How to hire a human resources associate

How to hire a human resources associate, step by step

Here's a step-by-step human resources associate hiring guide:

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

What does a human resources associate do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a human resources associate, 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

   Hiring the perfect human resources associate 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 human resources associates and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Human Resources Associate	Description	Hourly rate
   Human Resources Associate	Human resources specialists recruit, screen, interview, and place workers. They often handle other human resources work, such as those related to employee relations, compensation and benefits, and training... Show more	$18-38
   Recruiting Coordinator	A recruiting coordinator's tasks include posting job vacancies, coordinating candidate travel, setting up schedules for interviews and handling last-minute scheduling changes, preparing offer letters, and conducting background checks on aspirants. The coordinator assists in the company's recruiting and talent acquisition procedures and strategies by hiring job-seekers to fill in vacant positions and to supply the company's workforce needs and goals... Show more	$16-28
   Human Resources Generalist/Manager	A human resource (HR) generalist performs a variety of HR functions and duties. These include recruiting and interviewing job applicants, conducting background checks and verifying employee eligibility, and implementing new employee orientation and recognition programs... Show more	$26-51

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • HRIS
   • I-9
   • Performance Management
   • Exit Interviews
   • Payroll Processing
   • E-Verify
   • Background Checks
   • PowerPoint
   • Data Entry
   • EEO
   • Excellent Interpersonal
   • FMLA
   • Provides Administrative Support

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage timekeeping system (KRONOS), attendance tracking, and reporting.
   • Manage disability vendor relationship and activities and identify HRIS issues.
   • Integrate efforts on actions and programs where joint OPM functional effort are necessary to accomplish recruitment and enhance organizational effectiveness.
   • Develop an on-line PowerPoint presentation explaining benefits for both open enrollment and new hire.
   • Verify employment background by carrying out e-verify checks and cross checking references.
   • Identify and escalate recurring payroll systems issues; review and reconcile hours work; create output file for payroll to ADP.

   More human resources associate duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your human resources associate job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A human resources associate salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a human resources associate in Nebraska may be lower than in New York, and an entry-level human resources associate usually earns less than a senior-level human resources associate. Additionally, a human resources associate with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average human resources associate salary

   $56,636yearly

   $27.23 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level human resources associate salary

   $39,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average human resources associate salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$83,676	$40
   2	New York	$73,449	$35
   3	New Jersey	$70,788	$34
   4	North Carolina	$66,376	$32
   5	California	$66,252	$32
   6	Virginia	$65,360	$31
   7	Washington	$64,501	$31
   8	Maryland	$63,520	$31
   9	Massachusetts	$58,432	$28
   10	Pennsylvania	$58,260	$28
   11	Illinois	$53,639	$26
   12	Oregon	$52,684	$25
   13	Ohio	$51,948	$25
   14	Minnesota	$51,397	$25
   15	Colorado	$50,638	$24
   16	Texas	$50,147	$24
   17	Indiana	$49,814	$24
   18	Georgia	$48,560	$23
   19	Iowa	$48,141	$23
   20	South Carolina	$47,369	$23

   Average human resources associate salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Citi	$110,020	$52.89	2
   2	Pacific Investment Management Company LLC	$108,711	$52.26	4
   3	Morgan Stanley	$102,093	$49.08
   4	Amazon	$101,988	$49.03	36
   5	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$99,327	$47.75	50
   6	Sprinklr	$98,892	$47.54
   7	J.P. Morgan	$91,198	$43.85
   8	Amgen	$89,361	$42.96
   9	Ross Stores	$89,087	$42.83	9
   10	DTCC	$88,951	$42.76	1
   11	Ford Motor	$88,500	$42.55	17
   12	Trianz	$87,658	$42.14
   13	RSM US	$87,226	$41.94	33
   14	Sephora	$86,051	$41.37	17
   15	Zoetis	$85,883	$41.29
   16	Thomas H. Lee Partners	$85,291	$41.01
   17	CyberCoders	$84,518	$40.63
   18	Praxair	$82,853	$39.83
   19	Gilead Sciences	$82,215	$39.53	6
   20	Brookhaven National Laboratory	$81,217	$39.05

4. Writing a human resources associate job description

   A job description for a human resources associate 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 human resources associate job description:

   Human resources associate job description example

   The PCA Group of Companies is a fully vertically integrated, tech-enabled, and truly omnichannel global distribution company for the worldwide beauty and wellness sector. Led by the founding family for over 30 years, our 1500-person team supports multichannel distribution to 150+ countries. Through our interwoven set of capabilities — investments, logistics, retail strategy, and marketing, among others — we empower our clients to cut through the noise in an increasingly saturated global market...

   What does that mean? Growth opportunity for the right Human Resources Associate Candidate! Our company has grown from 55 employees to well over 1500!

   The ideal candidate has experience compiling and recording employee time and payroll data. Preparing paychecks. compiling and keeping personnel records. Recording data for each employee, such as address, absences, and date of and reason for termination. Preparing reports for employment records, filing employment records, or searching employee files and furnishing information to authorized persons.

   The exceptional candidate wants to grow beyond what is simply expected. We are an extremely diverse organization that is looking for an entry level leader who will grow with the organization.

   We are looking for a Bilingual (Spanish) superstar to join our HR team.

   This role is not remote and is located in Ronkonkoma, NY

   Salary commensurate with experience. PTO, Medical, Dental and Vision Benefits. 401(k) after one year of service

   Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

   
   We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, creed, religion or belief, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, marital or domestic partnership status, sexual orientation, sex, gender identity or expression, age, disability, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. The PCA Group of Companies recognizes and values the benefits of a diverse workforce

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find human resources associates 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 human resources associate job on Zippia to find and recruit human resources associate candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting human resources associates 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 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 human resources associate

   Once you have selected a candidate for the human resources associate 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 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 human resources associate. 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.)

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How much does it cost to hire a human resources associate?