Do you have an eye for talent? Are you looking to enter the human resources field as an HR recruitment assistant? Once you’ve landed a job in HR, you’ll learn more about the aspects of a resume that make employers sit up and take notice. Let’s take a closer look.
Why Do People Enter the Human Resources Field?
People are drawn to human resources for many reasons. You might be a natural problem solver who isn’t afraid to jump in and lend a hand when it’s needed. Or you could have a keen eye for exceptional talent across many disciplines. An inclination toward helping others is a good start, too.
Every HR professional works closely with colleagues, not just in their own department but throughout the entire organization. If you have a strong desire to be an integral to a company’s mission and vision, then HR could be the field for you.
What Does an HR Recruitment Assistant Do?
The title “HR recruitment assistant” is fairly straightforward. These individuals are deeply involved in the company’s recruiting process. Here are some of the duties you can expect to encounter as a part of a typical HR department:
Contacting potential candidates via phone or email. You’ll try to find out whether certain worthy candidates would be interested in joining your organization.
Scheduling candidate interviews to coordinate with department heads and potential hires.
Performing background checks to filter out any potential candidates whose past activities don’t align with your company’s policies or values.
Verification of candidate’s experience and qualifications. You’ll contact other companies and speak with managers and supervisors to determine whether the candidate will be a good fit for your organization.
Following up with potential employees by contacting prospective hires to schedule second interviews, offer positions, or thank them for their time.
Updating employee records to track information about each candidate, including birthdates, dates of hire, and family status.
As you can see, this is a position that calls for a great deal of human interaction. A lot of that interaction will be with people you’ve just met. The best HR recruitment assistants are individuals who enjoy meeting new people and are capable of multi-tasking, even in a high-pressure environment.
Who Does an HR Recruitment Assistant Work With?
As an HR recruitment assistant, you’ll be working behind the scenes. Although you will spend a great deal of time reaching out to candidates and new hires, you’ll work most closely with the HR managers and directors.
The directors and managers are the ones who oversee the HR department. In most cases, they’ll coordinate with the heads of other departments, as well as the executive-level staff members. While you take care of the details, they’ll present the larger picture to the senior-level staff.
By design, larger organizations tend to have larger HR departments. That means there may be more than one HR assistant available to help. If this is the case, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to work alongside your fellow HR assistants.
How Do I Become an HR Recruitment Assistant?
When you get a degree in HR management through our program, you’ll achieve a deep understanding and appreciation of current business trends. This will provide you with the knowledge you need to help your organization achieve its goals.
Without this degree, you might possess certain skills that will help you get ahead. However, businesses are more likely to sit up and take notice if you have the proper training. That’s something you’ll run into on a regular basis if you begin a career in the human resources field.
Interactive College of Technology’s (ICT) Employment Office will also help you set up appointment with area HR departments. They have developed industry contacts over the years and have helped place dozens of candidates.
Here are some of the elements of which you’ll need to gain a broader understanding of if your goal is to work as an HR recruitment assistant.
Employee Recruitment
Are you good at giving pep talks? Can you find the bright side in any given situation? More importantly, will you be able to combine these qualities and make your organization sound like the most appealing option available to a candidate?
When the job market is hot, potential candidates will have a lot of positions to choose from. You’ll need to be a cheerleader for your organization, to point out all the reasons why this position is the best fit.
Of course, in these situations, it also helps if you know a few things about the individual you’re attempting to recruit. That’s why it’s helpful if you’re interested in meeting new people to begin with.
Payroll Administration
This is an appealing aspect of the job if you possess stronger-than-average math skills and stellar attention to detail. In payroll administration, you’ll need to keep track of pay rate information, hire and termination dates, and accumulated vacation and PTO. For employees that are paid by the hour, you may also need to track their time using a specialized software program.
It’s a huge responsibility to have control over how and when people are paid for their work. This aspect is daunting to some would-be HR assistants. Not all positions will require it, but it’s nonetheless helpful to have some background in payroll before you start your job search.
