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HR manager resume example

An HR manager’s resume with twelve years of experience and five running HR for a mid-sized company. Executives hiring an HR manager want someone who can run the function and solve the business’s people problems, so the bullets show cost, turnover and labor results alongside the team.

HR manager resume example, page 1 of 2DESMOND OKONJOHR Managerdesmond.okonjo@example.com | (816) 555-0137 | Kansas City, MO | linkedin.com/in/desmondokonjoSUMMARYHR manager with twelve years in HR, the last five running the function for a 900-person cold storage anddistribution company with three facilities. I lead a team of four, keep benefits costs in check, and work withoperations leaders to hire and keep people in hard warehouse jobs. SPHR.EXPERIENCEHR ManagerFeb 2021 – PresentHeartland Cold StorageKansas City, MO•Lead HR for 900 employees in Missouri and Kansas with a team of 4 (generalist, recruiter, HR coordinator,payroll specialist), reporting to the CFO.•Cut annual warehouse turnover from 72% to 46% with a new pay structure, a shift-preference system andsupervisor training for 45 leads.•Held the 2026 medical renewal to a 3.5% increase against a 9% initial quote by changing carriers, adding awellness incentive and remarketing the stop-loss.•Served on the company bargaining team for a 3-year agreement covering 210 union employees, settledwithout a work stoppage.•Brought workers’ compensation costs down 30% in two years with safety and a light-duty return-to-workprogram.HR GeneralistJun 2016 – Jan 2021Prairie Fire FoodsOlathe, KS•HR for a 600-person food plant on three shifts; handled 60 employee relations cases a year.•Implemented UKG Pro for HR, payroll and timekeeping, replacing paper timecards.•Rebuilt the onboarding program, cutting 90-day turnover from 40% to 26%.HR AssistantAug 2014 – May 2016Northland Health PartnersKansas City, MO•Processed onboarding and records for a 1,200-person clinic network.EDUCATIONB.S. in Business Administration2010 – 2014University of Missouri-Kansas CityKansas City, MOCERTIFICATIONSSenior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR)2022HRCIProfessional in Human Resources (PHR)2018HRCIDesmond Okonjo · 1 / 2
HR manager resume example, page 2 of 2SKILLSHR team leadership · Benefits strategy and renewals · Labor relations · Compensation structures ·Employee relations · Workers’ compensation · Recruiting for hourly roles · UKG Pro · HR budgeting ·Policy and handbook · OSHA recordkeeping · HR metricsDesmond Okonjo · 2 / 2
HR managerUse this example

What recruiters look for

  • Scope: headcount, locations, states, union or non-union, and who you report to.
  • The team you lead: how many people, which roles, and how you developed them.
  • Cost control: benefits renewals, workers’ compensation, overtime or agency spend. Finance-minded HR managers stand out.
  • People results: turnover, time to fill, engagement, absenteeism, with before and after numbers.
  • Risk management: compliance, investigations, labor relations, layoffs handled without claims.

Writing the summary

Give your years in HR, years leading the function, the size and type of business and your team. Add the problem you are known for solving and your certification.

The summary in this example

HR manager with twelve years in HR, the last five running the function for a 900-person cold storage and distribution company with three facilities. I lead a team of four, keep benefits costs in check, and work with operations leaders to hire and keep people in hard warehouse jobs. SPHR.

First HR manager role, the only HR person

HR generalist with six years of experience, now the only HR professional at a 180-person engineering firm. I handle everything from benefits renewals to investigations and want to build and lead an HR team at a growing company.

HR manager in healthcare

HR manager with ten years in healthcare HR, now leading a team of 6 for a 1,500-employee hospital. I cut nurse turnover by 9 points in two years and keep the hospital ready for Joint Commission and state surveys.

Bullet points that work

Strong lines for this role, beyond the ones in the example. Borrow the shape and put in your own numbers.

  • Reduced overtime by $640,000 a year by hiring a float pool of 25 part-time associates.
  • Built the company’s first salary bands for 140 jobs, closing 18 pay equity gaps within budget.
  • Moved HR, payroll and benefits onto one HRIS, cutting administrative time by 15 hours a week.
  • Kept 300 employees informed during a union organizing campaign with counsel, running town halls and training 40 supervisors on what the law lets them say.
  • Lowered the OSHA recordable rate from 5.2 to 2.9 in 2 years with the safety manager.
  • Developed 2 HR team members into generalist roles within 18 months.
  • Saved $180,000 a year on recruiting by replacing 3 staffing agencies with an in-house hiring event program.
  • Introduced annual engagement surveys and manager action plans; participation reached 81%.
  • Led HR due diligence and integration for a 120-person acquisition, completing benefits and payroll transfer in 60 days.

Skills to list

Hard skills

  • Running the full HR function
  • Benefits renewals and broker management
  • Compensation structures and pay equity
  • Employee and labor relations
  • Federal and state employment law
  • HRIS selection and implementation
  • HR budgets and reporting
  • Workers’ compensation and safety partnership

Soft skills

  • Leading and developing an HR team
  • Advising executives
  • Calm in conflict
  • Fair, consistent decisions

Certifications and licenses worth listing

  • SPHR or SHRM-SCP: the senior credentials; expected or preferred for many HR manager roles.
  • PHR or SHRM-CP: acceptable if you are newer to management; list it until you upgrade.
  • Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS): valuable if benefits strategy is a big part of the job.

Length and format

One or two pages. With over ten years in HR, two pages let you show your current role in full and your earlier generalist work briefly. Keep the team size and the two biggest results in the top third.

Common mistakes

  • Writing as an individual contributor. Say what your team did and how you led it.
  • No money on the page. HR managers control large costs; show the ones you lowered.
  • Listing labor relations without the outcome. Say what was settled and how.
  • Using “union avoidance” language carelessly. Describe lawful, positive employee relations work instead.
  • Ignoring the business. Mention what the company does and how HR helped it grow or run better.

Questions and answers

What should an HR manager resume focus on?

The scope of the function, the team you lead, and three or four people results tied to the business: turnover, cost, time to fill, compliance. Lead with those, then the processes you built.

Do I need an SPHR or SHRM-SCP to be an HR manager?

Not legally, but many job ads prefer one, and it helps when you are competing against people who have it. A PHR or SHRM-CP is fine at the start of your management career.

How do I show I am ready to manage if I have not had direct reports?

Describe the people you trained, the projects you led and the supervisors you advised. Use the first alternative summary above as a model.

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