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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Human Resource Representative

💰 $45,000 - $65,000

Human ResourcesRecruitmentEmployee RelationsAdministration

🎯 Role Definition

A Human Resource Representative is a front-line HR practitioner who supports the employee lifecycle from recruitment and onboarding through performance management and offboarding. This role administers benefits and payroll processes, maintains accurate HRIS and personnel records, responds to employee inquiries, and partners with managers to resolve workplace issues. The HR Representative balances tactical administrative tasks with strategic contributions to employee engagement, compliance, and process improvement—ensuring consistent, lawful, and positive HR experiences across the organization.

Primary SEO / keyword targets: Human Resource Representative, HR Representative, HRIS, ATS, benefits administration, employee relations, onboarding, payroll coordination, employment law compliance, talent acquisition.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • HR Assistant / HR Coordinator
  • Administrative Assistant with HR exposure
  • Campus recruiter or staffing coordinator

Advancement To:

  • Human Resources Generalist
  • Talent Acquisition Specialist / Senior Recruiter
  • HR Business Partner
  • HR Manager

Lateral Moves:

  • Benefits Coordinator / Specialist
  • Payroll Specialist
  • Training & Development Coordinator
  • Employee Relations Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Manage full-cycle recruitment support: draft and post optimized job descriptions, screen resumes, coordinate interviews, schedule hiring manager debriefs, extend offers, and facilitate background checks and pre-employment screenings to ensure timely candidate placement and strong candidate experience.
  • Conduct onboarding and orientation processes for new hires, including new-hire paperwork completion, benefits enrollment guidance, system access provisioning, and departmental introductions to accelerate time-to-productivity and retention.
  • Administer benefits enrollment, changes, and terminations; act as liaison with benefits vendors; explain plan options and eligibility; process dependent verification and open enrollment communications to maximize employee understanding and compliance.
  • Coordinate payroll-related transactions by collecting, verifying, and submitting time and pay changes, commission calculations, PTO accruals, and off-cycle pay requests; troubleshoot payroll discrepancies with payroll vendors or internal payroll teams.
  • Maintain accurate employee records in HRIS and ATS systems, ensuring personnel file completeness, correct tax and withholding documentation, proper classification, and timely updates for promotions, transfers, leaves, and terminations.
  • Respond to employee inquiries and escalations regarding policies, benefits, leave administration, payroll, and HR programs; provide clear, timely, and confidential guidance while escalating complex matters to HR leadership as needed.
  • Support performance management activities including distributing and collecting performance reviews, tracking probationary periods, updating goals in performance systems, and assisting managers with performance improvement documentation and processes.
  • Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws (FMLA, ADA, EEO, wage and hour regulations) by tracking leave administration, conducting routine audits, preparing required notices, and collaborating with legal counsel when necessary.
  • Facilitate new-hire background checks, employment verifications, and I-9 completion and retention in compliance with employment eligibility verification requirements and internal audit standards.
  • Lead employee separation and offboarding processes, including exit interviews, final pay processing, benefits terminations, retrieval of company property, deprovisioning from systems, and documentation retention for compliance and analytics.
  • Support employee relations casework by documenting allegations, coordinating investigations, collecting witness statements, advising managers on progressive discipline, and maintaining confidentiality while helping to resolve workplace conflicts effectively.
  • Prepare and analyze HR reporting and metrics (time-to-fill, turnover, headcount, diversity metrics, benefits participation) to identify trends and recommend process improvements to leadership and cross-functional teams.
  • Administer paid time off and leave tracking systems, review and approve leave requests in accordance with policy and legal entitlements, and coordinate accommodations and return-to-work plans with employees and managers.
  • Assist in compensation administration tasks such as processing salary changes, collecting market data, preparing internal equity reviews, and communicating compensation policy to managers and employees.
  • Partner with hiring managers to develop sourcing plans, implement diversity recruiting strategies, and track candidate pipelines to meet hiring targets, reduce time-to-hire, and improve quality-of-hire.
  • Coordinate and support employee engagement initiatives, recognition programs, culture-building events, and training logistics to foster retention and a positive employee experience.
  • Maintain and update HR policies, employee handbook content, and intranet resources, ensuring clarity, consistency, and communication of changes to employees and supervisors.
  • Execute HR audits and internal controls for personnel files, benefits enrollment, payroll inputs, and compliance documentation to prepare for external audits and accreditation assessments.
  • Support benefits and HRIS system implementations and enhancements by participating in requirements gathering, user acceptance testing, data mapping, and end-user training to improve HR operational efficiency.
  • Manage vendor relationships and service agreements with background check providers, benefits brokers, training vendors, and HR technology partners; coordinate renewals, escalations, and service-level expectations.
  • Coordinate EEO/AA reporting and affirmative action plan support where applicable, collect data, prepare required government forms, and collaborate with compliance teams to meet regulatory obligations.
  • Develop standardized HR templates, onboarding checklists, interview scorecards, and documentation to ensure consistent processes across departments and to reduce administrative friction.

