How to hire a health unit clerk

How to hire a health unit clerk, step by step

Here's a step-by-step health unit clerk hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the health unit clerk you need to hire. Certain health unit clerk roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A health unit clerk's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, health unit clerks 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.

   Here's a comparison of health unit clerk salaries for various roles:

   Type of Health Unit Clerk	Description	Hourly rate
   Health Unit Clerk	Medical records and health information technicians, commonly referred to as health information technicians, organize and manage health information data. They ensure its quality, accuracy, accessibility, and security in both paper and electronic systems... Show more	$12-18
   Recording Technician	A recording technician specializes in operating audio systems and equipment for various purposes such as recordings, broadcasts, and events. It is their responsibility to prepare equipment according to project or program requirements like microphones, audio lines, speakers, and amplifiers, ensuring everything is accounted for and is functioning efficiently... Show more	$12-21
   Records Coordinator	A records coordinator takes responsibility for doing administrative and clerical work. Records coordinators maintain the filing system of the central records... Show more	$14-25

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Patient Care
   • Medical Terminology
   • CPR
   • Data Entry
   • Computer Programs
   • Test Results
   • Vital Signs
   • EKG
   • Patient Charts
   • Patient Data
   • Word Processing
   • Transcription
   • Patient Charges

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage inpatient transfers to rehabilitation and medical facilities, along with preparing and monitoring outpatient billings insurance verification and referrals.
   • Perform debt collections, copy and file medical information, and administer affidavits and subpoenas on patient orders.
   • Organize, analyze and technically evaluate inpatient and outpatient medical records for physician completeness according to hospital bylaws and JCAHO standards.
   • Safeguard patient information according to the HIPPA policy.
   • Remain up to date on HIPPA regulations and utilize them to obtain inmate medical records from outside providers.
   • Comply with the rule and regulations of HIPAA.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, health unit clerks' average salary in south carolina is 36% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level health unit clerks earn 32% less than senior-level health unit clerks.
   • Certifications. A health unit clerk 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 health unit clerk's salary.

   Average health unit clerk salary

   $15.38hourly

   $31,986 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level health unit clerk salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 17, 2026

4. Writing a health unit clerk job description

   A job description for a health unit clerk 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 health unit clerk job description:

   Health unit clerk job description example

   Type of Position: Full-Time
   Apply Now
   
   Overview
   
   Come work with a great team! Signet Health manages the behavioral health services for Medstar Washington Hospital Center and has a Full-time Day shift opening.
   
   The Unit Clerk performs a variety of administrative duties for the inpatient nursing unit/department. This person ensures the timely, efficient and organized flow of operations for the assigned nursing station/area. Incumbents in this position may perform all, or a combination of, the duties described depending upon their assigned work area and the specific needs of the department.
   
   ESSENTIAL DUTIES:
   
   Greets patients, visitors and/or physicians and provides appropriate assistance. Answers incoming telephone calls to the unit, including STATS, relaying information as appropriate. Responds to or relays patient requests to the nurse.Enters/updates physician orders and unit charges into the computer, e.g. laboratory tests, dietary orders, physical therapy, supplies/treatment utilized, as needed.Initiates and completes administrative functions regarding the admission, discharge and transfer of patients.Faxes/submits physician's orders to the Pharmacy. Completes and ensures delivery of unit census, patient acuity summary, etc.Files laboratory, x-ray reports, progress reports, etc., in the appropriate patient medical chart.Contacts other hospital departments and/or staff to schedule patient's diagnostic/therapeutic appointments, and/or requests assistance with ancillary tasks.Assists in maintaining unit supplies/equipment by monitoring inventory levels, ordering supplies, as instructed and completes appropriate logs.Provides shift report to on-coming Unit Clerk or nursing staff, as needed.Maintains a clean, organized and efficient work station.Assists with the orientation/training of new employees to the unit, as directed.Maintains daily census/nursing assignment boards. Posts and updates monthly assignment boards for physicians and residents.Captures and maintains statistical data on utilization payor mix, census, average length of stay and other critical elements.Other duties as assigned.
   
   Requirements/Qualifications
   
   Candidates should have a minimum of 1-2 years experience in working with patients with psychiatric/behavioral health disorders. Must be flexible to adjust to the needs of a fast-paced environment, demonstrate effective problem solving skills and display excellent oral/written communication skills. Previous adult behavioral health and substance use treatment experience is preferred. High School degree is required and a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Healthcare or similar field is strongly preferred.
   
   EOE

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find health unit clerks 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.

   To find health unit clerk candidates, you can consider the following options:

   • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
   • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting health unit clerks 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.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 health unit clerk

   Once you've found the health unit clerk 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 good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new health unit clerk. 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.)

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