Generalist or Specialist?
by Roberta Chinsky Matuson
Candidates seeking advice on HR careers often ask if it is better to pursue generalist careers or become specialists. My response is always the same: "It depends." Here are five important questions to ask yourself before mapping out your HR career path.
Am I the type of person that needs a lot of diversity in my job?
If you find that you get bored doing the same thing twice, then the generalist role might be more suited to you. As a generalist, you are required to wear many different hats. One minute you may find yourself negotiating the employee benefit package for your company, and the next you could be conducting a training program for your line managers. Generalists tend to get their hands into everything.
How well do you respond to unpredictability?
When you are a generalist, you often start your day doing one thing and wind up doing something totally different. For example, you might start to work on a compensation plan, only to find that you need to stop everything to deal with a line manager's emergency employee relations situation. Some people find the unpredictability a bit unsettling, because it seems as if you never get to fully complete tasks. Others find it exhilarating. Which type of person are you?
How detail-oriented are you?
Most specialist positions require you to be very detail-oriented. For example, benefits specialists need to know the intimate details of the company's benefit plans. You are perceived as the company expert in a specific area, and people rely on you to give them informed answers to their questions. This means knowing things inside and out. Does this fit your personality?