Secondary Functions

  • Support cross-functional HR projects, including HRIS data cleanups, audit remediation tasks, and policy modernization efforts that improve accuracy and scalability.
  • Provide ad-hoc HR analytics and summary reports to leaders to inform workforce planning, budget forecasting, and strategic hiring decisions.
  • Assist in training delivery logistics and materials preparation for HR-led workshops, compliance trainings, and manager development sessions.
  • Serve as a backup for front-line HR coverage during high-volume hiring periods, benefits open enrollment, and to provide coverage for HR team members on leave.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Proficiency with HRIS platforms (Workday, ADP, BambooHR, UKG, Paycom, or similar) for employee recordkeeping, reporting, and transactions.
  • Experience with applicant tracking systems (Greenhouse, Lever, iCIMS, Taleo) for posting jobs, candidate management, and recruitment workflows.
  • Strong Excel skills: VLOOKUP, pivot tables, data cleanup, and basic formula-based reporting for HR metrics and payroll reconciliations.
  • Knowledge of payroll processes and familiarity with payroll systems or vendor coordination to support accurate and timely pay runs.
  • Benefits administration experience including enrollment, eligibility rules, COBRA, and communication of plan options.
  • Understanding of employment law and compliance requirements (FMLA, ADA, EEO, FLSA, state leave laws) and their implications for HR processes and documentation.
  • Experience preparing HR reports and dashboards (turnover, time-to-fill, headcount, diversity metrics) using BI tools or spreadsheet-based analysis.
  • Strong documentation and recordkeeping practices, including personnel file management, I-9 compliance, and confidentiality protocols.
  • Familiarity with background check and employment verification processes, including vendor management and MVR/drug screening coordination.
  • Basic project management skills for implementation tasks, HR system upgrades, and cross-functional initiatives.

Soft Skills

  • Excellent written and verbal communication with the ability to explain complex HR processes clearly to employees and managers.
  • High level of discretion and commitment to confidentiality when handling sensitive employee information and investigations.
  • Strong customer service orientation with empathy, active listening, and the ability to resolve employee concerns professionally.
  • Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills to track multiple cases, deadlines, and documentation requirements.
  • Problem-solving mindset with the ability to analyze situations, escalate appropriately, and recommend practical solutions.
  • Time management and prioritization skills to balance transactional workload with project work and stakeholder requests.
  • Collaborative team player who partners well with managers, finance, legal, and external vendors.
  • Adaptability and resilience in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities and peaks in hiring or benefits activity.
  • Conflict resolution and negotiation skills to assist managers in handling disciplinary and performance issues.
  • Cultural sensitivity and inclusive mindset to support diversity, equity, and belonging initiatives across the employee lifecycle.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Associate degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Psychology, or related field — or equivalent professional experience (typically 2+ years).

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Psychology, or related field.
  • HR certification preferred (SHRM-CP, PHR, or similar) for candidate differentiation.

Relevant Fields of Study:

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

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2–5 years of progressive HR experience supporting recruiting, onboarding, benefits administration, and employee relations in a corporate setting or staffing environment.

Preferred: 3+ years of hands-on HR generalist experience with demonstrated proficiency in HRIS/ATS administration, benefits coordination, payroll interactions, and employment law compliance. Prior experience in high-volume hiring, unionized environments, or regulated industries is a plus.

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