HR Generalist – Hiring Multiple Locations (Bay Area, Chicago, Nashville and Greater Boston Area MA)

Purpose Of The Job

The Human Resources Generalist provides comprehensive HR support across the Business Solutions division, which includes AVDG, GC Professional, and Custom House. This role supports employees and leaders coast-to-coast across multiple time zones and works closely with senior leadership to align HR initiatives with business goals. The HR Generalist leads HR projects and initiatives from conception to execution, ensures data integrity in all HR systems and reporting, and drives employee engagement efforts. This position serves as the subject matter expert (SME) for the company’s internal intranet, Happeo, ensuring content accuracy and optimizing engagement across the business.  The Human Resources Generalist provides full-cycle HR support with a strong emphasis on talent acquisition, onboarding, employee engagement, HR systems management, and people analytics.

This is a highly visible role in a fast pace business requiring strong communication skills, the ability to build trust with leaders, and the initiative to independently manage responsibilities while proactively seeking opportunities for HR process improvements and strategic contributions.

Responsibilities/Duties

Talent Acquisition & Recruiting

• Manage the full recruiting lifecycle, including job postings, candidate sourcing, resume screening, interview coordination, and offer letter generation.
• Partner with senior leadership and hiring managers to define role requirements, attract top talent, and build strong candidate pipelines.
• Leverage LinkedIn Recruiter, Indeed, and other sourcing tools to identify competitive talent.
• Ensure compliance with pay transparency requirements and customization of postings based on role, title, and location.
• Use Talent Review data to identify staffing gaps and proactively support workforce planning.

Employee Lifecycle Management

• Oversee all aspects of the employee lifecycle, from hiring and onboarding through engagement and offboarding.
• Facilitate pre-employment activities, including background checks, IT setup, and scheduling.
• Lead new hire orientation sessions and conduct engagement check-ins during the first 90 days.
• Partner with managers to ensure onboarding programs are engaging and tailored to departmental needs.
• Ensure offboarding processes (exit interviews, system access removal, and documentation) are handled with professionalism and compliance.

HR Systems, Reporting & Analytics

• Maintain data integrity within HRIS (EV6, ADP-R) and all employee tracking tools.
• Prepare and present regular and ad hoc people analytics reports to leadership, highlighting key workforce trends and insights.
• Ensure accurate documentation of employee movements, promotions, and organizational changes.
• Use analytics to recommend improvements in retention, engagement, and overall workforce effectiveness.

Engagement & Communication

• Serve as the SME for Happeo, the company’s internal intranet—ensuring HR and company content is current, accurate, and engaging.
• Provide analytics on platform usage and engagement trends to drive leadership decisions.
• Partner with leadership to design and execute engagement initiatives that foster a strong, inclusive company culture.
• Draft and distribute HR communications, announcements, and recognition programs.
• Provide timely responses to HR inquiries from managers and employees.

Process & Project Leadership

• Independently lead HR projects and initiatives from start to completion, ensuring timelines, deliverables, and goals are achieved.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams and senior leadership to implement process improvements.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, employment laws, and regulations across multiple states.
• Identify opportunities to optimize HR processes that align with business strategies
• Additional duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Minimum Requirements & Special Attributes

• Bachelor’s Degree (or equivalent work experience), preferably in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field.
• 3-5 years of relevant HR experience, preferably with a focus on recruiting and employee lifecycle management.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook); familiarity with HRIS platforms EV6 and ADP-R, LinkedIn Recruiter, and job boards.
• Analytical Skills: Able to explore information, data, and reports in order to extract meaningful insights, which can be used to better understand and improve business performance.
• Collaboration: Able to develop cooperation and teamwork while participating in a group, working toward solutions which generally benefit all involved parties. Able to build relationships with others by offering help and providing suggestions for improvement.Interpersonal Communication: Able to communicate through various means with diverse people in a clear, concise, and courteous manner. Able to demonstrate respect to others, surroundings, and self.Initiative: Able to identify strategic and creative opportunities & issues including continuous cost reduction and follow through on work activities to capitalize or resolve them. Able to take positive action without being requested to do so. Driven to create appropriate solutions in alignment with top line customer requirements and department business goals.
• Organizational Skills: Able to utilize time, energy, and resources to manage priorities such as projects, stay on track, and achieve goals. Able to establish and adhere to a systematic course of action to achieve an objective. Able to multitask and pay strong attention to detail. Able to complete tasks thoroughly in a timely manner.
• Project Management: Able to strategically develop and execute project plans, coordinating groups of individuals to maximize available knowledge and resources, and following through to track progress and ensure timely completion.
• Technology Skills: Able to navigate technology systems, equipment, and computer programs needed to fulfill communication, customer service, and business needs & expectations.

Why Guitar Center? Here’s just some of the rewards:

For our employees who are musicians we offer the unique opportunity of gig leave—take time off to share your music with the world and return to your job after your tour! Guitar Center offers robust benefits and perks, including Medical, Dental, Vision, 401K plus company match, mental health support, paid sick/holiday/vacation time, employee discount program, and tuition reimbursement options.

Pay Rate: $60,000- $75,000/yr depending on background and experience. 

The job posting is not necessarily reflective of actual compensation that may be earned, nor a promise of any specific pay for any specific employee, which is always dependent on actual experience, education, and other factors. The pay range(s) listed are provided in compliance with state specific laws. Pay ranges may be different in other locations.

About Guitar Center

The Guitar Center Company embodies the world of creativity and music by encouraging our teammates to find their own individual sound. Our mission is to develop and nurture lifelong musicians and make a difference in the world by enabling musicians and non-musicians alike to experience the joy that comes from creating music. We believe in putting our customers first, engaging with respect and integrity and fulfilling our mission with passion.

The Guitar Center Company operates through several business divisions. Guitar Center is the world's largest retailer of guitars, amplifiers, drums, keyboards, recording, live sound, DJ, and lighting equipment, with more than 290 stores across the United States.  2014 marked the milestone 50th anniversary of the Guitar Center Company as the organization continues to help people make music from coast to coast.   

E-Commerce brands Guitar Center, Musician's Friend and WWBW offer online sales of a broad selection of music products. The Music & Arts division operates more than 220 stores specializing in band & orchestral instruments for sale and rental, serving teachers, band directors, college professors, and students since 1952. AVDG and GCPro headline the enterprise audio-visual integration business, delivering a best-in-class commercial and residential customer experience.

Why Join Us?

With a career at Guitar Center, you become part of the world’s largest multichannel musical instrument retailer. Whether at our Stores, Contact Centers, Distribution Centers, or Support Center, Guitar Center employees have a common goal: to help people find their sound and fill the world with more music. 

Love this gig and want to apply? 

Send your resume and cover letter today along with salary expectations! 

Guitar Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer and provides fair and equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants regardless of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or any other protected status prohibited under Federal, State, or local laws. All employment decisions are based on valid job‐related requirements. 

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran and are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our website, you may request a reasonable accommodation to express interest in a specific opening. You can request reasonable accommodation by calling 1‐818-735-8800 ext. 2862 or by sending an email to recruiting@guitarcenter.com.