.5% over ten years, faster than average · about 16,800 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay human resources managers
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $184,350 |
| Massachusetts | $181,780 |
| New York | $176,650 |
| New Jersey | $172,440 |
| California | $170,080 |
| Arkansas | $108,580 |
| Louisiana | $107,880 |
| Mississippi | $106,100 |
See human resources managers pay in every state
Related hiring guides
- Administrative Services Managers
- Facilities Managers
- Computer and Information Systems Managers
- Financial Managers
- Industrial Production Managers
- Purchasing Managers
- Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers
- Compensation and Benefits Managers
- Training and Development Managers
Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.