Choosing the Right Titles for People Can Make a Difference

Have you ever considered how titles for people can create the rules for how to deal with them? People who work in Human Resources are far too familiar with the struggle to find the correct name for positions in the workplace. The name for the Human Resources field itself has made people wonder if the field has the correct name.

What’s at the center of the debate? One thing that contributes to the discussion is whether we should continue to call the field human resources. Should we consider changing the name to a different option that uses people or culture as part of the title?

Common Titles for People in HR in the United States

Studies indicate that even though people in HR may be ready for title changes, the most popular titles for people still center around human resources rather than using other terms. Here are the common titles for people in HR, along with what someone in each position does.

Chief Human Resources Officer 

The Chief Human Resources Officer is sometimes called the Vice President of Human Resources. This title goes to the highest level HR person. They report directly to the owner or CEO of the company. This person is in charge of the entire HR team. They develop strategies for hiring new team members, set guidelines for training employees, and oversee employee payroll and benefits.

Chief People Officer

The title Chief People Officer is sometimes used interchangeably with the title Chief Human Resources Officer. This title for people can also be used interchangeably with Vice President of Human Resources. This is an executive human resources position.

Chief Talent Officer

The Chief Talent Officer is another title for people in the top-level human resources position in some companies. This person usually reports to the chief human resources officer or the company’s CEO. They are responsible for attracting and acquiring new talent. They are also responsible for leadership development programs.

Chief Diversity Officer

The title for the person in charge of ensuring the workplace is diverse and inclusive is the chief diversity officer. They are the person responsible for ensuring compliance with labor laws and fair hiring practices. Fortune 500 companies use these titles for people, but smaller companies may call this person the VP of diversity.

HR Director

The HR director is the person in charge of managing employee relations. They are responsible for multiple levels of the hiring process, including handling personnel budgets, compliance with various laws and guidelines, and keeping the appropriate number of people on staff. The HR director is also in charge of payroll and benefits. Larger companies may have multiple people with the title HR director, while smaller companies may use this position to help ensure the working environment is satisfactory for creating thriving employees.

Director of Recruiting

Director of Recruiting is another title for people who do the hiring. The person in this position is in charge of the hiring aspects of the business. They set the hiring strategy along with the HR director or the business owner. This person can also find and implement software or technology that can improve the hiring process.

HR Generalist

Human Resources Generalist is the title for people who are responsible for the daily management of human resources operations. This person manages the administration of procedures, policies, and company programs. They are also in charge of staff recruiting and logistics.

Corporate Recruiter

This title for people in HR applies to an internal employee who does the recruiting for a single company. This person works closely with hiring managers to define the needs of the company and create a structure for a recruitment plan. This person is responsible for communicating with recruits and short-listing the ones who meet the criteria for being interviewed and subsequently hired.

HR Manager

The HR Manager is the title for people who are focused more on training and onboarding. This person is a supervisor for staff, and they help to troubleshoot issues that happen in the workplace. They are involved with some recruiting functions, but those are typically left to the Recruiting Manager.

Recruiting Manager

The recruiting manager can have one of two roles. In a larger company, they will oversee multiple recruiters. In a smaller company, this title is for people who handle the recruitment process themselves. They post job openings, conduct interviews, make job offers, and oversee the hiring budget and the strategy for hiring new team members.

Compensation and Benefits Manager

This position handles the compensation and benefits packages for the entire company. They handled payroll. The compensation and benefits manager is responsible for selecting the insurance providers the company works with. They help employees enroll in insurance plans and help decide how each person within the company is compensated for their time and effort. This person should be experienced in HR regulations and policies.

Human Resource Information Specialist

This title is for people who have both HR knowledge and technical abilities. They are responsible for overseeing the use of technology and recruitment software. The human resource information specialist coordinates with the IT department to keep employee data private and safe.

Recruiter

This title for people applies to the person who is responsible for finding, vetting, and hiring new team members. Some businesses will use a staffing agency instead of having in-house recruiters. Other companies are small enough to have just a recruiting manager and no additional recruiters.

HR Coordinator

The HR coordinator is sometimes called the HR Generalist. This title is for people who oversee all the aspects of human resources. They create company policies and help to improve employee relations. This is a title for people who help to plan company retreats or facilitate an inclusive work environment.

Headhunter

A headhunter works for an agency outside the company. They are charged with finding, vetting, and presenting candidates to the HR department for open positions. Sometimes you will hear these people referred to as contract recruiters.

Technical Recruiter

A technical recruiter is also known as an Information Technology Recruiter. Their responsibility is to find and vet candidates for technical positions within a company. They use specialized tech knowledge to choose the right candidates who are qualified for IT positions.

Unique HR Titles for People in the US

Some of the most unique HR titles include:

• Head of Talent and Culture
• Talent and Culture Director
• Employee Experience and Culture Value Manager

Popular Titles for People in HR in the UK

The United States is not the only country with HR departments and hiring practices. Here are the popular titles for people in HR departments in the UK.

• HR Manager
• HR Advisor
• Learning and Development Officer
• Resourcing Business Partner
• HR Business Partner
• HR Officer
• HR Generalist
• HR Consultant
• HR Coordinator
• HR Administrator

The unique titles of people working in HR in the UK include the following:

• Head of People
• Head of Organisational Development
• Employee Engagement Advisor

Titles for People in HR in Australia

Australia also has its own popular and unique titles for people who work in HR. First, here are the popular titles for HR professionals in Australia.

• HR Business Partner
• Head of People & Culture
• Care Service Employee
• Learning and Development Advisor
• Human Resources Advisor
• Human Resources Coordinator
• Learning and Development Manager
• Human Resources Manager
• Human Resources Officer
• People & Culture Advisor

Unique titles for people working in HR in Australia include the following:

• Employee Experience Advisor
• Manager People, Performance, and Culture
• Culture, Diversity & Engagement Manager

What the Information About Titles for People Means

When we look at the titles for people in the United States, the UK, and Australia, we see that the term Human Resources is still prevalent in selecting the titles for people who are in charge of the hiring and benefits of employees. People who work in human resources have been trying to push for new titles that better illustrate the current hiring culture. However, it would appear that the business world is not yet ready for the transition to other terminology.

In our data searches, we discovered that the United States had the most unique titles for people in the human resources industry. Head of Talent & Culture won our vote for most unique. It would appear that more significant numbers of start-ups affect the culture that drives the terminology surrounding Human Resources departments.

In the UK, employers should be ready for the challenges associated with the current workplace. In Australia, employers are already making a move to include terms such as People and Culture on their list of titles for people. That means that Australia seems to be ready to change the terminology that drives its human resources departments.

The Takeaway

The titles for people in the Human Resources department change, but the job is still the same no matter what you label it. Human Resources personnel are tasked with finding, vetting, and hiring qualified candidates to fill out the team within the company. The eLeaP continuous performance management system provides organizations with powerful options to attract and retain high caliber team members.