Top 12 Human Resources Generalist Skills to Put on Your Resume

Aspiring to excel in Human Resources takes a nimble mix of people sense, data fluency, and system savvy. This guide walks through the 12 core skills a Human Resources Generalist should spotlight on a resume to cut through the noise and deliver real impact inside the organization.

Human Resources Generalist Skills

1. Workday
2. PeopleSoft
3. ADP Workforce
4. BambooHR
5. UltiPro (UKG Pro)
6. Kronos (UKG)
7. SAP SuccessFactors
8. Oracle HCM
9. LinkedIn Recruiting
10. Microsoft Excel
11. Conflict Resolution
12. Diversity & Inclusion

1. Workday

Workday is a cloud HCM platform that unifies HR, payroll, time, benefits, talent, and analytics. One system. One source of truth. Less swivel chair, more flow.

Why It's Important

It centralizes employee data, tightens compliance, speeds recruiting and onboarding, and gives leaders real-time visibility for faster people decisions.

How to Improve Workday Skills

1. Tailor dashboards: Surface the KPIs you actually use—headcount, time-to-fill, turnover, comp ratios—so insight is two clicks away.

2. Automate the grind: Build workflows for onboarding, change requests, time approvals, and benefits events to reduce manual touchpoints.

3. Strengthen integrations: Connect Workday with payroll, ATS, LMS, and identity tools to cut duplicate entry and data drift.

4. Master security: Tighten roles, domains, and business process permissions to protect sensitive data without slowing work.

5. Keep learning: Track release notes, test new features in sandboxes, and document internal best practices.

Small improvements compound fast when the core system runs clean.

How to Display Workday Skills on Your Resume

2. PeopleSoft

PeopleSoft is a robust suite for HR, payroll, benefits, and talent, widely used in large, complex environments that value stability and deep configurability.

Why It's Important

It supports end-to-end HR operations, from core records to payroll runs to self-service, with strong controls and mature workflows.

How to Improve PeopleSoft Skills

1. Stay current: Apply image updates and patches to gain features, security fixes, and performance boosts.

2. Use Fluid UI: Modernize pages for mobile-friendly self-service and cleaner user journeys.

3. Expand self-service: Shift address changes, time entry, open enrollment, and PTO into employee and manager workflows.

4. Lean on analytics: Build queries and dashboards that answer everyday HR questions without ad hoc exports.

5. Tighten security: Review roles and permission lists regularly; close gaps, minimize access sprawl.

6. Automate processes: Configure approvals and notifications for onboarding, transfers, and terminations to reduce cycle time.

Configure once, save thousands of clicks.

How to Display PeopleSoft Skills on Your Resume

3. ADP Workforce

ADP Workforce Now is a cloud platform covering HR, payroll, time, benefits, talent, and compliance for small to large organizations.

Why It's Important

It streamlines payroll accuracy, benefits enrollment, time tracking, and regulatory reporting, freeing HR to focus on people strategy.

How to Improve ADP Workforce Skills

1. Deepen training: Learn admin features end to end—pay codes, GL mapping, retro rules, open enrollment setup.

2. Customize dashboards: Highlight compliance alerts, pending approvals, and payroll variances to catch issues early.

3. Automate routine: Use schedules, templates, and recurring workflows for payroll cycles and benefits events.

4. Integrate systems: Connect HRIS, ATS, and accounting so data flows without rekeying.

5. Leverage analytics: Trend overtime, turnover, and headcount changes to guide workforce planning.

6. Track updates: Adopt new features and regulatory changes promptly; document internal SOPs.

Accuracy in, trust out. The payroll engine hums when inputs are disciplined.

How to Display ADP Workforce Skills on Your Resume

4. BambooHR

BambooHR is an HRIS built for small and midsize teams—employee records, time off, hiring, onboarding, and performance in a clean interface.

Why It's Important

It centralizes people data and lightens admin work so HR can spend more time on culture, development, and retention.

How to Improve BambooHR Skills

1. Customize smartly: Add fields, tweak forms, and standardize workflows to match how your organization actually operates.