Benefits Administration
While the benefits package may vary from company to company, the basic principles behind their distribution remain the same. As an HR recruitment assistant, you may not be responsible for their creation, but implementing and updating them will be a likely addition to your regular duties.
Tasks may include enrolling new hires in the various benefit programs, as well as working with insurance companies and other vendors. You may also have to reconcile the invoices with the company’s bookkeeping records.
There are software programs available that aid HR professionals in benefits administration. These maintain an enrollment profile for each employee, tracking information such as date of hire, marital status, number of dependents (if any), and attendance records. If you have experience operating any of these programs, it will make you a more appealing candidate.
What are the Benefits of Getting an HR Management Degree?
Do you want to start in the mailroom and work your way up the ladder into the HR department after years of work in an organization? The good news is that you can go directly into HR with a degree in HR management. You have an opportunity to advance directly to the HR department by achieving a degree in HR management.
Plus, this degree will prove that you’re truly interested in human resources as a career, not just a stepping-stone. Companies who are hiring in this field are seeking candidates who’ll be in it for the long haul, so you can foster and maintain strong relationships with your fellow colleagues.
The benefits of working in the HR department are numerous. These benefits include:
Helping Others
HR professionals relate to their fellow workers on a personal basis. New hires and long-time employees alike will come to you with work-related and personal issues, seeking advice and practical assistance. This will give you a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment when you go home at night.
Recognition
Employees will recognize the importance of the HR department. Without the support and guidance of professionals like you, the organization would come apart at the seams. By ensuring that your fellow workers feel rewarded and appreciated for their efforts, you’ll be helping the organization run more smoothly on a day-to-day basis.
Networking
People who like to socialize are naturally drawn to the human resources field. While there are some administrative tasks involved, the human element is right there in the job description, and it’s the most important part of the position.
Contacting and coordinating with potential hires is only one aspect of the job. When you work in human resources, you’ll have the opportunity to engage with co-workers during training sessions, workshops, and team-building exercises. The more time you spend on these pursuits, the more you’ll be able to develop your people skills. This will make it easier for you to separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak, when it comes to selecting the right candidates for your organization.
Job Security
A skilled and reliable human resources professional is an invaluable asset to any organization. As such, you’ll find that the organization will have a hard time replacing you. Once you’ve been at the job for a while, you’ll get to know the quirks of each individual, who turns up for every shift, who calls out sick at every opportunity, who is and isn’t diligent about clocking in and out on time. This isn’t something that can be gleaned overnight.
Moreover, the company’s methods and policies might be shifting over time. It’s up to you to remain up to date on the current policies. Strange as it is to believe, sometimes even the business owners aren’t aware of the most recent policies. You’ll have this knowledge and expertise, which will provide you with excellent job security.
Responsibility
Although you won’t be directly responsible for each new hire, you will have some degree of accountability. Since you’ll be handling recruitment and scheduling interviews, it’s up to you to decide which candidates are worthy of a second look. Your sense of responsibility extends beyond the onboarding process. This is true especially if payroll duties are included in your job description. On some level, you’re also contributing to the company’s bottom line.
Final Thoughts
As an HR recruitment assistant, you’ll have an exciting role to play. While some organizations might not require a degree, the fact that you have the right training will make you a more appealing prospect.
Pay close attention during your own interviewing and hiring process, this will give you a strong sense of how the organization is currently handling the job you’re expected to fill, and what you might bring to the table. You might even be asked to give a critique on the process at some point during the interview, and it will help if you can point to something specific.
Want to Learn More?
Now that you know what jobs are available in human resources, it is time to learn more about the Interactive College of Technology. At the Interactive College of Technology, we offer Human Resources Management training that can help you get started in a new career or advance your current one. You’ll get hands-on training, industry recognized certifications, and real-world experience prior to graduation! We also offer continuing education courses to refresh and build on your current skills.
Let’s take the first step together! Contact us now to learn more.
