Occupation Profile for Human Resources Assistants
Compile and keep personnel records. Record data for each employee, such as address, weekly earnings, absences, amount of sales or production, supervisory reports on ability, and date of and reason for termination. Compile and type reports from employment records. File employment records. Search employee files and furnish information to authorized persons.
Signficant Points
- About 17 percent work for Federal, State, and local governments.
- Employment will grow as human resources assistants assume more responsibilities.
- Job opportunities should be best for those with excellent communication and computer skills and a broad based knowledge of general office functions, as assistants assume more responsibilities.
Overview
| $33,750.00 | Median Annual Wage | 3,000 | Average Job Openings Per Year |
| 4.1 | Average Unemployment Percentage | 25.0 | Percentage That Completed High School |
| 168,000 | Employment Numbers in 2006 | 46.0 | Percentage That Had Some College |
| 187,000 | Employment Numbers in 2016 (est.) | 29.0 | Percentage That Went Beyond College Degree |
Sample Job Titles
Training
- These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include funeral directors, electricians, forest and conservation technicians, legal secretaries, interviewers, and insurance sales agents.
- Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Some may require a bachelor's degree.
- Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
- Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers.
Employers prefer to hire people who have a high school diploma. Computer, communication, and interpersonal skills are important.
Education and training. A high school diploma or GED usually is preferred for these jobs. Generally, training beyond high school is not required. However, training in computers, in filing and maintaining filing systems, in organizing, and in human resources practices is helpful. Proficiency using Microsoft Word, Excel, and other computer applications also is very desirable. Many of these skills can be learned in a vocational high school program aimed at office careers, and the remainder can be learned on the job.
Formal training is also available at a small number of colleges, most of which offer diploma programs in office automation. Many proprietary schools also offer such programs.
Other qualifications. Human resources assistants must be able to interact and communicate with individuals at all levels of the organization. In addition, assistants should demonstrate poise, tactfulness, diplomacy, and good interpersonal skills in order to handle sensitive and confidential situations.
Nature of Work
Human resources assistants maintain the human resource records of an organization’s employees. These records include information such as name, address, job title, and earnings; benefits such as health and life insurance; and tax withholding. They also undertake a variety of other personnel and general office related tasks.
On a daily basis, these assistants record information and answer questions about and for employees. They might look up information about absences or job performance, for instance. When an employee receives a promotion or switches health insurance plans, the human resources assistant updates the appropriate form. Human resources assistants also may prepare reports for managers. For example, they might compile a list of employees eligible for an award.
In small organizations, some human resources assistants perform a variety of other clerical duties, including answering telephone calls or letters, sending out announcements of job openings or job examinations, signing for packages, ordering office supplies, and issuing application forms. When credit bureaus and finance companies request confirmation of a person’s employment, the human resources assistant provides authorized information from the employee’s personnel records. Assistants also may contact payroll departments and insurance companies to verify changes to records.
Some human resources assistants are involved in hiring. They screen job applicants to obtain information such as their education and work experience; administer aptitude, personality, and interest tests; explain the organization’s employment policies and refer qualified applicants to the employing official; and request references from present or past employers. Also, human resources assistants inform job applicants, by telephone, letter, or e-mail, of their acceptance for or denial of employment.
In some job settings, human resources assistants have more specific job titles. For example, assignment clerks notify a firm’s existing employees of upcoming vacancies, identify applicants who qualify for the vacancies, and assign those who are qualified to various positions. They also keep track of vacancies that arise throughout the organization, and they complete and distribute forms advertising vacancies. When completed applications are returned, these clerks review and verify the information in them, using personnel records. After a selection for a position is made, they notify all of the applicants of their acceptance or rejection.
As another example, identification clerks are responsible for security matters at defense installations. They compile and record personal data about vendors, contractors, and civilian and military personnel and their dependents. The identification clerk’s job duties include interviewing applicants; corresponding with law enforcement authorities; and preparing badges, passes, and identification cards.
Work environment. Human resources assistants usually work in clean, pleasant, and comfortable office settings, but prolonged exposure to video display terminals may lead to eyestrain for assistants who work with computers. They usually work a standard 35- to 40-hour week.
Related Occupations
- Employment Interviewers
- Personnel Recruiters
- Appraisers, Real Estate
- Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks
- Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs
- Interviewers
- Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks