Human Resources (HR) Resume Keywords and Skills (Hard Skills)

Here are the keywords and skills that appear most frequently on recent Human Resources (HR) job postings. In other words, these are the most sought after skills by recruiters and hiring managers. So try to include them on your resume where possible.

Remember that every job is different. Instead of including all these keywords on your resume, identify the keywords most relevant to the job you're applying to and include those. Use the free Targeted Resume tool to help with this.

  • Human Resources (HR)
  • Employee Relations
  • Employee Engagement
  • HR Policies
  • Recruiting
  • Talent Management
  • Performance Management
  • Personnel Management
  • Succession Planning
  • Workforce Planning
  • HR Consulting
  • Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS)
  • Change Management
  • Organizational Development
  • Labor Relations
  • HR Management
  • Onboarding
  • Strategic Human Resource Planning
  • Coaching
  • Culture Change
  • Interviewing
  • New Hire Orientations
  • Teaching
  • Benefits Administration
  • Compensation & Benefits
  • Training & Development
  • Payroll
  • Sourcing
  • Screening
  • Technical Recruiting
  • Executive Search
  • Teamwork
  • Personnel Selection
  • Employer Branding
  • Internet Recruiting
  • Screening Resumes
  • Negotiation
  • Management
  • Team Leadership
  • Business Strategy
  • Leadership
  • Strategic Planning
  • Recruitment Advertising
  • Administration
  • Employment Contracts
  • Time Management
  • Employee Training
  • Microsoft Access
  • Customer Service
  • Staffing Services
  •   Show full list

  Where on my resume do I add these buzzwords?

Try to add these keywords directly into your resume's work experiences. Alternatively, you can also include a Skills section where you can list your technical skills in order of your proficiency.

Oh and one more thing! It goes without saying, but only include these technical skills or keywords into your resume if you actually have experience with them.

Compare Your Resume To These Human Resources (HR) Skills (ATS Scan)

Paste your resume below and our AI will identify which keywords are missing from your resume from the list above (and what you need to include). Including the right keywords will help you get past Applicant Tracking Systems (i.e. resume screeners) which may scan your resume for keywords to see if you're a match for the job.

How do I add skills to a Human Resources (HR) resume?

1
Review the job posting closely.

Go through the Human Resources (HR) posting you're applying to, and identify hard skills the company is looking for. For example, skills like HR Policies, Employee Relations and Human Resources (HR) are possible skills. These are skills you should try to include on your resume.

2
Add industry skills like Employee Engagement and Talent Management.

Add other common skills from your industry - such as Personnel Management, Recruiting and Performance Management - into your resume if they're relevant.

3
Add skills into your work experience.

Incorporate skills - like Coaching, Recruitment Advertising and IT Recruitment - into your work experience too. This shows hiring managers that you have practical experience with these tools, techniques and skills.

4
Highlight specific HR skills and experience.

In your Human Resources (HR) resume, you should highlight specific accomplishments that involve common day-to-day HR experience. These include things like screening candidates, operations or running hiring workshops.

5
Use the exact job title.

Try to add the exact job title, Human Resources (HR), somewhere into your resume to get past resume screeners. See the infographic for how to do this.

Human Resources (HR) Resume Templates

Here are examples of proven resumes in related jobs and industries, approved by experienced hiring managers. Use them as inspiration when you're writing your own resume. You can even download and edit the resume template in Google Docs.

Resume Example
Human Resources (HR) Manager


Resume Example
Entry Level Human Resources (HR)


Resume Example
Human Resources (HR) Business Partner


Resume Example
Human Resources (HR) Recruiter


Resume Example
Senior HR Manager & HR Director (Human Resources Director)


Resume Example
Human Resources (HR) Administrator


Word Cloud for Human Resources (HR) Skills & Keywords

The following word cloud highlights the most popular keywords that appear on Human Resources (HR) job descriptions. The bigger the word, the more frequently it shows up on employer's job postings. If you have experience with these keywords, include them on your resume.

Top Human Resources (HR) Skills and Keywords to Include On Your Resume

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Frequently Asked Questions

What skills should you add to a Human Resources (HR) resume?

Some popular Human Resources (HR) hard skills are Human Resources (HR), Employee Relations, Employee Engagement, HR Policies, Recruiting, Talent Management, Performance Management and Personnel Management.

Depending on the job you apply to, skills like IT Recruitment, Recruitment Advertising, Coaching, Global Talent Acquisition and Consulting can also be good to include on your resume.

How do resume skills compare between a Staffing Specialist and a Talent Acquisition Specialist?

Popular skills we often see on resumes for Staffing Specialist positions include:

  • Recruiting
  • Staffing Services
  • Temporary Placement
  • Interviewing
  • Applicant Tracking Systems
  • Human Resources (HR)
  • Temporary Staffing
  • Sourcing

In comparison, skills we see on Talent Acquisition Specialist resumes include:

  • Talent Management
  • Employer Branding
  • Global Talent Acquisition
  • Executive Search
  • Internet Recruiting
  • HR Consulting

What are good resume skills to include for different Human Resources (HR) roles and job titles?

Depending on the specific role you apply to, you may need to emphasize different skill sets. Here are a few examples:

  • Talent Acquisition Specialist: Recruiting, Sourcing, Talent Management, Human Resources (HR) and Interviewing
  • Staffing Specialist: Staffing Services, Temporary Placement, Applicant Tracking Systems, Temporary Staffing and Technical Recruiting
  • Talent Management Specialist: Employee Engagement, Performance Management, Employee Relations, Succession Planning and Onboarding

Target your Resume to a Job Description

While the keywords above are a good indication of what skills you need on your resume, you should try to find additional keywords that are specific to the job. To do this, use the free Targeted Resume tool. It analyzes the job you are applying to and finds the most important keywords you need on your resume.

It is personalized to your resume, and is the best way to ensure your resume will pass the automated resume filters.

Start targeting your resume


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