HR Specialist Job Descriptions, Average Salary, Interview Questions

HR specialists assist in the recruitment process, helping to find qualified job candidates, recruit applicants, review resumes, conduct interviews, and perform background checks. HR specialists may also perform onboarding activities, orienting new employees on organizational policies, procedures, and benefits. For these reasons, HR specialists need excellent interpersonal skills, excellent speaking skills, and sound judgment and decision-making skills. [Your Company Name] is looking for a great HR specialist to join our team and help out our company. If you have experience in recruiting, coordinating interviews, handling documentation for staff hiring, and conducting new hire orientation, you might be the right candidate for a role as an HR specialist. 

Typical duties and responsibilities

• Recruit and place workers
• Help manage employee relations and related programs
• Oversee employee performance reviews 
• Help with employee compensation, benefits, and training
• Keep up-to-date employee records

Education and experience

This position requires a bachelor’s degree in human resource management, business administration, or a related field.

Required skills and qualifications

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Professional and courteous with a positive attitude
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite
• Can work with minimal guidance and oversight
• Expertise in customer service
• Ability to multitask and organize in a fast-paced environment

Preferred qualifications

• 3 or more years of work experience in HR
• Strong organization skills and attention to detail/accuracy
• Knowledge of human resources practices and procedures
• Prior data entry, payroll, and/or HR Information System experience
• Excellent communication skills both verbal and in writing
• Intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Office (including Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Word)
• Ability to multi-task in a fast-paced, time-driven environment
• Effective customer service skills and ability to interact professionally with all levels of the organization

Provides service to customers

• Greets all walk-in customers (applicants, employees, guests, etc.) and responds to routine requests in a timely and professional manner
• Answers Human Resources department phone lines in a professional and friendly manner
• Takes messages and refers calls to appropriate staff members promptly
• Retrieves, responds to, and/or appropriately directs Human Resource voicemail messages accordingly
• Distributes Human Resources information and forms to customers
• Review submitted forms to ensure that all information and signatures are complete
• Assists in communicating benefits information and interpreting human resources policies and procedures
• Responds to employment verification requests following Hospital policy
• Prepares and mails employee anniversary cards monthly
• Collects and distributes mail. Order, receive, and distribute routine supplies for the department
• Coordinates maintenance and upkeep of departmental machines (i.e. copier, fax, etc.)

Assist with recruitment functions

• Prepares and mails application acknowledgments bi-weekly
• Administers skill tests to applicants
• Schedules newly hired employees for pre-employment processing and Hospital Orientation
• Distributes, collects, and reviews all employment-related documents
• Verifies employment eligibility and completes I-9 forms
• Coordinates reference and criminal background check processes
• Photocopies supporting documentation (i.e., licensure)
• Issues hospital identification badges
• Prepares official personnel files
• Maintains master files for applications, I-9 forms, and other human resource documents

Assist with various departmental-related duties

• Coordinates the retrieval and return of terminated employee files as needed
• Enters New Employee Orientation (NEO) attendees in the Health Stream System application
• Maintains and enters employee parking information in the access
• Prepares check requisitions and purchase orders
• Assign lockers and issue uniform vouchers
• Completes special projects and performs other related duties as assigned

Knowledge and skills

• High School Diploma required
• Five years of customer experience required; specific human resources experience preferred; OR any similar combination of education and experience
• Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills required
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite is required and prior experience with an HRIS database preferred

