General Manager HR Job Description and KRAs

The General Manager HR leads the HR function of a company or large division, most often in manufacturing, infrastructure, pharma and engineering groups with plants and branch offices. The role owns HR policy, manpower cost, industrial relations strategy and senior hiring, and in many companies administration and security too. It reports to the Managing Director or an Executive Director. A good GM HR gives management reliable people cost numbers, keeps settlements on schedule and builds a second line of HR managers.

Detail	For this role
Department	Human Resources
Level	Senior management
Reports to	Managing Director
Direct reports	DGM HR, Industrial Relations Manager, Payroll Manager, Training Manager, Admin Manager
Experience	15 to 20 years in HR and industrial relations, with 5 or more years heading HR for a unit or division

General Manager HR job description template

Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.

Job title: General Manager HR

Department: Human Resources

Reports to: Managing Director

Location: [City], [office, branch or site]

About the role

Key responsibilities

Set the yearly HR plan with the Managing Director: manpower budget, key hires, wage settlement calendar, training priorities and policy changes.
Approve HR policies and service rules, and take major changes to the management committee with their cost impact worked out.
Sign off long-term wage settlements, set the mandate for each negotiation and meet union leadership at the decisive stages.
Lead hiring for plant heads, functional heads and other senior roles, and brief search firms where the market is thin.
Review manpower cost against budget every month, including contract labour, fixed-term staff and overtime, and recommend corrective action.
Guide the organization structure for new plants, branches and business lines, including grades, spans of control and reporting lines.
Oversee administration where it sits with HR, such as security, transport, canteen, guest houses and company housing.
Build the HR team's bench by coaching DGMs and HR managers and rotating them across plants and functions.
Present the people risk register to the board or audit committee when asked, covering compliance, litigation and key-person risk.
Handle the company's most serious employee matters, including senior-level misconduct, legal notices and separation terms for departing executives.

Requirements

MBA, PGDM or MPM with a specialization in HR or industrial relations
Graduate in any discipline
A law degree (LLB) is an advantage in companies with heavy industrial relations work
15 to 20 years in HR and industrial relations, with 5 or more years heading HR for a unit or division

KRAs and KPIs for a General Manager HR

Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.

Key result area	How to measure it
Manpower cost control	Total manpower cost within the annual budget approved by management
Wage settlements	Each settlement signed before the previous agreement expires, with no production loss during talks
Leadership hiring	Approved plant head and functional head positions filled within 90 days
Litigation and compliance	Pending labour cases reviewed monthly, with no adverse order caused by missed hearings or filings
HR bench strength	A ready successor named for the GM HR role and for every DGM position
Administration service	Transport, canteen and security complaints closed within agreed service levels each month

Skills and tools

HR policy and service rulesLong-term wage settlementsOrganization designManpower cost planningLeadership hiringLabour litigation managementAdministration oversightBoard-level reportingNegotiationIntegrity under pressure

Tools used day to day: HRMS, SAP HCM or another ERP HR module, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, Legal case register.

Reporting line and career path

Moves up from: DGM HR, AVP HR, Senior HR Manager
Next roles: Vice President HR, HR Director, Chief Human Resources Officer

Interview questions for a General Manager HR

How do you decide the mandate for a wage settlement before the first meeting with the union?
The MD wants a new plant fully staffed in eight months. Walk us through your manpower plan.
What would you put in a one-page people risk report for our board?
A plant head is accused of harassment by a woman subordinate. What are your first three steps?
How have you built successors in your HR team? Name one person and what you did for them.
Contract labour makes up most of our plant workforce. What risks does that create, and how would you manage them?

Managing a General Manager HR in ZeniaHR

AttendanceUse a flexible shift with core hours for the GM HR, so plant visits and late union meetings do not generate late marks. On duty requests account for full days spent at plants, labour department hearings or conciliation meetings away from the corporate office.LeaveKeep the GM HR's leave away from settlement deadlines, board meetings and the increment release month. The company head can decide any pending approval step while the GM is away, so brief the MD's office before a long break.Performance and KRAsRun an annual cycle with KRA goals weighted toward cost, settlements and bench strength, agreed with the Managing Director at the start of the year. A half-yearly ad hoc cycle is a useful checkpoint on where settlements and leadership hires stand.

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Frequently asked questions

What does a General Manager HR do?

A General Manager HR heads the HR function for a company or large division. They set HR policy, control manpower cost, decide the mandate for wage settlements, lead senior hiring and handle the most serious employee matters. In many Indian manufacturing and infrastructure companies the GM HR also oversees administration, security and transport.

Who does a GM HR report to?

A GM HR usually reports to the Managing Director, an Executive Director or the Chief Operating Officer. In large groups with a corporate HR team, the GM HR of a company or division may report to the group Vice President HR or CHRO, with a working line to the business head.

What is the difference between GM HR and HR Head?

Both can be the top HR role in a company. GM HR is the usual title in grade-based manufacturing, infrastructure and engineering companies, where the role carries industrial relations and often administration. HR Head is more common in mid-sized services, IT and newer companies, where the role is a hands-on HR generalist leading a small team.