Is administrative assistant the same as HR?

Question

Zippia Team · Accepted Answer

No, an administrative assistant is not the same as a human resources professional. Human resources assistants are often responsible for collecting and organizing employee paperwork, such as job applications, employment contracts, and benefits forms.

Administrative assistants manage hard copy and digital records by keeping them organized and easily retrievable.

While human resources assistants are often more involved in onboarding and offboarding employees than administrative assistants, both are likely to welcome new hires and assist workers leaving the company.

For example, human resources assistants may be responsible for providing a new employee with information about benefits and office policies.

On the other hand, administrative assistants may take responsibility for introducing a new employee to her new co-workers, show her around the office, and bring her up to speed on the location of internal files and records.

The administrative assistant may also act as a liaison between the new hire and the IT department, getting her set up with a computer and email address.