How to hire a senior human resources assistant

How to hire a senior human resources assistant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step senior human resources assistant hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the senior human resources assistant you need to hire. Certain senior human resources assistant 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 senior human resources assistant 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 presents senior human resources assistant salaries for various positions.

   Type of Senior Human Resources Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Human Resources Assistant	Information clerks perform routine clerical duties such as maintaining records, collecting data, and providing information to customers.	$14-24
   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
   Human Resources Coordinator	A human resources coordinator is responsible for cooperating with the company's human resources department, supporting its processes and procedures, and assisting with employees' concerns. Human resources coordinators' duties include maintaining business files and employees' records, processing documents and submitting required reports, administering background checks for the recruitment process, reviewing and referring to company's handbook for corrective action and performance review, scheduling meetings and facilitating events, and advising effective strategies to human resources management... Show more	$15-28

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • HRIS
   • Process Improvement
   • Office Equipment
   • Data Integrity
   • FC
   • SR
   • Workers Compensation
   • Timekeeping
   • Hire Orientations
   • PeopleSoft
   • Benefits Enrollment
   • Data Entry
   • Employee Engagement

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage e-mail for SVP by reviewing and identifying critical areas requiring attention.
   • Enter hours adjustments, vacation, holiday pay and sick pay into Kronos.
   • Maintain employee records in PeopleSoft, process new hires, terminations, lay off status and leaves.
   • Process and maintain weekly payroll hours for all hourly employees using the timekeeper system Kronos & ADP.
   • Utilize PeopleSoft for maintaining all employee data, entering new employees, issuing time cards, and pulling reports.
   • Complete entries to the HRIS, including benefit enrollment, employee status changes, and changes to addresses and emergency contacts.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, senior human resources assistants' average salary in south carolina is 36% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level senior human resources assistants earn 38% less than senior-level senior human resources assistants.
   • Certifications. A senior human resources assistant 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 senior human resources assistant's salary.

   Average senior human resources assistant salary

   $39,874yearly

   $19.17 hourly rate

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   Entry-level senior human resources assistant salary

   $31,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 29, 2026

4. Writing a senior human resources assistant job description

   A senior human resources assistant 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. Below, you can find an example of a senior human resources assistant job description:

   Senior human resources assistant job description example

   About Us
   
   As a not-for-profit organization, Mass General Brigham is committed to supporting patient care, research, teaching, and service to the community by leading innovation across our system. Founded by Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, Mass General Brigham supports a complete continuum of care including community and specialty hospitals, a managed care organization, a physician network, community health centers, home care and other health-related entities. Several of our hospitals are teaching affiliates of Harvard Medical School, and our system is a national leader in biomedical research.
   
   We're focused on a people-first culture for our system's patients and our professional family. That's why we provide our employees with more ways to achieve their potential. Mass General Brigham is committed to aligning our employees' personal aspirations with projects that match their capabilities and creating a culture that empowers our managers to become trusted mentors. We support each member of our team to own their personal development-and we recognize success at every step.
   
   Our employees use the Mass General Brigham values to govern decisions, actions and behaviors. These values guide how we get our work done: Patients, Affordability, Accountability & Service Commitment, Decisiveness, Innovation & Thoughtful Risk; and how we treat each other: Diversity & Inclusion, Integrity & Respect, Learning, Continuous Improvement & Personal Growth, Teamwork & Collaboration.
   
   General Overview
   
   The ideal Sr. HR Assistant for this position will have demonstrated ability to provide the highest level of customer service overseeing the front desk operations of the Bulfinch Temporary Service department. This person must be driven to excel as well as efficiently and effectively handle a front desk operation. This is a hybrid position currently onsite 4 of 5 days.
   
   The Senior HR Assistant provides customer service to pending hires, employees and visitors via phone or in person. Answers questions regarding application process, general HR questions and directs to other locations as appropriate. Coordinates the on-boarding of new hires including I-9 work authorization validation. Handles the new hire compliance requirements including HealthStream learning events. Works with BFT staff to ensure new hire document completion. Handles job requisition data entry into an Access database, handles the CORI submission process and, T-Pass enrollment and distribution on a monthly basis. Processes PeopleSoft data transactons including processing terminations and leave of absence updates. Updates HireRight I-9 data. Orders department office supplies, handles daily mail distribution and assists with other general administrative tasks. Opportunity to assist with general candidate sourcing.
   
   Principal Duties and Responsibilities
   
   * Establish and maintain professional working relations with applicants, callers, and business professionals by receiving and screening visitors and telephone calls, assisting with questions and inquiries and conveying information as needed.
   * Coordinate the on-boarding appointments for BFT new hires. Instruct pending new hire on the process of completing paperwork, HealthStream assignments etc. Review and ensure documentation is complete and correct and processed in a timely manner.
   * Direct new hires to Occ. Health appointment and Security to obtain an ID badge.
   * Handle job requisition data entry into Access database.
   * Record, maintain and report CORI (criminal background check) results.
   * Handle monthly T-pass enrollment/distribution and maintain excel spreadsheet of current enrollees.
   * Assist with I-9 re-verification and record keeping. Keep staff advised when a temp's authorization is set to expire, follow up with temp to ensure timely updates.
   * Handle PeopleSoft data transactions including processing terminations and leave of absence updates on temp staff.
   * Provide administrative support to the BFT Department, including handling and ordering routine and requested supplies, distributing and redirecting mail and other communications.
   * Ensure the work area is clean, secure, and well maintained.
   * Attend and participates in meetings as required.
   
   Qualifications
   
   * At least one year of experience in a position, preferably HR, with high volume of customer/employee interaction. Bachelor's degree preferred.
   
   Skills, Abilities and Competencies
   
   * Requires excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills.
   * Must be able to think quickly and adapt to a constant changing workday based on volume.
   * Ability to multi task in a fast-paced environment.
   * Time management, ability to prioritize and attention to detail.
   * Accurate data entry ability.
   * Working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and/or Access database systems.
   * PeopleSoft, Taleo and Kronos experience preferred.
   * Interest in pursuing an HR career a plus.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right senior human resources assistant for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with senior human resources assistants they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit senior human resources assistants who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your senior human resources assistant job on Zippia to find and recruit senior human resources assistant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with senior human resources assistant 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.

   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 senior human resources assistant

   Once you've found the senior human resources assistant 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 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.

   To prepare for the new senior human resources assistant 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.)

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