How to hire a resource counselor

How to hire a resource counselor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step resource counselor hiring guide:

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

Post a resource counselor job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your resource counselor job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a resource counselor for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A resource counselor's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, resource counselors 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 resource counselors and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Resource Counselor	Description	Hourly rate
   Resource Counselor	School counselors help students develop academic and social skills and succeed in school. Career counselors assist people with the process of making career decisions by helping them develop skills or choose a career or educational program.	$13-25
   Graduate Clinician	A Graduate Clinician provides speech and language therapy for students. They develop transitional programs for students in preparation for post-graduation.	$20-41
   Service Worker	A service worker is responsible for assisting the community welfare development by providing social services to an organization or specific individual groups, supporting their needs, and addressing their community concerns. Service workers also offer counseling services to their clients to guide them on how they manage their life crises, developing community activities and job opportunities to help citizens with their financial needs by consulting local organizations... Show more	$10-19

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Mental Health
   • Developmental Disabilities
   • Medicaid
   • Crisis Intervention
   • Social Security
   • Support Services
   • Community Resources
   • Financial Assistance
   • Mental Illness
   • Local Employment Laws
   • Independent Living
   • Substance Abuse
   • Medication Administration
   • HR

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage RSP curriculum for wide spectrum of needs including LD and autism.
   • Assist residents with rehabilitation process, provides emotional and behavioral support, along with providing a safe living environment.
   • Organize and lead regular youth and college bible studies, teaching about prayer and promoting spirituality.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your resource counselor job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A resource counselor salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, resource counselors' average salary in south dakota is 51% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level resource counselors earn 46% less than senior-level resource counselors.
   • Certifications. A resource counselor 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 resource counselor's salary.

   Average resource counselor salary

   $40,392yearly

   $19.42 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level resource counselor salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 21, 2026

4. Writing a resource counselor job description

   A good resource counselor job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a resource counselor job description:

   Resource counselor job description example

   Principal Responsibilities of the Leave Counselor:
   
   • Provide proactive status updates to supervisors, maintain collaborative working relationship with HR and other stakeholders and adhere to high service level agreements (SLAs) when interacting with overall customer base (employees, managers, HR and all stakeholders.
   • Provide clear and consistent correspondence on all leaves (telephonic or system reported) in the Case Management System. Ensure system triggers, notifications, communications and notes are documented.
   • Determine eligibility and appropriate benefit exhaustion and pay changes based on plan design
   • Timely and accurate notification to the Data Management or Payroll when manual intervention is required.
   • Facilitate safe return to work with employee, site medical contact, supervisor and HR and.
   • Manage special projects as assigned
   
   Qualifications:
   
   • Minimum of 4 years’ experience in leave management and/or disability management
   • Candidates with LeavePro case management experience are preferred
   • A broad understanding of various leave types such as Military, State and Federal FMLA, FLA, CFRA, ADA, short- & long-term disability and their effect on compensation and benefits is also preferred
   • Experience in a call center within a focus on adherence to metrics/service level agreement
   • Experience with Canada Leave Management regulations
   
   Skills Needed to be Successful:
   
   • Ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities and interact with employees at all levels within the organization, including legal and medical professionals.
   • Ability to manage individual projects
   • Self-motivated with excellent listening skills and attention to detail; sensitivity to hardship and unfortunate circumstances.
   • Excellent verbal and written communication skills
   • Demonstrated ability to handle and maintain confidential and sensitive information.
   • Excellent organizational, time management, written and verbal communication skills.
   • Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to set priorities and exercise sound judgment.
   • Demonstrated ability to learn new procedures and process quickly and work independently to solve problems.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with resource counselor 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 resource counselor

   Once you've found the resource counselor 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.

   To prepare for the new resource counselor first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a resource counselor?