Commercial general contractor HR manager job description
A commercial general contractor HR manager hires and keeps project managers, superintendents and the self-perform crew, and runs the leave, health and pay rules of each state the company works in. They also keep the paperwork public owners demand, such as the drug testing program Delaware public jobs require.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, commercial building contractors · BLS, May 2025
Serve as the key human resources leader responsible for driving recruitment, ensuring compliance, fostering company culture, and managing staff relations within our commercial general contracting operations. Act as a strategic partner to leadership, aligning HR initiatives with overall business objectives.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Lead end-to-end recruitment processes, including sourcing, interviewing, and onboarding top talent.
Ensure compliance with industry regulations and employment laws.
Develop and implement HR policies and practices that reinforce a positive company culture.
Manage employee relations and conflict resolution to support an engaged and productive workforce.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Screen and interview candidates while coordinating with department heads for talent needs.
Monitor and update HR compliance records and conduct periodic audits.
Facilitate new employee orientation sessions and continual learning opportunities.
Address employee concerns and conduct regular check-ins to maintain high staff morale.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Time to Fill Vacancies: Achieve an average of fewer than 30 days per open position.
Compliance Accuracy: Maintain 100% compliance with all labor laws and industry regulations.
Employee Satisfaction Score: Target an average score of over 4.5 stars.
Employee Retention Rate: Aim for a retention rate of at least 90% annually.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.
A minimum of 5 years of experience in human resources management or a similar role.
Proficiency in HRIS, Microsoft Office Suite, and talent management software.
Excellent interpersonal, communication, and problem-solving skills.
6. Preferred Experience
Prior experience within the commercial general contracting or construction industry.
Familiarity with industry-specific compliance regulations and labor laws.
Experience in developing and maintaining robust company culture initiatives.
Previous success in managing employee relations in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to work in a standard office environment with prolonged periods of sitting.
Occasional mobility required to attend job sites or industry events.
Capable of lifting up to 20 lbs if needed for file management or event setup.
Adept at using standard office equipment such as computers and telephones.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Minimal travel may be required to job sites or industry networking events.
On-call responsibilities during peak recruitment or urgent HR compliance issues.
Collaborative work setting with an emphasis on communication and teamwork.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Annual salary range of $70,000 - $90,000 USD, commensurate with experience.
Eligibility for performance-based bonuses and incentive programs.
Comprehensive benefits package including Health, Dental, and Vision coverage.
401(k) plan with company match and additional fringe benefits.
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we pride ourselves on fostering a collaborative and supportive work environment where every employee's contributions are valued. We are committed to continuous growth, innovation, and professional development, ensuring you have the resources and opportunities necessary to excel in your career. Our culture emphasizes integrity, dedication, and customer satisfaction, making us a trusted leader in the commercial general contracting industry.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
HR anywhere hires people and keeps files. At a commercial GC, state leave and health laws, public contract terms and a thin market for superintendents shape most of the job. Delaware and Hawaii show how far the state rules can differ.
Delaware public jobs require drug testing
Delaware law makes every public works contract paid with public funds require the contractor to run a mandatory drug testing program for its nonclerical workers on the job site (29 Del. C. § 6908(a)(6)). State rules set how the tests run. Have the written program, a testing vendor and the record keeping in place before the first public bid goes in. Source: Delaware Code, Title 29, Chapter 69, Subchapter I (§ 6908).
Delaware's paid leave program now pays benefits
Delaware employers began sending paid leave contributions on January 1, 2025, and benefits became payable one year after that (19 Del. C. §§ 3702 and 3705). Employers with 10 to 24 workers are covered only for parental leave (§ 3701). HR has to know which parts apply, send contributions on time, and plan coverage when a superintendent takes leave in the middle of a job. Source: Delaware Code, Title 19, Chapter 37, Healthy Delaware Families Act.
Hawaii requires health coverage
Hawaii's prepaid health care law requires an employer to cover each regular employee who earns at least 86.67 times the state minimum hourly wage in a month under a qualifying group health plan (HRS § 393-11). Field hires count too when they meet that test. Set up the plan, eligibility tracking and enrollment steps before that job staffs up. Source: Hawaii Revised Statutes § 393-11, prepaid health care coverage.
Hawaii bans salary history questions
Superintendents and project managers often come from competing GCs. In Hawaii, an employer may not ask an applicant about salary history or rely on it to set pay, though it may discuss the pay the applicant expects (HRS § 378-2.4). Train every manager who interviews, since a superintendent asking what a rival pays the candidate breaks the rule. Source: Hawaii Revised Statutes § 378-2.4, salary history inquiries.
A sub's foreman may be off limits
Some subcontracts bar each side from hiring the other's staff for a set time. Before HR recruits a foreman from a drywall or framing sub you work with, read the subcontract and talk to the project manager. Losing a good sub over one hire costs more than the hire is worth.
