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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for HR Intern

💰 $15 - $25 / hour

Human ResourcesInternshipHRTalent Acquisition

🎯 Role Definition

The HR Intern supports the human resources team by executing day-to-day HR functions, improving candidate and employee experiences, maintaining accurate HRIS and recruiting data, and assisting with HR programs such as onboarding, benefits administration, performance management, and compliance. This entry-level, project-oriented role is ideal for students or recent graduates looking to gain practical HR experience and develop foundational skills in recruitment, people operations, and HR analytics.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • HR Intern / Human Resources Intern (campus or corporate)
  • Talent Acquisition Intern / Recruiting Intern
  • Administrative Assistant or HR Administrative Support

Advancement To:

  • HR Coordinator
  • Talent Acquisition Specialist / Recruiter
  • HR Generalist
  • People Operations Associate
  • HR Analyst

Lateral Moves:

  • Recruitment Coordinator
  • People Operations Specialist
  • Benefits Administrator
  • Training & Development Assistant

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Support full-cycle recruiting activities by posting job advertisements, screening resumes, scheduling interviews, coordinating candidate communications, and maintaining applicant tracking system (ATS) records to ensure a seamless candidate experience.
  • Participate in candidate sourcing efforts including passive outreach on LinkedIn, university career fairs, resume database searches, and diversity sourcing initiatives to build pipelines for current and future hiring needs.
  • Assist with onboarding logistics for new hires: prepare welcome materials, coordinate IT access, schedule orientation sessions, and verify completion of required paperwork and background checks to accelerate time-to-productivity.
  • Maintain and update HRIS and ATS data (e.g., Workday, ADP, Greenhouse, Lever) ensuring employee records, job requisitions, and candidate statuses are accurate and compliant with company policies.
  • Process routine HR transactions such as offer letters, employment verifications, new-hire data entry, and changes to employee status while ensuring confidentiality and data integrity.
  • Support benefits administration tasks by compiling benefits packets, answering basic benefits enrollment questions, coordinating with benefits brokers, and assisting with open enrollment logistics.
  • Assist payroll and HR operations teams by collecting timesheets, verifying attendance/leave records, and escalating payroll-related discrepancies to ensure timely and accurate payroll processing.
  • Coordinate scheduling and logistics for training programs, workshops, and employee development events, including RSVPs, venue setup, materials preparation, and post-training feedback collection.
  • Prepare and deliver weekly or monthly HR reports and dashboards (headcount, open requisitions, time-to-fill, diversity metrics) using Excel, Google Sheets, or HR reporting tools to support data-driven decision making.
  • Conduct initial phone screens and pre-interview assessments following agreed scripts and scorecards; summarize candidate fit and provide interview scheduling recommendations to hiring teams.
  • Support employee relations activities by documenting basic case information, coordinating meetings, preparing investigation materials, and routing issues to appropriate HR partners under supervision.
  • Assist with performance management cycle administration: set up performance review templates, track review deadlines, send reminders to managers and employees, and compile performance documentation.
  • Help implement campus recruiting programs by coordinating on-campus presentations, internship programs, student outreach, and relationship-building with career services to attract early talent.
  • Perform compliance-related tasks such as filing federal and state HR documentation, assisting with EEO/OFCCP reporting, and ensuring new-hire paperwork meets legal requirements.
  • Collect, organize, and maintain confidential HR documentation (I-9s, personnel files, consent forms) in accordance with company policy and local regulations.
  • Assist in employee engagement and recognition programs by collecting nominations, organizing events, tracking participation, and compiling post-event metrics and feedback.
  • Support diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives by helping to coordinate affinity group events, tracking participation, and compiling metrics to measure program effectiveness.
  • Coordinate exit interviews and offboarding logistics: prepare separation paperwork, collect company property, disable system access in coordination with IT, and summarize trends for HR leadership.
  • Participate in HR projects such as process improvements, policy rollouts, campus internship program design, and HR communications projects; prepare project documentation and status updates.
  • Maintain strong vendor relationships by coordinating with background check providers, benefits brokers, external training vendors, and recruitment agencies to ensure timely services.
  • Assist with basic HR communications including drafting internal announcements, updating intranet pages, distributing HR newsletters, and preparing materials for leadership communications.
  • Monitor HR inboxes and help desks, triage incoming requests, escalate appropriately, and provide timely, professional responses to employee and candidate inquiries.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc HR data requests, data cleanup, and basic exploratory HR analytics to identify hiring trends, attrition drivers, and program effectiveness.
  • Contribute to continuous improvement of HR processes and SOPs by documenting current workflows, suggesting optimizations, and helping to implement new procedures.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams (Finance, IT, Legal, Facilities) to coordinate employee lifecycle touchpoints such as onboarding, payroll, workspace allocation, and device provisioning.
  • Assist people managers by compiling candidate interview packs, candidate score summaries, and background information to support effective hiring decisions.
  • Participate in employee experience initiatives (pulse surveys, onboarding surveys) and help analyze feedback to recommend actionable improvements.
  • Help maintain HR document templates and policy libraries, ensuring materials are up-to-date and accessible to employees and managers.
  • Shadow HR partners on complex initiatives (compensation reviews, investigations, organizational design) to learn best practices and provide operational support where appropriate.
  • Support campus and intern program execution: assist with orientation planning, mentorship pairing, performance check-ins, and intern program feedback collection.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Familiarity with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) such as Greenhouse, Lever, iCIMS, or Workday Recruiting.
  • Basic HRIS experience (Workday, ADP, BambooHR, Rippling) including data entry and reporting.
  • Proficiency with Microsoft Excel / Google Sheets: VLOOKUP, pivot tables, basic formulas, and data visualization.
  • Experience using collaboration and scheduling tools (Microsoft Teams, Slack, Zoom, Outlook Calendar).
  • Knowledge of recruiting best practices: job posting, candidate screening, interview scheduling, and offer coordination.
  • Basic understanding of employment law fundamentals and compliance requirements (I-9s, confidentiality, record retention).
  • Familiarity with payroll and benefits concepts, enrollment processes, and provider coordination.
  • Ability to create clear HR reports and dashboards using spreadsheets or basic BI tools.
  • Experience drafting professional candidate and employee communications, templates, and standard operating procedures.
  • Basic project coordination skills with the ability to track tasks, timelines, and deliverables using tools like Asana, Trello, or Jira.

