How to hire a risk reduction counselor

How to hire a risk reduction counselor, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a risk reduction counselor, 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 risk reduction counselor's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, risk reduction 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.

   This list presents risk reduction counselor salaries for various positions.

   Type of Risk Reduction Counselor	Description	Hourly rate
   Risk Reduction 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.	$14-29
   Academic Adviser	An academic adviser is responsible for managing the students' educational goals and future career aspirations by encouraging them to join scholastic activities, conducting one-on-one discussions to identify their challenges and areas of improvement, and developing educational plans to address possible difficulties. Academic advisers also monitor the students' interests and abilities for a career setting, track the students' progress, and create engaging activities to observe the students' personal and social behavior... Show more	$16-29
   Job Coach	A job coach is responsible for evaluating people's skills and qualifications, advising them with career paths, helping with their aspirations, and promote employment opportunities. Job coaches help the clients build self-confidence and explore their maximum potentials to develop their professional growth... Show more	$14-21

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Mental Health
   • Substance Abuse
   • Community Resources
   • Crisis Intervention
   • Group Sessions
   • Risk Reduction
   • Health Education
   • Hiv Testing
   • Public Health
   • Intake Assessments
   • at-Risk Youth
   • Assess Client
   • Professional Development
   • Crisis Situations

   Responsibilities:

   • Ensure and manage the compliance with Didi Hirsch policies and procedures, contracts and other regulatory agencies, HIPAA and DMH.
   • Provide individual student planning to assist expulsion students in fulfilling their rehabilitation plan and re-entering the comprehensive school setting.
   • Complete drug/alcohol evaluations and random drug screens on juveniles on probation.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, risk reduction counselors' average salary in oklahoma is 55% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level risk reduction counselors earn 49% less than senior-level risk reduction counselors.
   • Certifications. A risk reduction 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 risk reduction counselor's salary.

   Average risk reduction counselor salary

   $43,802yearly

   $21.06 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level risk reduction counselor salary

   $31,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 22, 2026

4. Writing a risk reduction counselor job description

   A job description for a risk reduction counselor role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a risk reduction counselor job description:

   Risk reduction counselor job description example

   The Opportunity
   
   Reporting to the Vice President of Data Privacy, the Counsel of Global Privacy Transactions & 3rd Party Privacy Risk will have budgeting responsibilities as well as have an impact on tools, systems, and processes. Budget will be determined by the global compliance group and will support use of privacy and records tools, systems, and processes.
   
   This position will manage privacy transactions and 3rd party privacy risk for Qurate Retail Group globally and will have a team of direct report(s). The person in this role will have significant interaction with leaders as well as IT/InfoSec, ecommerce, analytics/marketing, legal, privacy-compliance, and procurement at Qurate Retail Group companies.
   
   Who We Are
   
   At Qurate Retail Group, we believe in a Third Way to Shop - beyond transactional e-commerce or traditional brick-and-mortar stores - for customers who crave engaging shopping experiences. We're a select group of like-minded businesses that provide customers with curated collections of unique products, made personal and relevant by the power of storytelling. We combine the best of retail, media, and social to curate experiences, conversations, and communities for millions of highly discerning shoppers. We bring joy, inspiration, and humanity to shopping.
   
   Your Impact
   
   * Design strategy for assessing third party privacy risk and implement and maintain privacy-compliant processes for QRG globally, including:
   * Manage privacy transactions for QRG globally, including leading the review of, and negotiating data privacy agreements for, complex and high-risk transactions to support QRG business and ensure transactions are compliant with data privacy obligations;
   
   * regular review and updating of QRG privacy templates to reflect privacy regulations and industry best practices
   
   * Conduct complex data protection impact assessments (DPIAs) for high risk uses of personal data by third parties, and refresh existing DPIAs
   
   * Provide regular support to key stakeholders including leaders, information technology, cybersecurity, people team, marketing, and procurement; provide support for other privacy-team / information governance activities and act as subject matter expert for other QRG legal team members
   
   * Manage privacy compliance obligations of 3d parties, including fulfillment of data subject requests
   
   * Lead other activities relating to managing third party privacy risk, including aligning to data subject rights; partner with stakeholders (including cybersecurity) to assess privacy risks from 3d parties in a structured, scalable, sustainable process
   
   * Manage direct report(s) and the use of outside counsel
   
   * Research and monitor changes in privacy law and maintain current awareness of developments in privacy best practices and benchmarking practices
   
   * Assist in data breach responses related to 3d parties and other projects in support of global data privacy and information governance and provide support for other duties as assigned
   
   What you Bring
   
   * JD Degree
   
   * Bachelor's Degree in a relevant field
   
   * 7 to 9 years of general working experience in privacy
   
   * A min of 5 years' experience in privacy at a customer-facing retail environment managing privacy compliance and privacy risk
   
   * 9 to 11 years' experience preferred
   
   * Knowledge of privacy laws, including CCPA/CPRA, United States state privacy laws, GDPR, UK Data Protection Act, ePrivacy, HIPAA, Japan APPI, China PIPL and ability to implement requirements (including enabling data subject rights) effectively in assessing third parties and negotiating privacy agreements
   
   * Prior experience maintaining/supporting a privacy program within a business
   
   * Prior experience in managing or assisting with data breach responses
   
   * Maintain continuing awareness of changes in privacy laws, court cases and developing trends
   
   * Familiarity with software, cloud solutions, and other technology that processes information, including personal information
   
   * Ability to prioritize, manage multiple projects, and meet deadlines
   
   * Ability to exercise influence within the organization to obtain consensus from internal stakeholders who are affected by privacy activities
   
   * Engage with leaders and stakeholders across business groups and QRG locations to obtain thorough understanding of QRG's business processes, applications, policies and other practices as they relate to privacy.
   
   * Demonstrate ability to communicate with credibility and enforce QRG's data privacy policies internally and externally with the goal of informing, educating, and advocating for good privacy practices
   
   * Ability to lead others
   
   * Excellent written and verbal communications skills, including in English
   
   * Strong computer skills with customary business programs (e.g., Word, Outlook, Excel)
   
   * Strong interpersonal skills
   
   * Ability to travel domestically and internationally
   
   #LI-NM1

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right risk reduction counselor for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your risk reduction counselor job on Zippia to find and recruit risk reduction counselor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit risk reduction counselors, 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.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates 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 risk reduction counselor

   Once you've selected the best risk reduction counselor 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.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new risk reduction counselor. 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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