How much commercial general contractor HR managers make
The closest BLS group for commercial general contractor HR managers is human resources managers. Human resources managers who work for commercial and industrial builders earned a median of $151,040 a year ($72.61 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s about the same as the $149,280 median for human resources managers in all industries. About 990 of the 220,660 human resources managers in that survey work for commercial building contractors.
HR managers at GCs like this usually draw a salary, with the incentive pay the template lists. Its range is lower than nearly every BLS figure for HR managers in commercial building and closer to what BLS shows for HR specialists, so seasoned managers will likely ask for more.
Commercial building contractors
$151,040$151,040 median Middle half $124,720–$187,220 10th–90th $102,880–$236,090
All industries
$149,280$149,280 median Middle half $111,110–$199,290 10th–90th $88,200–$267,810
$50k$100k$150k$200k$250k$300k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Commercial building contractors
$102,880
$124,720
$151,040
$187,220
$236,090
All industries
$88,200
$111,110
$149,280
$199,290
$267,810
BLS doesn’t publish pay for commercial general contractors on their own. These figures cover nonresidential building construction, which include them. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Hiring for office and field roles in the same week
Clean records for I-9s, leave, drug tests and training
Reading a statute or contract clause and knowing when to call counsel
Fair investigations, whether a complaint comes from the office or a job site
Talking with foremen in plain words, on their own ground
Teach these on the job
Your subcontract terms and any union agreements
Delaware public works contract clauses
Hawaii health plan and leave enrollment steps
Your payroll system and HRIS setup
The trades and job titles on your projects
HR runs on an HRIS with payroll, such as Paycom, Paylocity or ADP Workforce Now, along with hiring software to track applicants and a locked, separate store for drug test results. Say in the ad which system you use and whether the HR manager also runs payroll.
Commercial general contractor HR manager interview questions
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Harassment on multi-employer sites
A worker reports offensive graffiti and comments aimed at them in a jobsite break area, coming from a subcontractor's crew. What do you do?
A strong answer: Takes it seriously, documents and has it removed, works with the subcontractor to investigate and act, protects the worker from retaliation, and reinforces site rules for every company.
Behavioral · Retaining skilled trades
Tell me about a time you kept superintendents or skilled carpenters from leaving for competitors.
A strong answer: Found the cause with data and conversations, made a specific change (pay bands, training paths, supervisor coaching), and tracked the result.
The template's goals are examples. Measure a year of your own hires and departures first, then set targets the office and the field can each meet.
Time to Fill Vacancies
Count the days from the approved request to the signed offer for each opening, and report field and office roles apart, since superintendents take longer to find.
Compliance Accuracy
Each quarter, pull some personnel files and check for I-9s, leave records, public job drug test paperwork and required notices, logging each gap found and fixed.
Employee Satisfaction Score
Twice a year, send a brief survey with no names attached, and reach the field crew on site or by text, since few of them read company email.
Employee Retention Rate
Track who stays a full year, split by office, project management and field, and read exit interview notes for the reasons people left.
Career path
Payroll and benefits administrator at a contractorLearns benefit enrollments, leave tracking and field time cards.
HR generalistHandles hiring paperwork, onboarding and everyday employee questions.
HR managerOwns hiring, policies, leave and compliance for office and field.
HR director at a multi-state builderLeads HR, payroll and training staff across several offices.
Other roles in a commercial general contractor business
Can a PEO replace an HR manager at a commercial GC?
A professional employer organization can run payroll, benefits and some paperwork, but it won't recruit superintendents or sort out a dispute on a job site. Under Delaware's paid leave law, the client company that signs with a PEO still counts as the employer (19 Del. C. § 3701). Many GCs this size keep an HR manager and use a PEO or payroll service for the back office.
How much does a commercial general contractor HR manager make?
Human resources managers who work for commercial and industrial builders earned a median of $151,040 a year ($72.61 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $124,720 and $187,220 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
Should HR or the superintendents hire the field crew?
Superintendents know who can do the work, so they should interview and choose. HR writes the ad, sets the pay range, checks the paperwork and makes the offer, so every hire goes through the same steps. That split also keeps a superintendent from promising pay or a title the company hasn't approved.
How do we keep project managers from leaving for bigger GCs?
Show them a path: larger jobs, a voice in which work you bid, and a bonus tied to job results they control. Hold a stay interview each year that asks what would make them leave, and act on what you hear. Bigger firms often win on pay, so compete on workload, schedule and respect.
What HR work happens on job sites?
The template mentions long periods of sitting, some trips to job sites or industry events, and lifting up to 20 pounds for files or event setup. On site, that means running a new hire orientation in the trailer, posting required notices, meeting a crew about a complaint, and carrying a table and boxes of handouts to a job fair.