2. Connect the stack: Integrate payroll, background checks, and ATS tools to collapse handoffs and reduce errors.

3. Use reports: Monitor hiring velocity, PTO patterns, and turnover drivers; share simple dashboards with leaders.

4. Automate onboarding: Preboard tasks, e-sign docs, and schedule check-ins to boost day-one readiness.

5. Keep skills fresh: Attend vendor webinars, release briefings, and user groups; iterate your setup quarterly.

6. Collect feedback: Ask employees where friction hides in self-service and fix the rough edges.

Simple, consistent workflows make compliance and experience play nicely together.

How to Display BambooHR Skills on Your Resume

5. UltiPro (UKG Pro)

UltiPro, now UKG Pro, is a full HCM suite spanning HR, payroll, benefits, time, talent, and people analytics.

Why It's Important

It brings core HR and talent processes into one ecosystem, enabling better data integrity and richer insights for leaders.

How to Improve UltiPro Skills

1. Learn the full suite: Explore comp planning, benefits life events, performance, and succession—not just HR core.

2. Automate lifecycle events: Build workflows for hire-to-retire steps, including provisioning, approvals, and offboarding tasks.

3. Use People Analytics: Standardize metrics, schedule reports, and build trend dashboards for executive consumption.

4. Refine integrations: Sync with payroll, time, LMS, and SSO to keep data consistent and secure.

5. Establish a feedback loop: Gather input from managers and employees; tune forms, notifications, and steps accordingly.

6. Adopt new releases: Test features in non-prod first, then roll out with change notes and quick guides.

Less manual work, more momentum across the employee journey.

How to Display UltiPro Skills on Your Resume

6. Kronos (UKG)

Kronos, now part of UKG, delivers workforce management—timekeeping, scheduling, leave, and labor optimization—often alongside HCM.

Why It's Important

It controls labor costs, boosts coverage accuracy, and provides defensible records for compliance and audits.

How to Improve Kronos Skills

1. Role-based training: Equip managers, schedulers, and employees with targeted guides; reduce errors where they originate.

2. Promote mobile: Enable punches, schedules, and PTO requests on phones to raise adoption and data quality.

3. Automate scheduling: Use labor demand and compliance rules to generate schedules that meet both law and workload.

4. Tight integrations: Sync time with payroll and HRIS to eliminate mismatches and rework.

5. Keep current: Apply updates for new rules and features; validate pay policies after each release.

6. Report relentlessly: Track exceptions, missed punches, and overtime trends; coach managers with clear insights.

Right people, right place, right time—backed by clean time data.

How to Display Kronos Skills on Your Resume

7. SAP SuccessFactors

SuccessFactors is a cloud HR suite for core HR, payroll, learning, performance, recruiting, and people analytics—built for global scale.

Why It's Important

It unifies talent processes with core data, helping organizations standardize practices while respecting local requirements.

How to Improve SAP SuccessFactors Skills

1. Integrate thoughtfully: Map data flows with payroll, finance, and identity systems to prevent duplication and drift.

2. Tailor configurations: Align forms, competencies, routes, and permissions with your culture and governance.

3. Train widely: Provide just-in-time guides for recruiters, managers, and employees to raise adoption.

4. Use People Analytics: Standardize metrics, set prompts and stories, and publish dashboards on cadence.

5. Iterate with feedback: Collect pain points post-cycle (reviews, merit, hiring) and adjust before the next run.

6. Track releases: Review biannual changes, test impacts, and communicate what's new clearly.

Process clarity plus analytics turns HR data into decisions.

How to Display SAP SuccessFactors Skills on Your Resume

8. Oracle HCM

Oracle HCM Cloud covers core HR, payroll, talent, benefits, time, and strong analytics with enterprise-grade security.

Why It's Important

It centralizes people operations at scale, enabling consistent processes and a single data model across regions.

How to Improve Oracle HCM Skills

1. Configure, don’t customize: Favor delivered configuration to simplify upgrades and reduce tech debt.

2. Map integrations: Use secure APIs and flat-file jobs for dependable, auditable data exchange.

3. Invest in training: Build internal champions; document playbooks for common tasks and troubleshooting.

4. Elevate analytics: Design KPIs and dashboards that leaders actually use—time-to-fill, internal mobility, comp coverage.