Duties and functions

• Manage and handle corporate and field HR audits and works with HRIS on the audit of system-related data. Runs various of audit reports within HR; coordinates with various team members to ensure data integrity
• Provide support with the execution of the compliance program by ensuring HR policies and procedures are developed and implemented across the organization
• Deliver information to various audiences through written (executive summaries, etc.) and spoken (presentations, trainings, etc.) forms of communication
• Attend webinars, seminars, and other trainings to stay up to date on laws and best practices
• Manage and maintain wage and hour compliance including but not limited to:
• Gather and analyze data in the areas of the meal and rest period requirement compliance, and report findings to HR Leadership. This includes reviewing various platforms and time management systems including those reporting time on paper timesheets to ensure proper rest and meal breaks are taken and taken at the correct time within the work shift
• Gather and analyze data and ensure compliance that the correct manager approval was completed and reporting back any findings along with any corrective actions that need to be completed with managers and employees
• Work with payroll teams to ensure that based on findings of the audit are reported and that any premium payment is processed as applicable and required
• Works with Employee Relations Specialists to develop corrective action plans and identify opportunities for education and system roles for greater compliance
• Provides training on timesheet compliance and meal and rest period compliance to employees, managers, divisions, departments, contract support personnel, and others are required
• Recommends follow-up for areas that show patterns of missed break periods and/or excessive overtime
• Provides regular reports to the HR Director, Head of Employee Relations, and VP of HR on analytic findings and recommendations
• Complete numerous projects for Internal HR and the Compliance department and other duties as assigned by the supervisor

Education and experience

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, human resources, or a related field
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills
• Experience in communicating with varying levels of audiences
• 3 or more years of experience in human resources, auditing, or data analytics
• Demonstrated ability to analyze and interpreting data
• Ability to assess and research policies/laws, through online and various sources to gather full understanding of pertinent information. Must be able to compile information summaries in a concise manner and communicate/distribute to colleagues

Knowledge, skills, and abilities

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and interpersonal effectiveness at all levels in the organization and across cultures
• Ability to conduct extensive research and analyze various different types of data
• Ability to make recommendations to effectively resolve problems or issues by using judgment that is consistent with the standards, practices, policies, procedures, and federal, state, and local regulations
• Ability to prioritize and efficiently execute a high volume and broad scope of tasks within tight deadlines, competing demands, and changes in the work environment
• Ability to deal with frequent interruptions, changes, delays, or unexpected events
• Strong sense of business ethics including the ability to appropriately handle confidential information
• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills
• Demonstrated ability to learn quickly
• Ability to collaborate with others
• Demonstrated ability to consult effectively with all levels of management with multiple conflicting priorities
• Ability to establish credibility, be decisive, and be able to recognize and support the organization’s preferences and priorities

Responsibilities

• Responsible for the payroll at all locations including time-keeping review and data transfer and payroll processing
• Submit payroll reports as needed to the Director of HR, Accounting Office, and others as required
• Provide assistance for the administration of benefits including enrollment forms, data input into the payroll system, and communication with the Director of HR and insurance agents on claim and billing issues
• Perform customer service functions by answering employee requests and questions
• Prepare new employee files and conduct New Hire Orientations as required
• Verify/Submit I9 and E-verify information as required
• Assist with reporting requirements
• Assist with the processing of hires and terminations
• Assist with the preparation of performance counseling and reviews

Qualifications

• An associates degree or higher in HR, business administration, or a related field is preferred
• Two or more years of experience is preferred

In addition to meeting the qualifications above, the ideal candidate will embody the following characteristics and possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities listed below:

• Interpersonal Skills – must maintain confidentiality, remain open to other’s ideas and exhibit a willingness to try new things
• Oral and Written Communication – must speak clearly and effectively in positive or negative situations; must demonstrate group presentation skills; must be able to effectively write and edit written communications (i.e. – letters, email, signs); must be able to read and appropriately interpret written information; must be able to present numeric data effectively
• Planning/Organizing – must be able to prioritize and plan work activities, use time efficiently, and develop realistic action plans
• Problem Solving – must be able to identify and resolve problems in a timely manner and gather/analyze information appropriately
• Dependability – must be consistently at work and on time, follow instructions, respond to management instructions, and solicit feedback to improve performance
• Adaptability – must be able to adapt to change in the work environment and to manage competing tasks
• Quality – must demonstrate accuracy and thoroughness; must monitor own work to ensure quality requirements are met