Soft Skills

  • Strong verbal and written communication skills for interacting with candidates, employees, and hiring managers.
  • High level of integrity and commitment to maintaining confidentiality of sensitive HR information.
  • Exceptional organization and time-management skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and prioritize under deadlines.
  • Customer-service orientation with a proactive, solutions-focused mindset when supporting employees and candidates.
  • Attention to detail to ensure accurate data entry, documentation, and compliance with HR policies.
  • Collaborative team player who can work cross-functionally and build positive relationships with stakeholders.
  • Adaptability and eagerness to learn in a fast-paced, evolving HR environment.
  • Critical thinking and problem-solving skills to identify process gaps and propose practical improvements.
  • Empathy and emotional intelligence when supporting employee relations and communicating difficult topics.
  • Cultural awareness and a commitment to fostering inclusive hiring and employee experiences.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Currently enrolled in or recently graduated from an accredited college / university (Associate's or Bachelor's in progress or completed), ideally in Human Resources, Business Administration, Psychology, Organizational Behavior, or related field.

Preferred Education:

  • Pursuing or completed a Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Psychology, Labor Relations, or related discipline.
  • Coursework or certification in HR fundamentals, recruiting, HR analytics, or employment law (SHRM/ HRCI coursework or equivalent is a plus).

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Human Resources Management
  • Business Administration
  • Organizational Psychology
  • Industrial/Organizational Psychology
  • Labor Relations

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 0 to 1 year (entry-level); prior campus recruitment, student organization HR leadership, or an HR internship preferred.

Preferred:

  • 1+ internship or campus recruiting experience supporting recruiting, onboarding, or HR operations.
  • Hands-on experience with an ATS or HRIS and familiarity with recruiting workflows and employee lifecycle processes.
  • Demonstrated experience with Excel or Google Sheets and preparing basic reports or dashboards.
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