How to hire a client relations specialist

How to hire a client relations specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step client relations specialist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a client relations specialist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new client relations specialist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a client relations specialist do?

Post a client relations specialist job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   The client relations specialist hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a client relations specialist to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a client relations specialist that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of client relations specialists.

   Type of Client Relations Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Client Relations Specialist	Customer service representatives interact with customers to handle complaints, process orders, and provide information about an organization’s products and services.	$12-27
   Customer Relations Representative	A customer relations representative is responsible for providing the highest customer service by interacting with customers to respond to their inquiries and concerns, process their requests, and resolve their complaints. Customer relations representatives assist the customers with their needs by offering products and services according to their requirements and budget limitations... Show more	$13-24
   Customer Relations Coordinator	A customer relations coordinator oversees a company's customer service programs, ensuring clients receive optimal support and service. They conduct market research and analysis, study client feedback, organize customer loyalty incentives, coordinate customer service teams, establish programs, supervise staff performance, and solve issues and concerns when any arise... Show more	$12-25

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Client Relations
   • Customer Service
   • Data Entry
   • Client Facing
   • Inbound Calls
   • Client Support
   • Customer Support
   • Client Inquiries
   • Troubleshoot
   • External Clients
   • Client Issues
   • Conference Calls
   • Client Accounts
   • DST

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage calendars; compile account records; create PowerPoint presentations for vendors, customers and investors.
   • Transition reporting and document storage process to an online SharePoint workspace for increase efficiency.
   • Participate in training of new representatives by composing training manuals and PowerPoint presentations.
   • Perform collection follow-up duties on specific financial classifications such as commercial insurance, Medicare and Medicaid claims.
   • Educate clients regarding proper distributions according to IRS regulations.

   More client relations specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your client relations specialist job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A client relations specialist salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, client relations specialists' average salary in mississippi is 50% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level client relations specialists earn 53% less than senior-level client relations specialists.
   • Certifications. A client relations specialist with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a client relations specialist's salary.

   Average client relations specialist salary

   $39,902yearly

   $19.18 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level client relations specialist salary

   $27,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average client relations specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$56,252	$27
   2	New Jersey	$56,251	$27
   3	New York	$52,445	$25
   4	Massachusetts	$48,061	$23
   5	Minnesota	$47,582	$23
   6	Washington	$46,651	$22
   7	Pennsylvania	$44,315	$21
   8	Florida	$43,421	$21
   9	California	$43,191	$21
   10	Texas	$43,123	$21
   11	Arizona	$42,712	$21
   12	Utah	$40,798	$20
   13	Ohio	$40,119	$19
   14	Illinois	$39,887	$19
   15	Michigan	$39,753	$19
   16	Missouri	$39,620	$19
   17	Georgia	$38,098	$18
   18	North Carolina	$37,914	$18
   19	Iowa	$36,959	$18
   20	Colorado	$35,259	$17

   Average client relations specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	McKinsey & Company Inc	$82,547	$39.69	25
   2	Vsoft Corporation	$64,049	$30.79
   3	Deloitte	$61,333	$29.49	572
   4	PRA Group Careers	$58,574	$28.16
   5	Harvard University	$56,993	$27.40
   6	Regional Medical Center- Orangeburg	$54,381	$26.14	1
   7	ASHP	$53,768	$25.85
   8	SS&C Technologies	$51,930	$24.97	30
   9	GlobalFoundries	$50,329	$24.20
   10	ABC Imaging	$49,031	$23.57	13
   11	Niagara Bottling	$48,976	$23.55
   12	Dickstein Shapiro	$48,939	$23.53
   13	Maxim Healthcare Group	$48,009	$23.08	28
   14	Children's Hospital Colorado	$46,414	$22.31	1
   15	Harsco	$43,724	$21.02
   16	iHeartMedia	$43,547	$20.94	18
   17	Schoolcraft College	$42,945	$20.65	1
   18	Arapahoe County	$42,523	$20.44
   19	Holman Automotive	$41,648	$20.02	7
   20	Berkadia Commercial Mortgage	$40,927	$19.68

4. Writing a client relations specialist job description

   A job description for a client relations specialist role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a client relations specialist job description:

   Client relations specialist job description example

   Bring your heart to work! Caring people make the difference at American Senior Communities!
   
   Compassion, Accountability, Relationships and Excellence are the core values for American Senior Communities. These words not only form an acronym for C.A.R.E., they are our guiding principles and create the framework for all our relationships with customers, team members and community at large.
   
   American Senior Communities has proudly served our residents and their families for over 19 years.
   
   Our Senior Living Division offers residents more than just a place to rest their head. We offer a new way of life, by providing opportunities for our residents to explore their passions. We are committed to nurturing the physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual well-being of our residents through whole-person centered care.
   
   **_What will you be doing and how will you make a difference at American Senior Communities?_**
   
   + Making a difference in the lives of the patients we serve by providing them care and compassion.
   
   + The Guest Relations Specialist greets and assists all visitors and residents to the community, and operates the telephone system to answer incoming calls and direct callers to appropriate personnel. The Guest Relations Specialist is committed to building on-going relationships with the residents and families, foster communication and ensures ongoing customer satisfaction.
   
   **_Requirements_**
   
   + High school diploma or general education degree (GED); or one to three months related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
   
   We are Equal Opportunity-Affirmative Action Employer - Minority / Female / Disability / Veteran and other protected categories.
   
   Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
   
   The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find client relations specialists for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your client relations specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit client relations specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit client relations specialists, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new client relations specialist

   Once you've selected the best client relations specialist candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new client relations specialist. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a client relations specialist?