How to hire a personnel associate

How to hire a personnel associate, step by step

Here's a step-by-step personnel 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 personnel associate job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new personnel associate
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a personnel 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

   A personnel associate's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, personnel associates 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 shows salaries for various types of personnel associates.

   Type of Personnel Associate	Description	Hourly rate
   Personnel Associate	Information clerks perform routine clerical duties such as maintaining records, collecting data, and providing information to customers.	$13-27
   Human Resources Trainer	Human Resources Trainers are responsible for providing and facilitating training for employees in an organization's specific job area. They are involved in identifying the company's training needs, conducting employee training programs, producing learning materials, organizing presentations and meetings, assisting employees in the skills improvement process, and arranging lectures, seminars, and workshops... Show more	$12-25
   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

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Payroll
   • Data Entry
   • Human Resources
   • Relevant Databases
   • FMLA
   • Timekeeping
   • Schedule Appointments
   • Recruitment Process
   • Open Enrollment
   • HRIS
   • Personnel Transactions
   • Background Investigations
   • Background Checks
   • Labor Relations

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Work with Kronos time keeping software and manage personnel files.
   • Maintain donate leave logs and FMLA requests, coordinate health benefit elections and retirement enrollments.
   • Prepare and submit quarterly reports such as, vacancy reports, attrition statistics, and EEO statistics.
   • Explain to employees the requirements to be eligible for FMLA and talk to supervisors regarding FMLA for an employee.
   • Coordinate manpower augmentation between organizations with high level of success that allow affected command to continue mission without delay.
   • Calculate ammunition requirements for training and combat exercises base on mission objective and number participating personnel.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your personnel associate job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A personnel associate can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, personnel associates' average salary in south carolina is 39% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level personnel associates 49% less than senior-level personnel associates.
   • Certifications. A personnel associate 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 a personnel associate's salary.

   Average personnel associate salary

   $41,399yearly

   $19.90 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level personnel associate salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 22, 2026

4. Writing a personnel associate job description

   A personnel associate 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 personnel associate job description:

   Personnel associate job description example

   We are searching for a Screening Associate -- someone who works well in a fast-paced setting. In this position, you will ensure the proper screening of employees, patients and visitors that desire entry into any of our facilities.
   Think you've got what it takes?
   
   Responsibilities
   
   * Assists employees, contractors and patient families with appropriate screening questions
   * Screen employees, contractors and patient families for elevated temperature through the use of handheld thermal scanner computer thermography
   * Dispenses procedure masks for use by staff, contractors and patient families
   * Sanitizes all surfaces and equipment prior to commencing work
   * Ensures hand sanitizer is available for use by screening personnel and others
   * Responds to all customer requests in a courteous and professional manner
   * Monitors screening area to ensure proper social distancing measures are in place
   * Assists with performing screening functions at both patient and employee stations or where needed
   * Finishes and meets standards for all required training
   
   Qualifications
   
   Being fully vaccinated against COVID-19, including any booster dose(s) of the COVID-19 vaccine recommended by the Centers for Disease Control when eligible, is required for all employees at Texas Children's, unless approved for a medical or religious exemption
   
   * High school diploma or GED required
   * 1 year experience in customer service preferred
   
   Company Profile
   
   Since 1954, Texas Children's has been leading the charge in patient care, education and research to accelerate health care for children and women around the world. When you love what you do, it truly shows in the smiles of our patient families, employees and our numerous accolades such as being consistently ranked as the best children's hospital in Texas, and among the top in the nation by U.S.News & World Report as well as recognition from Houston Business Journal as one of this city's Best Places to Work for ten consecutive years.
   
   Texas Children's comprehensive health care network includes our primary hospital in the Texas Medical Center with expertise in over 40 pediatric subspecialties; the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute (NRI); the Feigin Center for pediatric research; Texas Children's Pavilion for Women, a comprehensive obstetrics/gynecology facility focusing on high-risk births; Texas Children's Hospital West Campus, a community hospital in suburban West Houston; and Texas Children's Hospital The Woodlands, the first hospital devoted to children's care for communities north of Houston. We have also created the nation's first HMO for children, established the largest pediatric primary care network in the country and a global health program that is channeling care to children and women all over the world. Texas Children's Hospital is also academically affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine, one of the largest, most diverse and successful pediatric programs in the nation.
   
   To join our community of 14,000+ dedicated team members, visit texaschildrenspeople.org for career opportunities. You can also learn more about our amazing culture at infinitepassion.org.
   
   Texas Children's is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All applicants and employees are considered and evaluated for positions at Texas Children's without regard to mental or physical disability, race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, genetic information, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status or any other protected Federal, State/Province or Local status unrelated to the performance of the work involved.

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5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with personnel associate candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of 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 personnel associate

   Once you've found the personnel associate 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.

   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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new personnel 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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