Although the requirements for becoming an employee relations specialist vary greatly depending on the employer, in most cases you will need a bachelor’s degree and several years of experience working in the human resources field. Additional training in employee relations, whether through continuing education programs or traditional schooling, may be beneficial in some cases. You may also need to develop knowledge in specific areas, such as working with organized labor groups, depending on the nature of the company for which you work. Because you may be required to perform both generalist human resources tasks and more specific employee relations work in some positions, it’s a good idea to keep up with and expand your generalist human resources knowledge and skills.
If you’ve already worked in a company’s benefits or human resources department and find that you enjoy interacting with employees and ensuring that their needs and concerns are met, you might want to consider becoming an employee relations specialist. In this position, you will collaborate with both employees and management to ensure that company morale remains high, the company remains profitable, and all applicable laws and regulations are followed. Working in human resources for several years may be necessary to provide you with the experience and judgment needed in the role of employee relations specialist, as this type of work typically requires you to earn the trust of both management and employees, as well as in some cases, representatives of organized labor.
Before allowing you to work as an employee relations specialist for a company, most employers will require that you have a bachelor’s degree in business, psychology, or human resources. Employers may require you to have a master’s degree in some cases, especially if you will be supervising other employees, working for a large corporation, or conducting extensive research. Your company may send you to employee relations specialist training in the form of seminars or other continuing education classes if you already work in human resources and want to advance to a specialist position. A post-graduate certificate, diploma, or even a master’s degree in human resources may be of interest to you. Even after becoming an employee relations specialist, your career advancement will almost certainly be contingent on earning an advanced degree or obtaining a professional industry certification, so it’s a good idea to keep an eye on your options.