How to hire a corporate secretary

How to hire a corporate secretary, step by step

Here's a step-by-step corporate secretary hiring guide:

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

Post a corporate secretary job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   The corporate secretary 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

   Hiring the perfect corporate secretary also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of corporate secretaries and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Corporate Secretary	Description	Hourly rate
   Corporate Secretary	Secretaries and administrative assistants perform clerical and administrative duties. They organize files, prepare documents, schedule appointments, and support other staff.	$28-63
   Administrative Aide	An administrative aide performs daily administrative support tasks in an office, helping to keep the workflow smooth and efficient. Their duties typically include organizing and disseminating documents, answering calls and correspondence, forwarding messages, greeting visitors and answering inquiries, and preparing and processing files... Show more	$14-23
   Administrator Secretary	Administrator secretaries are assistants to managers or higher officers in charge of administrative tasks. Their responsibilities include liaising with an organization's internal departments and in communicating with the general public... Show more	$12-22

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Corporate Governance
   • Proxy
   • Meeting Minutes
   • Litigation
   • Travel Arrangements
   • Payroll Taxes
   • Securities
   • Due Diligence
   • Human Resources
   • Insurance Policies
   • Regulatory Compliance
   • Real Estate
   • NYSE
   • Expense Reports

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage all mutual fund complex proxy solicitation matters and coordinate related shareholder meetings.
   • Purchase and manage investment portfolio, and supervise selling funds and investment securities.
   • Prepare annual proxy statement and other public disclosure statements require by federal securities laws.
   • Draft responses to subpoenas, interrogatories and other document requests.
   • Work with CFO and CPA in preparing annual tax reports.
   • Liaise with internal accountant and external CPA to prepare quarterly financial statements.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, corporate secretaries' average salary in indiana is 42% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level corporate secretaries earn 55% less than senior-level corporate secretaries.
   • Certifications. A corporate secretary 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 corporate secretary's salary.

   Average corporate secretary salary

   $88,550yearly

   $42.57 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level corporate secretary salary

   $59,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

4. Writing a corporate secretary job description

   A good corporate secretary job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a corporate secretary job description:

   Corporate secretary job description example

   Starr Insurance Companies is a global insurance and investment organization providing property and casualty insurance solutions to business and industry, and one of the fastest-growing insurance companies in the world.Our talentedand experienced associates manage risk and ultimately support the profitable growth of organizations in a dynamic, competitive and ever-changing marketplace. Join us and become part of our talented and passionate workforce.
   
   The Corporate Administrator - Office of the Corporate Secretary will support the administrative functioning of the Office of the Corporate Secretary and Investments team. This includes providing support to the corporate governance, investments, and contract management functions at Starr Insurance Companies.
   Principal Duties and Responsibilities:
   
   Corporate Governance
   Aid with preparation of board meeting agendas, minutes and resolutions; assist with compilation of paper and electronic copies of materials for distribution. File board meeting minutes, resolutions, and entity consents for all worldwide legal entities in electronic and paper copy, as applicable, according to recordkeeping protocols Provide assistance in responding to Know Your Customer ("KYC") requests for bank account openings, third party compliance requests and miscellaneous corporate transactions. Assist with the maintenance of corporate secretarial entity management databases and document portals.
   Investments
   Provide assistance in the maintenance of a master investments tracking database. Create, update as needed, and circulate organizational charts using Microsoft Visio. Provide administrative assistance in corresponding with funds regarding portal access, contact updates, address changes, and KYC requests. Obtain signatures on various legal documents using DocuSign. Perform administrative follow-ups with funds after closing.
   Contract Management
   Assist with maintenance of contracts database. Follow a designated process to file executed contracts submitted to the Office of the Corporate Secretary. Assist with monitoring, updating, preparing reports and filing Nondisclosure Agreements in Onit. Filing of original documents in legal library as needed.
   Qualifications
   At least 3 years' experience as an administrative assistant in a corporate or law firm environment Very strong communication, attention to detail, and organizational skills Ability to interact with personnel from all levels of the organization Ability to multi-task and prioritize workload to meet deadlines in a fast-paced, dynamic environment Must be able to keep company information and data confidential Highly motivated, detail oriented and able to work in a team environment Proficiency with Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Visio and Excel are required
   Except as required by law, Starr requires all applicants and employees to be fully vaccinated in accordance with the CDC guidelines.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find corporate secretaries for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any corporate secretaries they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level corporate secretaries with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting corporate secretaries requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 corporate secretary

   Once you have selected a candidate for the corporate secretary position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new corporate secretary. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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 corporate secretary?