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Benefits clerk skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Adriana Thomas,

Dan Wiljanen Ph.D.

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical benefits clerk skills. We ranked the top skills for benefits clerks based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 16.9% of benefits clerk resumes contained payroll system as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a benefits clerk needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 benefits clerk skills for your resume and career

1. Payroll System

Here's how benefits clerks use payroll system:

Entered new hires information into payroll system and allocated union and non-union workers' benefits.
Update base salary information, taxes and deductions and verify accuracy of payroll system.

2. Data Entry

Data entry means entering data into a company's system with the help of a keyboard. A person responsible for entering data may also be asked to verify the authenticity of the data being entered. A person doing data entry must pay great attention to tiny details.

Here's how benefits clerks use data entry:

Analyzed and developed end-to-end SAP data entry improvement processes for termination, new hires, transfers and personnel changes.
Provide support duties including answer emails, phone calls, data entry, filing and scanning.

3. Open Enrollment

Open enrollment means a duration that comes every year that a person can sign up for health insurance or change the plan that a person has, for instance, if a person needs to deregister. The activity always features in a few weeks or months within a year. It allows workers to alter their benefit plans, including vision, dental, health insurance, life insurance, and disability.

Here's how benefits clerks use open enrollment:

Provided support to Benefits Department for open enrollment period by answering calls and processing enrollment information.
Conducted open enrollment meetings at local and out-of-state locations.

4. Cobra

COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985) is a federal law that allows employers of 20 or more employees who provide health care benefits to offer the option of continuing this coverage to individuals who would otherwise lose their benefits due to termination of employment, reduction in hours or certain other events. It is a temporary coverage that provides cash for medical expenses up to 18 months. The policy is helpful for retirees, former employees, former spouses, dependent children and spouses, workers laid off, on strike, fired for work, etc.

Here's how benefits clerks use cobra:

Managed benefits packages for all 7 locations, managed Cobra, Spokesman for benefit new hires weekly
Prepared notification forms, new hire reports, and coordinated information with COBRA Pro.

5. HRIS

Here's how benefits clerks use hris:

Supervised HRIS Coordinator with responsibility for benefit administration, employee records, employment verification, educational records, and budget information.
Validate and maintain accurate information in HRIS PeopleSoft system and retrieve pertinent information retained for reporting and billing purposes.

6. Human Resources

Human resources is a set of people in a business or a corporation that are designated to locate, interview, and recruit new employees into the company. They are also responsible to maintain the integrity of the employees and help them sort their problems out. They try to introduce and manage employee-benefit programs.

Here's how benefits clerks use human resources:

Collaborate with operations staff, and assist as needed in various other human resources projects.
Perform other clerical duties related to the Human Resources Department, as needed.

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7. Life Insurance

Here's how benefits clerks use life insurance:

Communicated with all health, life insurance, and other outside companies regarding all employee benefits.
Developed and maintained billing system for retirees' medical/dental/life insurance - specific to unions' guidelines.

8. Health Insurance

Here's how benefits clerks use health insurance:

Guided the development, production, promotion and financial aspects of the annual Health Insurance Fair for 8 years.
Worked with OK State Group Insurance Board regarding staff health insurance.

9. Workers Compensation

Here's how benefits clerks use workers compensation:

Process forms related to employee group insurance, workers compensation, unemployment insurance Administer Workers Comp.
Administered Unemployment/Workers Compensation/Safety Compliance programs.

10. Disability Claims

Here's how benefits clerks use disability claims:

Assisted district employees with disability claims, death claims and/or other insurance claim problems.
Assist employee's filing of Short-term Disability claims.

11. ADP

Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP) is a US provider of human resource management software and services. A personnel management system with which daily human resources processes are manageable and easily accessible. It fusion human resources as a discipline and its basic HR activities, and processes with the mastery of information technologies.

Here's how benefits clerks use adp:

Process Payroll/Benefits for 50-100 employees using ADP PC/Payroll and ADP E-time.
Processed payroll using ADP for 24 restaurants.

12. Front Desk

Here's how benefits clerks use front desk:

Front desk receptionist handling phones, travel arrangements, meetings, office supplies, mail and various office tasks.
Provided adequate coverage at the department front desk, handling questions and concerns of applicants, employees, managers, etc.

13. FMLA

Here's how benefits clerks use fmla:

Administer employee benefits* Administration of Workman's Comp and FMLA* Employee Safety training
Processed FMLA and leaves of absence and confidentially maintained employee records.

14. Status Changes

Here's how benefits clerks use status changes:

Processed all employee enrollments, family status changes, and terminations.
Processed all company benefits enrollments and status changes.

15. Computer System

Here's how benefits clerks use computer system:

Entered disability application information into computer system and reviewed to ensure appropriate information included for processing.
Used computers, including Microsoft Office Applications, for word processing (Word consular computer systems).

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What skills help Benefits Clerks find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What soft skills should all benefits clerks possess?

Adriana Thomas

Advisor, Internship Coordinator, Instructor, Washington State University- Vancouver

People skills. Communication, collaboration.

What hard/technical skills are most important for benefits clerks?

Dan Wiljanen Ph.D.

Affiliate of Practice Professor, SHRM Student Chapter Adviser, Grand Valley State University

Knowledge of the HR Discipline
-Personnel and Human Resources - Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
-Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
-Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, government regulations, and executive orders.
-Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for training design, implementation, and evaluation.
Technology Skills
-Enterprise resource planning ERP software
-Human resources software - Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS)
-Office suite software
-Project management software
-Web page creation and editing software
-Word processing software

Do you want to know more?

List of benefits clerk skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a benefits clerk resume and required skills for a benefits clerk to have include:

Payroll System
Data Entry
Open Enrollment
Cobra
HRIS
Human Resources
Life Insurance
Health Insurance
Workers Compensation
Disability Claims
ADP
Front Desk
FMLA
Status Changes

Computer System
Process Payroll
Background Checks
Insurance Benefits
Insurance Carriers
QuickBooks
Benefit Packages
Benefit Programs
Office Equipment
HIPAA
Child Support
Unemployment Claims
Benefits Issues
Insurance Claims

Benefits Administration
Medical Claims
Medicaid
Health Benefits
Compensation Claims
Medical Insurance
Hippa
PeopleSoft
Benefit Changes
Direct Deposits
I-9
PTO
Benefit Payments
FSA

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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