How to hire a program manager/human resources

How to hire a program manager/human resources, step by step

Here's a step-by-step program manager/human resources hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the program manager/human resources you need to hire. Certain program manager/human resources 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

   Hiring the perfect program manager/human resources 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.

   This list shows salaries for various types of program managers/human resources.

   Type of Program Manager/Human Resources	Description	Hourly rate
   Program Manager/Human Resources	Human resources managers plan, direct, and coordinate the administrative functions of an organization. They oversee the recruiting, interviewing, and hiring of new staff; consult with top executives on strategic planning; and serve as a link between an organization’s management and its employees.	$43-75
   Resource Manager	A resource manager's role is to provide the staffing needs of different projects, programs, and departments while coordinating with managers and supervisors. They are responsible for monitoring an employee's performance and payroll data, recommending available staff to join projects and programs, maintaining documentation and records of all transactions, and hire new staff as needed... Show more	$25-51
   Human Resources Administration Manager	A human resources administration manager performs multiple roles, one of which is to maintain and review all human resources, administrative systems, and procedures. They give guidance on HR to the office... Show more	$25-51

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Project Management
   • Program Management
   • Process Improvement
   • Payroll
   • HRIS
   • Shared Services
   • Performance Management
   • Sigma
   • Hr Administration
   • Business Objectives
   • Employee Engagement
   • SharePoint
   • Training Programs
   • PMO

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage compliance review of FLSA classification and analyze headcount and turnover reports and provide recommendations to management regarding appropriate headcount actions.
   • Ensure unit meet quick response requirements by scheduling training for maintenance personnel and coordinating logistics for mission success.
   • Work closely with CPA to ensure all other tax payments are process timely.
   • Prepare monthly trail balance and financial statement, year end reconciliation for review with outside CPA.
   • Post and reconcile electronic fund transfers (EFT) payments receive through Fintech.
   • Assist with arbitration hearing preparation.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your program manager/human resources job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A program manager/human resources salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, program managers/human resources' average salary in wisconsin is 33% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level program managers/human resources earn 42% less than senior-level program managers/human resources.
   • Certifications. A program manager/human resources 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 program manager/human resources's salary.

   Average program manager/human resources salary

   $119,154yearly

   $57.29 hourly rate

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   Entry-level program manager/human resources salary

   $90,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

4. Writing a program manager/human resources job description

   A program manager/human resources 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 program manager/human resources job description:

   Program manager/human resources job description example

   Minimum qualifications:
   
   + Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience.
   
   + 12 years of experience in project or program management.
   
   Preferred qualifications:
   
   + 12 years of experience in Human Resources (HR) Operations.
   
   + Domain knowledge/expertise/experience in the US public sector, security clearances, and/or personnel compliance management.
   
   + Excellent consultative skills, with the ability to assess problems from multiple angles.
   
   + Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to navigate ambiguous situations.
   
   + Excellent judgment on sensitive, complex, and cross-functional issues.
   
   Google's known for our innovative technologies, products and services -- and for the people behind them. Whether you are making our staffing systems more efficient, planning for our growth, building relationships on college campuses or cultivating the next generation of computer scientists, you have an eye on the staffing needs of Google and the broader hiring landscape. You are focused on cultivating outstanding candidates for Google's long-term hiring needs, and work across a cross-functional and international group of staffing teams. You are both scrappy and resourceful, creative and driven -- and excited to share the magic of working at Google.
   
   As a Program Manager, you'll work within a complex broad scope. In this role you'll help Google Public Sector Human Resources and the People Partner team move faster, make better decisions, and provide better services, products, and experiences for our clients.
   
   Great just isn't good enough for our People Operations team (known elsewhere as "Human Resources"). We bring the world's most innovative people to Google and provide the programs that help them thrive. Whether recruiting the next Googler, refining our core programs, developing talent, or simply looking for ways to inject some more fun into the lives of our Googlers, we bring a data-driven approach that is reinventing the human resources field. You'll play an essential role advancing a more diverse, accessible, equitable, and inclusive Google through our hiring, promotion, retention, and inclusion practices.
   
   + Run core operations and business cadence.
   
   + Integrate cross-functional services and teams in service to clients.
   
   + Lead strategic projects and short-term searches to analyze and solve larger scale business and organizational problems.
   
   + Facilitate communication and decision-making.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find program managers/human resources 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 program manager/human resources 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 hrcrossing, ihirehr, hrjobs, shrm hr jobs.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit program managers/human resources, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   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 program manager/human resources

   Once you've found the program manager/human resources 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 important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   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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