What does a Human Resources Associate do?
A human resources associate is responsible for supporting the human resources department's operations, updating employees' records within the organization's database, and managing the employees' inquiries and concerns by referencing the human resources policies. Human resources associates assist with staffing and recruitment processes, maintaining a timely job board, and filtering potential candidates' requirements and qualifications. They also respond to payments and benefits concerns and recommend employees' training and programs to maximize their potential, credibility, and productivity for daily operations and project management.
Human resources associate responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real human resources associate resumes:
- 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.
- Increase administrative efficiency by outsourcing payroll processes to ADP.
- Analyze FMLA claims to determine eligibility and certification in compliance with state and federal regulations.
- Administer short-term disability program, advising managers on compliance with federal and corporate regulation, including FMLA.
- Perform PeopleSoft queries/reports in order to produce and analyze attrition, absenteeism, headcount and demographic information.
- Establish leadership development training curriculum and educational programs for distribute employees; track and maintain employee training data in PeopleSoft.
- Customize HRIS to accommodate European and Canadian employees, improving headcount reporting functions and accuracy of global labor force personnel transactions.
- Deliver informative presentation utilizing Microsoft PowerPoint.
- Prepare EEO-1 report for entire organization including eligible clients.
- Process employee-related information including garnishments, benefit deductions, time-off requests and approve payroll registry in compliance with FLSA.
Human resources associate skills and personality traits
We calculated that 12% of Human Resources Associates are proficient in Customer Service, HRIS, and I-9. They’re also known for soft skills such as Detail oriented, Communication skills, and Interpersonal skills.
We break down the percentage of Human Resources Associates that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Service, 12%
Assisted recruiters in scheduling candidate interviews throughout the country and prepare candidate interview materials while providing exceptional customer service.
- HRIS, 8%
Customized HRIS to accommodate European and Canadian employees, improving headcount reporting functions and accuracy of global labor force personnel transactions.
- I-9, 6%
Performed voluntary I-9 and other internal system audits to ensure accuracy and compliance; documenting any issues or potentially questionable data.
- Performance Management, 5%
Reduced employee relations issues by developing an updated employee handbook, implementing first line supervisory training and facilitating performance management cycle.
- Exit Interviews, 5%
Performed administrative duties including screening resumes, conducting background & reference checks, updating organizational charts, and conducting exit interviews.
- Payroll Processing, 4%
Guarantee that employees are coded correctly for compensation and payroll processing; conduct miscellaneous audits and data collection when necessary
Most human resources associates use their skills in "customer service," "hris," and "i-9" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential human resources associate responsibilities here:
Detail oriented. The most essential soft skill for a human resources associate to carry out their responsibilities is detail oriented. This skill is important for the role because "specialists must pay attention to detail when evaluating applicants’ qualifications, doing background checks, maintaining records of an employee grievance, and ensuring that a workplace complies with labor standards." Additionally, a human resources associate resume shows how their duties depend on detail oriented: "required strong attention to detail and high level of customer service. "
Communication skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling human resources associate duties is communication skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "listening and speaking skills are essential for human resources specialists." According to a human resources associate resume, here's how human resources associates can utilize communication skills in their job responsibilities: "led efforts to complete a comprehensive analysis of current-state recruitment processes, communication materials and methods, and candidate outreach procedures. "
Interpersonal skills. This is an important skill for human resources associates to perform their duties. For an example of how human resources associate responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "specialists continually interact with others and must be able to converse and connect with people from varied backgrounds." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a human resources associate: "demonstrated skills to multi-task in a customer service environment utilizing excellent interpersonal skills and oral and written communication skills. ".
The three companies that hire the most human resources associates are:
- Grant Thornton35 human resources associates jobs
- JPMorgan Chase & Co.16 human resources associates jobs
- Ernst & Young13 human resources associates jobs
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Compare different human resources associates
Human resources associate vs. 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. To be effective, he/she should have excellent communication skills and intimate knowledge about hiring best practices to be able to attract aspirants.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a human resources associate are more likely to require skills like "performance management," "payroll processing," "fmla," and "open enrollment." On the other hand, a job as a recruiting coordinator requires skills like "human resources," "phone screens," "onsite interviews," and "candidate travel." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Recruiting coordinators tend to make the most money working in the finance industry, where they earn an average salary of $47,481. In contrast, human resources associates make the biggest average salary, $72,184, in the finance industry.recruiting coordinators tend to reach similar levels of education than human resources associates. In fact, recruiting coordinators are 2.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Human resources associate vs. Senior human resources generalist
A Senior Human Resources Generalist implements human resources programs, such as health and welfare benefits, training and development, and safety/health. They are also responsible for improving manager and employee performance.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that human resources associate responsibilities requires skills like "payroll processing," "powerpoint," "data entry," and "eeo." But a senior human resources generalist might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "payroll," "employee engagement," "sr," and "employment law."
Senior human resources generalists earn a higher average salary than human resources associates. But senior human resources generalists earn the highest pay in the finance industry, with an average salary of $81,014. Additionally, human resources associates earn the highest salaries in the finance with average pay of $72,184 annually.In general, senior human resources generalists achieve similar levels of education than human resources associates. They're 2.9% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Human Resources Associates in the next 3-5 years?
Denise Barton
Senior Professor of Human Resources, Wake Technical Community College
Human resources associate vs. Recruiter associate
A recruiter associate is responsible for supporting the human resources department of an organization on their staffing processes. Recruiter associates identify a department's staffing needs and coordinate with the hiring managers for their requirements and qualifications on a job opening. They update the company's online job boards, as well as posting on various social media platforms as instructed. A recruiter associate carefully filters the application, selects potential applicants, schedules interviews and assessment, and assists the successful candidate on the submission of documents during onboarding.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a human resources associate is likely to be skilled in "performance management," "exit interviews," "payroll processing," and "e-verify," while a typical recruiter associate is skilled in "human resources," "source candidates," "linkedin," and "phone screens."
Recruiter associates earn the best pay in the finance industry, where they command an average salary of $64,450. Human resources associates earn the highest pay from the finance industry, with an average salary of $72,184.Most recruiter associates achieve a similar degree level compared to human resources associates. For example, they're 3.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Human resources associate vs. 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. In addition, you will be responsible for administering and executing HR programs, including benefits, disputes and investigations, and compensation. As an HR generalist, you are expected to provide answers to inquiries from applicants, employees, and managers. You are also expected to maintain compliance with local, state, and federal employment laws.
Types of human resources associate
Updated January 8, 2025
