How to hire a labour relations specialist

How to hire a labour relations specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step labour relations specialist hiring guide:

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

What does a labour relations specialist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a labour relations specialist, 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

   A labour relations specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, labour relations specialists 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.

   The following list breaks down different types of labour relations specialists and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Labour Relations Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Labour Relations Specialist	Labor relations specialists interpret and administer labor contracts regarding issues such as wages and salaries, healthcare, pensions, and union and management practices.	$19-44
   Employee Relations Representative	Employee relations representatives are professionals who are responsible for negotiating the contracts of employees as well as offer overall support to them working for an organization. These representatives must deal with employee complaints in areas such as salary, pensions, and benefits while investigating potential disturbances in their workplace... Show more	$19-43
   Employee Relations Coordinator	An Employee Relations Coordinator is responsible for supporting the human resources department operations, acting as a liaison between the senior management and employees. They facilitate the hiring process, coordinating with the hiring managers for their staffing needs and qualification requirements... Show more	$17-35

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • HR
   • Collective Bargaining Agreements
   • Collective Bargaining
   • Arbitration
   • EEO
   • Industrial Relations
   • Mediation
   • Payroll
   • Performance Management
   • Disciplinary Actions
   • Contract Administration
   • Labor Relations Issues
   • Contract Interpretation
   • HRIS

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Create, manage, and disseminate university communications via alumni relations department website and email system.
   • Manage alumni programs and data systems including implementing new data tracking system and creating data privacy policy.
   • Handle grievance investigations, contract interpretation, disciplinary matters, and implementation of arbitration awards for consistency company-wide.
   • Assist leaders to be compliant with FLSA, ODRISA, etc.
   • Post commendations and counseling notices into HRIS (Filenet).
   • Investigate and settle grievances, prepare and present appeals to personnel boards.

   More labour relations specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your labour relations specialist job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A labour relations specialist 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 labour relations specialist in Louisiana may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level labour relations specialist usually earns less than a senior-level labour relations specialist. Additionally, a labour relations specialist 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 labour relations specialist salary

   $61,007yearly

   $29.33 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level labour relations specialist salary

   $40,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average labour relations specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New Jersey	$94,144	$45
   2	District of Columbia	$84,134	$40
   3	Pennsylvania	$82,116	$39
   4	California	$80,225	$39
   5	Massachusetts	$78,243	$38
   6	Connecticut	$72,409	$35
   7	Virginia	$71,254	$34
   8	New York	$70,336	$34
   9	Colorado	$67,724	$33
   10	Illinois	$66,635	$32
   11	Utah	$61,268	$29
   12	Michigan	$61,027	$29
   13	Washington	$57,635	$28
   14	Arkansas	$55,895	$27
   15	Florida	$50,099	$24
   16	Texas	$49,854	$24
   17	Ohio	$49,153	$24
   18	North Carolina	$46,793	$23
   19	Missouri	$39,528	$19
   20	Indiana	$39,442	$19

   Average labour relations specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Google	$122,380	$58.84	6
   2	Santa Clara Valley Water District	$93,958	$45.17
   3	Xerox	$91,012	$43.76
   4	Biogen	$89,106	$42.84
   5	DuPont	$85,981	$41.34
   6	American Express	$85,270	$41.00
   7	National Railroad Passenger Corporation	$82,340	$39.59
   8	University of California	$80,676	$38.79	13
   9	Daimler Trucks North America	$80,488	$38.70
   10	GlobalFoundries	$80,152	$38.53
   11	Palomar Health	$77,473	$37.25
   12	Crown Castle International	$77,244	$37.14
   13	Blackstone Properties	$76,500	$36.78
   14	Health Alliance	$75,666	$36.38
   15	University of California-Berkeley	$74,974	$36.05
   16	Highmark	$74,466	$35.80	26
   17	Arrow Electronics	$73,560	$35.37	3
   18	Tri-City Medical Center	$72,119	$34.67
   19	HCA Healthcare	$70,417	$33.85	29
   20	PEAK6	$69,033	$33.19

4. Writing a labour relations specialist job description

   A labour relations specialist 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 a labour relations specialist job description:

   Labour relations specialist job description example

   As a member of a collaborative team, performs a wide variety of duties relating to contract negotiations, contract administration, arbitration issues, and employee relation concerns. Responsibilities include: researching and participating in strategy sessions prior to negotiations; negotiating assigned contracts according to strategy and organizational goals; providing on-going contract administration for multiple contracts and implementing completed contracts including providing education to managers and human resource staff; participating in and supporting arbitration processes; handling grievances; providing leadership and technical expertise on labor and employee relations to management and other HR staff; administering the corrective action process up to and including termination; facilitating and implementing layoff process; representing the employer when working with union representatives on various contractual issues; responding to union organizing activities; processing outside requests for information on a variety of claims; conducting various investigations related to risk management issues, physician conduct, EEOC, sexual harassment or other harassment allegation claims, hostile work environment claims, etc; administering the Essentia Health Drug and Alcohol Policy; and responding to unemployment claims and representing Essentia Health in unemployment hearings. Work Experience: Minimum 5 years full-time professional level experience in labor and employee relations
   Education Qualifications:
   
   Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Human Resource Management, or related field of study
   
   Licensure/Certification Qualifications:
   
   No certification/licensure required
   
   FTE
   
   1
   
   Shift Rotation
   
   Day Rotation (United States of America)
   
   Pay Range
   
   $82139 - $123219 / year
   
   The approximate base compensation range is posted, but the actual offer will reflect our total compensation and benefits package. The offer will be determined by a number of factors including the selected candidate's experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, FTE, as well as internal equity among our team.
   
   Effective December 1, 2019: Job offers are contingent upon successful completion of a post-offer assessment, including a urine drug screen, immunization review, proof of required vaccinations, and background check. Essentia Health is committed to maintaining a work environment free from the influence of illegal drugs and alcohol.
   
   Essentia Health EEO:
   
   Essentia Health is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, sexual identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
   
   Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) at Essentia
   
   It is our policy to afford EEO to all individuals, regardless of race, religion, color, sex, pregnancy, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, family medical history, genetic information, sexual orientation, marital status, military service or veteran status, culture, socio-economic status, status with regard to public assistance, and other factors not related to qualifications, including employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants, or membership or activity in a local human rights commission, or any other category as defined by law.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find labour relations specialists 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 labour relations specialists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level labour relations specialists 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 labour relations specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit labour relations specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit labour relations specialists, 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 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 labour relations specialist

   Once you've selected the best labour relations specialist candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   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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