Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping

Compile and keep personnel records. Record data for each employee, such as address, weekly earnings, absences, amount of sales or production, supervisory reports, and date of and reason for termination. May prepare reports for employment records, file employment records, or search employee files and furnish information to authorized persons.

From people doing the work

Day-to-day, it's a lot of juggling different tasks – from onboarding new hires and managing employee records to answering questions about benefits. You're often the first point of contact for employees, so good communication and problem-solving skills are key. It can be, especially during peak hiring seasons or benefit enrollment periods, but it's to help people manage their careers.

Drawn from SHRM, HR.com forums, 5-7 years of experience

Attribution: Composite

Composite · Synthesised from SHRM, HR.com forums, 5-7 years of experience

A day in the life of Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping

People interaction
Extensive
Team vs solo
90% Team / 10% Solo
Client facing
Sometimes
Impact visibility
Moderate
Travel
Minimal
Schedule flexibility
Flexible
Remote work
Mostly Remote
Typical work hours
35-40
Stress level
Low

Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping salary, education and outlook at a glance

Median salary
$49,440
Entry-level
$35,000
Senior
$74,000
Growth by 2033
-7.1%
Demand
Declining
Freelance potential
Low
Salary growth potential
111%
Typical student debt
Moderate

Skills you need as Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping

Hard skills

  • Personnel and Human Resources
  • Complex Problem Solving
  • Enterprise resource planning ERP software

Soft skills

  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Coordination
  • Active Listening

Technical complexity: Low

Tools of the trade

Core tools

  • Microsoft Office Suite (Software): Used for creating and managing documents, spreadsheets, and presentations related to HR tasks.
  • HRIS (Human Resources Information System) (Software): Manages employee data, payroll, benefits, and other HR functions.
  • Applicant Tracking System (ATS) (Software): Streamlines the recruitment process by managing job applications and candidate information.

Commonly used

  • Zoom (Service): Facilitates virtual meetings and interviews with candidates and employees.
  • Slack (Service): Used for internal communication and collaboration within HR teams and with other departments.
  • DocuSign (Software): Enables electronic signing of HR documents such as offer letters and contracts.

Specialist tools

  • LinkedIn Recruiter (Platform): Assists in sourcing and connecting with potential candidates for open positions.

How to become Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping

Minimum education
Bachelor's Degree
Licensing
No
Years to mid-career
3-5
Years to senior
8-12
Career switching
Easy

Where this career leads

How people arrive here

  • Administrative Assistant: Individuals often transition from general administrative support roles, where they gain foundational office and organizational skills.
  • Receptionist: Starting as a receptionist provides experience in front-office operations and initial contact with employees and visitors.
  • Data Entry Clerk: Experience in data entry is valuable for handling and maintaining accurate personnel records.

Where you can go from here

  • Human Resources Specialist: Advancing to a specialist role allows for deeper focus on specific HR areas like recruitment, benefits, or employee relations.
  • Payroll Clerk: With additional training, HR assistants can specialize in payroll processing and management.
  • Recruiter: Transitioning to a recruiter role involves more direct involvement in talent acquisition and candidate management.

Typical progression

  1. Receptionists and Information Clerks
  2. Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping
  3. Human Resources Specialists
  4. Human Resources Managers
  5. or Interviewers, Except Eligibility and Loan

Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping job outlook and future demand

Automation probability
Very High
AI disruption risk
Very High
Demand trend
Declining

Job satisfaction as Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping

Overall satisfaction
6/10
Meaning
5/10
Work-life balance
7/10
Prestige
4.5/10
Social perception
Low

Where practitioners gather

Professional organisations

Podcasts and media

  • People Matters: A publication focused on HR and talent management insights, trends, and news.
  • HR Happy Hour Podcast: A podcast discussing human resources, management, leadership, and workforce technology.

Online communities

  • HR.com: An online community offering HR news, articles, webcasts, and forums for HR professionals.
  • HR Generalist Forum: A dedicated forum for HR generalists to discuss challenges and share best practices.

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