Human resources assistant

Human resources assistants provide support in all the processes and efforts carried by human resources managers. They help in the preparation of recruitment processes by scanning CVs and narrowing the selection to the most suitable candidates. They perform administrative tasks, prepare communications and letters, and perform the tabulation of the surveys and assessments carried out by the department.

Human resources assistants typically do the following:

• Support all internal and external HR-related inquiries or requests.
• Maintain digital and electronic records of employees.
• Assist with the recruitment process by identifying candidates, performing reference checks, and issuing employment contracts.
• Maintain calendars of the HR management team.
• Oversee the completion of compensation and benefit documentation.
• Assist with performance management procedures.
• Schedule meetings, interviews, HR events and maintain agendas.
• Coordinate training sessions and seminars.
• Perform orientations and update records of new staff.
• Produce and submit reports on general HR activity.
• Process payroll and resolve any payroll errors.
• Complete termination paperwork and exit interviews.
• Keep up-to-date with the latest HR trends and best practices.

The following job titles also refer to human resources assistant:

human resources secretary
human resources executive assistant
HR assistant
human resources associate
human resources administrative assistant

The position of human resources assistant requires a minimum of an associate degree in Human Resource or in relevant areas like personnel management and business administration. Most companies prefer to hire candidates with a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resource Management.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Human resources assistant is a Skill level 2 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to human resources assistant.

dating service consultant
astrologer
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personal shopper
computer hardware repair technician

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of human resources assistant. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of human resources assistant with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

employment agent
relocation officer
customs officer
field survey manager
life coach

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of human resources assistant.

• Job market offers: Job opportunities available on the labour market, depending on the economic field concerned.

These skills are necessary for the role of human resources assistant.

• Apply company policies: Apply the principles and rules that govern the activities and processes of an organisation.
• Manage payroll reports: Maintain personnel records as well as payroll reports. Record evaluations, promotions or disciplinary actions.
• Support managers: Provide support and solutions to managers and directors in regards with their business needs and requests for the running of a business or the daily operations of a business unit.
• Assess character: Assess how a certain person will react, verbally or physically, in a specific situation or to a specific happening.
• Use communication techniques: Apply techniques of communication which allow interlocutors to better understand each other and communicate accurately in the transmission of messages.
• Observe confidentiality: Observe the set of rules establishing the nondisclosure of information except to another authorised person.
• Maintain professional administration: File and organise professional administration documents comprehensively, keep customer records, fill in forms or log books and prepare documents about company-related matter.
• Fix meetings: Fix and schedule professional appointments or meetings for clients or superiors.
• Write work-related reports: Compose work-related reports that support effective relationship management and a high standard of documentation and record keeping. Write and present results and conclusions in a clear and intelligible way so they are comprehensible to a non-expert audience.
• Administer appointments: Accept, schedule and cancel appointments.
• Listen actively: Give attention to what other people say, patiently understand points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times; able to listen carefully the needs of customers, clients, passengers, service users or others, and provide solutions accordingly.
• Communicate by telephone: Liaise via telephone by making and answering calls in a timely, professional and polite manner.
• Document interviews: Record, write, and capture answers and information collected during interviews for processing and analysis using shorthand or technical equipment.
• Profile people: Create a profile of someone, by outlining this person’s characteristics, personality, skills and motives, often by the use of information obtained from an interview or questionnaire.
• Identify with the company’s goals: Act for the benefit of the company and for the achievement of its targets.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of human resources assistant. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Labour legislation: Legislation, on a national or international level, that governs labour conditions in various fields between labour parties such as the government, employees, employers, and trade unions.
• Employment law: The law which mediates the relationship between employees and employers. It concerns employees’ rights at work which are binding by the work contract.
• Advertising techniques: The communication strategies intended to persuade or encourage an audience, and the different media which are used to achieve this goal.
• Human resources department processes: The different processes, duties, jargon, role in an organisation, and other specificities of the human resources department within an organisation such as recruitment, pension systems, and personnel development programs.
• Human resource management: The function in an organisation concerned with the recruitment of employees and the optimisation of employee performance.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of human resources assistant. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Coach employees: Maintain and improve employees’ performance by coaching individuals or groups how to optimise specific methods, skills or abilities, using adapted coaching styles and methods. Tutor newly recruited employees and assist them in the learning of new business systems.
• Recruit employees: Hire new employees by scoping the job role, advertising, performing interviews and selecting staff in line with company policy and legislation.
• Gather feedback from employees: Communicate in an open and positive manner in order to assess levels of satisfaction with employees, their outlook on the work environment, and in order to identify problems and devise solutions.
• Interview people: Interview people in a range of different circumstances.
• Negotiate employment agreements: Find agreements between employers and potential employees on salary, working conditions and non-statutory benefits.
• Disseminate messages to people: Receive, process, and pass messages to people coming from phone calls, faxes, postal, and emails.
• Organise training: Make the necessary preparations to conduct a training session. Provide equipment, supplies and exercise materials. Ensure the training runs smoothly.
• Manage payroll: Manage and be responsible for employees receiving their wages, review salaries and benefit plans and advise management on payroll and other employment conditions.
• Introduce new employees: Give new employees a tour in the company, introduce them to the colleagues, explain them the corporate culture, routines and working methods and get them settled in their working place.
• Apply knowledge of human behaviour: Practice principles related to group behaviour, trends in society, and influence of societal dynamics.
• Identify necessary human resources: Determine the number of employees needed for the realisation of a project and their allocation in the creation, production, communication or administration team.
• Manage employee complaints: Manage and respond to employee complaints, in a correct and polite manner, offering a solution when possible or referring it to an authorized person when necessary.
• Assist employee health programmes: Support and provide assistance to health and safety engineer and medical staff in implementing employee health programmes.
• Negotiate with employment agencies: Establish arrangements with employment agencies to organise recruiting activities. Maintain communication with these agencies in order to ensure efficient and productive recruitment with high potential candidates as an outcome.

4416 – Personnel clerks

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References

1. Human resources assistant – ESCO
2. HR Assistant Job Description – Indeed
3. HR Assistant Job Description – Betterteam
4. Featured image: Photo by Amy Hirschi on Unsplash