5. Govern security: Review roles and data access routinely; log and monitor changes.

When setup mirrors policy, compliance becomes a byproduct.

How to Display Oracle HCM Skills on Your Resume

9. LinkedIn Recruiting

LinkedIn’s talent tools help you source, outreach, and nurture candidates, while amplifying your employer brand.

Why It's Important

Access to a massive professional network, precise search filters, and messaging that reaches passive talent—this is where many top hires start.

How to Improve LinkedIn Recruiting Skills

1. Optimize your company page: Show culture, career paths, and impact—people apply to what they can picture.

2. Master search: Combine skills, titles, locations, and industries; save searches and set alerts.

3. Personalize outreach: Mention relevant work, common connections, or mission fit; keep it short and human.

4. Activate employee networks: Encourage shares and referrals; expand reach with authentic voices.

5. Use Recruiter tools: Pipelines, projects, and notes keep teams aligned and candidates warm.

6. Write sharp job posts: Clear outcomes, growth, and flexibility; avoid jargon, state must-haves vs. nice-to-haves.

7. Nurture, don’t spam: Engage with candidate content and follow up thoughtfully; build a bench before roles open.

Great messages win attention; great follow-through wins hires.

How to Display LinkedIn Recruiting Skills on Your Resume

10. Microsoft Excel

Excel is the HR Swiss Army knife—data cleaning, analysis, modeling, and polished reporting without a heavy lift.

Why It's Important

From headcount reconciliation to merit modeling to turnover analysis, Excel speeds answers and supports decisions.

How to Improve Microsoft Excel Skills

1. Level up formulas: Get fluent with INDEX/XMATCH, XLOOKUP, SUMIFS, IF/IFS, and TEXT functions.

2. Pivots and Power Query: Summarize fast and transform messy data into clean tables you can trust.

3. Data validation: Control inputs and reduce errors with lists, rules, and input messages.

4. Conditional formatting: Spotlight trends and outliers—turn raw grids into readable stories.

5. Charts that speak: Use the right visuals (lines, bars, waterfalls) and keep them uncluttered.

6. Macros/VBA (when needed): Automate repetitive steps; document and secure any scripts you keep.

Clean structure plus version control keeps spreadsheets from going feral.

How to Display Microsoft Excel Skills on Your Resume

11. Conflict Resolution

Conflict resolution is the craft of surfacing issues, guiding tough conversations, and landing on agreements people can live with—without torching trust.

Why It's Important

Handled early and fairly, conflict can sharpen teams, lower stress, and prevent performance rot.

How to Improve Conflict Resolution Skills

1. Listen first: Let each person share their view fully; reflect back what you heard to confirm accuracy.

2. Lead with empathy: Acknowledge feelings and context; people calm down when they feel understood.

3. Focus on outcomes: Move from blame to needs, options, and practical next steps.

4. Stay neutral: Facilitate, don’t litigate; set ground rules and keep the process fair.

5. Close with clarity: Document agreements, owners, and timelines; follow up to ensure behavior sticks.

Respect plus structure turns friction into progress.

How to Display Conflict Resolution Skills on Your Resume

12. Diversity & Inclusion

Diversity and Inclusion means building a workplace where different backgrounds and perspectives are welcomed, respected, and empowered to contribute—and belong.

Why It's Important

Inclusive teams think broader, out-innovate peers, and retain talent longer. It’s good ethics and good business.

How to Improve Diversity & Inclusion Skills

1. Assess reality: Audit policies, representation, pay equity, and employee sentiment; identify gaps clearly.

2. Educate often: Offer training on bias, cultural intelligence, inclusive feedback, and accessible communication.

3. Broaden recruiting: Diversify sourcing channels, standardize interviews, and write inclusive job posts.

4. Modernize policies: Update benefits, flexible work, accommodations, and anti-harassment procedures.

5. Support ERGs: Resource employee groups and listen to their insights; act on what you learn.

6. Measure and share: Set goals, track progress, and hold leaders accountable; transparency builds trust.

7. Iterate continuously: Collect feedback, learn from misses, and keep adjusting—this work never pauses.

Inclusion is a system, not a slogan. Build it into how decisions get made.

How to Display Diversity & Inclusion Skills on Your Resume