HR Coordinator Job Description: Top Duties and Qualifications

An HR Coordinator, or Human Resources Coordinator, completes clerical duties for an organization’s human resources department. Their main duties include providing administrative support to employees, assisting the HR Manager with recruiting candidates to fill open roles and providing assistance with payroll processing functions.

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HR Coordinator duties and responsibilities

An HR Coordinator position is often exposed to all human resources procedures and assists with tasks throughout all areas of the HR department. In addition to recruiting and placing new employees, an HR Coordinator assists with guiding employees through various human resource processes, answering any questions they may have about policies.

An HR Coordinator may also assist with administering benefits, processing payroll and handling any problems or questions. The position also has an active role in ensuring all human resource functions are complying with local, state and federal regulations. Additional HR Coordinator duties may include:

  • Consulting with the employer and identifying employment needs
  • Interviewing potential applicants regarding their skills, experience and education
  • Contacting references and performing background checks on applicants
  • Informing applicants about position details, including working conditions, benefits and duties
  • Hiring or referring qualified applicants for the employer
  • Conducting or helping with new employee orientation
  • Keeping process paperwork and employment records

What does an HR Coordinator do?

HR Coordinators work in the human resources department to complete smaller clerical tasks to keep the company functioning effectively. They often complete administrative tasks and assist the HR Manager on completing larger items, so the HR Manager can focus on more big picture responsibilities and implement strategies to improve the company. HR Coordinators handle all internal and external inquiries and requests and ask the HR Manager for assistance if any challenges with solving these issues arise. 

They’ll collaborate with the HR Manager during the recruiting process by finding potential candidates, checking their references and distributing employment contracts. HR Coordinators complete basic job duties related to the daily operations of an office, like scheduling meetings, coordinating training sessions, performing employee orientations and managing employee information documents.

HR Coordinator skills and qualifications

A job description for an HR Coordinator should contain the following skills and qualifications requirements:

  • Communication skills: Excellent speaking and listening skills to share information effectively, while paying careful attention to concerns and questions from employees and job applicants.
  • Decision-making skills: For reviewing applicants’ qualifications and for working to resolve employee disputes.
  • Detail-oriented: When ensuring the workplace is compliant with labor standards and when maintaining records regarding employee grievances, performing background checks and reviewing candidate qualifications.
  • Interpersonal skills: For interacting with new employees while conversing and connecting with people from various backgrounds and experiences.

HR Coordinator salary expectations

Salary expectations for an HR Coordinator can range from $7.25 to $34.45 per hour with an average salary of $18.31 per hour. This information is based on 3,199 anonymously submitted salaries to Indeed from employees and users along with past and present HR Coordinator job postings on Indeed within the last 36 months.

HR Coordinator education and training requirements

Individuals seeking a position as an HR Coordinator often have a bachelor’s degree in business, human resources or a related field with coursework in business, accounting, human resource management, professional writing, psychology and industrial relations.

Many professional associations specializing in human resources offer coursework enhancing members’ skills with some even offering certification programs. For example, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) organization offers the SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) and the SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) certificates. The HR Certification Institute (HRCI) also offers a range of certification for varying expertise levels.

Certification usually requires an individual to pass an exam and meet minimum experience and education requirements. These exams assess an individual’s knowledge of human resources along with their ability to apply their knowledge and judgment to various situations.

HR Coordinator experience requirements

An HR Coordinator can increase advancement opportunities by participating in voluntary certification programs. An HR Coordinator who understands regulatory compliance needs and has comprehensive knowledge of their company often advances to become an HR manager.

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Frequently asked questions about HR Coordinators

 

Who does an HR Coordinator report to?

An HR Coordinator reports to the HR Manager for job assignments and guidance on certain projects. HR Managers typically handle high-level items and work more closely with executive members to implement policies and programs to enhance office efficiencies and performance, while HR Coordinators work more closely with employees to ensure the office is operating effectively. 

HR Managers will assign tasks to HR Coordinators and will need to provide HR Coordinators with approval before they can implement certain projects or policies. If HR Coordinators are having challenges with any employees, they’ll report this to the HR Manager who works to resolve the issue. The HR Manager typically provides the HR Coordinator with guidance and advice in their role to prepare them for a position as an HR Manager eventually. 

 

What makes a good HR Coordinator?

Strong HR Coordinators have great problem solving, critical thinking and decision making abilities, as they’re regularly faced with common employee challenges and must find creative and logical solutions to resolve them. They must also have effective organizational abilities, since they’re often responsible for managing employees’ documents and personal information. 

Great HR Coordinators should also be great multitaskers and able to adapt to a constantly changing environment, since they regularly face unexpected challenges every day. They should also manage conflict well to address and resolve any issues occurring between employees.

 

What's the difference between an HR Coordinator and an HR Generalist?

While both HR Coordinators and HR Generalists hold similar responsibilities, there are also some key differences between the two positions. HR Coordinators serve in more of a supportive and administrative role, as they regularly provide their assistance to HR Managers and act as their assistant. HR Generalists hold general knowledge of human resources duties, so they complete a variety of different low-level HR tasks each day. They manage recruitment methods and current employee efforts by building onboarding and training programs and designing and implementing various HR procedures. 

 

Do HR Coordinators have different responsibilities in different industries?

HR Coordinators can work in a variety of different industries, where they hold similar responsibilities of handling the day-to-day operations of an organization. Most of them work in a corporate setting, helping HR Managers design policies to improve the efficiency and performance levels of organizations. Others may work in a health care setting, taking care of any workplace needs or concerns health care employees may have. Others work for HR firms, working with various companies to complete their recruitment and employee training and onboarding efforts.

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