How to hire an employee relations assistant

How to hire an employee relations assistant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step employee relations assistant hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring an employee relations assistant, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   An employee relations assistant's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, employee relations assistants from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents employee relations assistant salaries for various positions.

   Type of Employee Relations Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Employee Relations Assistant	Information clerks perform routine clerical duties such as maintaining records, collecting data, and providing information to customers.	$18-40
   Human Resources Clerk	A human resources clerk's role focuses on assisting in the hiring process within a company or organization. Most of the responsibilities will revolve around posting hiring notices on various platforms, handling job applications, arranging schedules and appointments for interviews, verifying requirements, and responding to calls and inquiries... Show more	$12-21
   Human Resources Internship	A human resources intern is responsible for assisting the human resources department in daily operations under a direct supervisor. Duties of a human resources intern include reviewing job postings and qualifications, updating employees' information in the database, scheduling candidate interviews, responding to employees' concerns, processing payroll disputes, and reiterating the company's policies and procedures... Show more	$12-20

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Substance Abuse
   • Management System
   • Community Resources
   • Assistance Program
   • Crisis Intervention
   • Quality Customer Service
   • EAP
   • Mental Health
   • Payroll
   • HR
   • HRIS
   • Performance Management
   • Logistics
   • Disaster Victims

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage worker's comp claims and FMLA; follow up with employees and carriers on claim status and leaves.
   • Gather and document information to achieve litigation free outcomes or successfully defend company.
   • Identify and correct operational issues in clients POS terminals.
   • Used HRIS to compile and prepare reports for review by management.
   • Produce PeopleSoft HRIS union member report and wage report to audit wages for compliance.
   • Demonstrate ability to work in a stock room and understand the logistics of how the company runs.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your employee relations assistant job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An employee relations assistant can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, employee relations assistants' average salary in south carolina is 45% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level employee relations assistants 54% less than senior-level employee relations assistants.
   • Certifications. An employee relations assistant with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an employee relations assistant's salary.

   Average employee relations assistant salary

   $57,480yearly

   $27.63 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level employee relations assistant salary

   $39,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

4. Writing an employee relations assistant job description

   An employee relations assistant job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of an employee relations assistant job description:

   Employee relations assistant job description example

   Join the Human Resources Team as an Employee Relations Consultant . In this role, you will be responsible for supporting the mission, goals and objectives of Cottage Health System. The Employee Relations Consultant serves as a support and resource to employees and management staff on employee relations and conflict resolution. Additional responsibilities including maintaining knowledge of employee relations practices, tools, and process improvement methodologies. The Employee Relations Consultant supports positive employee relations through programs and processes that are aligned with CHS Code of Conduct, Standards of Behavior, performance management and retention goals .
   
   We are looking for innovative thinkers who have a high level of accountability, ownership, and take pride in their work. We are looking for a leader who has strong communication, analytical and problem-solving skills to effectively partner with our team. To succeed in this role, the Employee Relations Consultant will have excellent organization skills, superior attention to detail and able to adapt within a complex and fast-paced environment.
   
   At Cottage Health, we are proud of our generous Total Rewards package. We offer benefit programs that help us hire the best people.
   
   Our benefits program is called Choices...for Health...for Wealth...for Life. We take great pride in continuously evaluating our Choices program to offer the most competitive benefits in the health care industry. We offer employees excellent traditional benefit plans like medical, dental, life insurance, and disability coverage, along with a leading-edge Wellness Program of health improvement opportunities. The program provides tools that allow you to bring the same attention to your health that Cottage Health does to the health of our patients.
   
   QUALIFICATIONS:
   
   LEVEL OF EDUCATION
   
   Minimum: Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience (8 additional years of relevant experience)
   
   CERTIFICATIONS, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS
   
   Preferred: Professional in Human Resources SHRM certification (PHR)
   
   TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
   
   Minimum: Proficient with Microsoft office
   
   Preferred: Knowledge of Infinium HRIS
   
   YEARS OF RELATED WORK EXPERIENCE
   
   Minimum: 3 years working in a Human Resources environment
   
   Preferred: 5+ years Employee Relations experience
   Cottage Health is a leading acute care hospital system, located on the central coast of California, widely known for our superior patient care, innovation, medical research and education. Our health system operates primarily in Santa Barbara, Ca, since 1888, and consists of three acute care hospitals, a Rehabilitation Hospital, multiple clinics and a multi-site Urgent Care system. Our mission is to serve the central coast communities with excellence, integrity, and compassion. Every day we touch thousands of lives in many different ways, resolute in our mission to put patients first. We take pride in helping our patients get back to living their lives - in the places they love.
   
   Cottage Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Cottage Health applicants are considered solely based on their qualifications, without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, age, gender, transgender, gender expression and identity, national origin, ancestry, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, military status or any other classification protected by law. This policy applies to all aspects of the relationship between Cottage Health and an applicant or employee. Cottage Health is committed to upholding discrimination-free hiring practices. We strive to cultivate an environment where exceptional people bring diverse perspectives and find belonging, support and connection to their work.
   
   Any Cottage Health applicants who require assistance or reasonable accommodations during the application process may request the need for accommodation with the Recruiter.
   

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right employee relations assistant for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit employee relations assistants, 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. 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 employee relations assistant

   Once you've found the employee relations assistant candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   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.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is 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.)

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