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Human Resource Executive

Stable

Business

Manages recruitment, payroll, compliance and employee relations across industries. A common entry point for many degree backgrounds; growth into HR business partner/manager roles comes with expertise and experience.

Human ResourcesBusiness

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Interpret and explain human resources policies, procedures, laws, standards, or regulations.
  2. 2Hire employees and process hiring-related paperwork.
  3. 3Administer employee benefit plans.
  4. 4Maintain current knowledge of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and affirmative action guidelines and laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
  5. 5Schedule or administer skill, intelligence, psychological, or drug tests for current or prospective employees.
  6. 6Prepare or maintain employment records related to events, such as hiring, termination, leaves, transfers, or promotions, using human resources management system software.
  7. 7Address employee relations issues, such as harassment allegations, work complaints, or other employee concerns.
  8. 8Conduct reference or background checks on job applicants.
  9. 9Inform job applicants of details such as duties and responsibilities, compensation, benefits, schedules, working conditions, or promotion opportunities.
  10. 10Review employment applications and job orders to match applicants with job requirements.
  11. 11Select qualified job applicants or refer them to managers, making hiring recommendations when appropriate.
  12. 12Schedule or conduct new employee orientations.
  13. 13Review and evaluate applicant qualifications or eligibility for specified licensing, according to established guidelines and designated licensing codes.
  14. 14Maintain and update human resources documents, such as organizational charts, employee handbooks or directories, or performance evaluation forms.
  15. 15Confer with management to develop or implement personnel policies or procedures.
  16. 16Evaluate recruitment or selection criteria to ensure conformance to professional, statistical, or testing standards, recommending revisions, as needed.
  17. 17Contact job applicants to inform them of the status of their applications.
  18. 18Conduct exit interviews and ensure that necessary employment termination paperwork is completed.
  19. 19Interview job applicants to obtain information on work history, training, education, or job skills.
  20. 20Perform searches for qualified job candidates, using sources such as computer databases, networking, Internet recruiting resources, media advertisements, job fairs, recruiting firms, or employee referrals.
  21. 21Provide management with information or training related to interviewing, performance appraisals, counseling techniques, or documentation of performance issues.
  22. 22Analyze employment-related data and prepare required reports.
  23. 23Advise management on organizing, preparing, or implementing recruiting or retention programs.
  24. 24Develop or implement recruiting strategies to meet current or anticipated staffing needs.
  25. 25Coordinate with outside staffing agencies to secure temporary employees, based on departmental needs.
  26. 26Evaluate selection or testing techniques by conducting research or follow-up activities and conferring with management or supervisory personnel.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • TAP
  • HR Rep
  • HR Tech
  • Recruiter
  • Headhunter
  • HR Advisor
  • HR Analyst
  • HR Associate
  • HR Recruiter
  • HRIS Analyst

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. 2

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. 3

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. Typical entry

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationBachelor's degree

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

BusinessDraws directly on Personnel and Human Resources — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EconomicsDraws directly on Administration and Management — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EnglishDraws directly on English Language — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
History (Sejarah)Draws directly on Law and Government — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Computer Science / ICTDraws directly on Computers and Electronics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Personnel and Human Resources92%

    Business

  • Administrative79%

    Business

  • Administration and Management77%

    BusinessEconomics

  • English Language76%

    English

  • Customer and Personal Service70%
  • Law and Government66%

    History (Sejarah)

Skills to build

CommunicationOrganisationTeamwork

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicVery high
  • Leading or coordinating othersHigh
  • Handling conflict situationsEvery day
  • Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
  • Outdoors, in all weatherAlmost never
  • Noisy environmentRarely

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

38%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

Growing role in the US

US Bureau of Labor Statistics data, not Malaysian. Shown because it's the only forward-looking demand estimate we have for this job.

Pay in the private market

Monthly pay from fresh grad to mid-career, from the salary guide cited on this page.

Entry

Private
RM2,300 – RM3,500

Mid-career

Private
RM5,000 – RM9,000

Government pay isn't shown: we haven't yet sourced the SSPA civil-service salary tables, and we won't estimate them.

Job demand outlook

Stable

Steady, reliable demand: a consistent number of openings.

Your readiness

How your current SPM subjects line up with this career.

Add your SPM grades to see how ready you are for this career.

Add my grades

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Related careers

If this interests you, these are worth a look too.

About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Human Resources Specialists

Source: Hiredly Salary Guide Malaysia · as of Jan 2025

Check the salary figures yourself:Hiredly

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org

Programmes that lead here

Programmes from the official UPU (KPT) and MQA catalogues whose field of study typically leads to this career. Matched by field, not a job guarantee.

Public universities (UPU)

Private institutions (MQA-accredited)

Search the programme catalogue