What Does a Human Resources Assistant Do?
New-hire paperwork, from I-9 forms to tax withholding forms, passes through a human resources assistant's hands before anyone gets a first paycheck. HR assistants in businesses, hospitals, schools and government agencies enter hires and pay changes into the HR system, answer questions about leave and benefits and schedule interviews. Their careful filing keeps the employer within federal and state law.
Human Resources Assistant Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of a human resources assistant include:
- Collect and check new-hire paperwork, including I-9 and tax withholding forms, before start dates.
- Enter hires, pay changes and terminations into the HR information system and double-check each record.
- Answer employee questions about leave balances, pay dates and benefit deadlines by phone and email.
- Post approved job openings on the careers site and send applicant lists to hiring managers.
- Schedule interviews, book rooms and send confirmation emails to candidates and search committees.
- File and scan personnel documents, keeping medical records in separate, locked files.
- Order background checks and follow up when results or references are slow to arrive.
- Prepare employment verification letters for lenders and landlords once the employee gives consent.
- Assemble orientation packets and run sign-in, ID badges and forms at new employee orientation.
- Update the HR office's forms, web pages and contact lists when policies change.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as a human resources assistant, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Accurate data entry in HR systems such as Workday or PeopleSoft
- Discretion with salaries, medical notes and Social Security numbers
- Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook
- Working knowledge of I-9 and new-hire reporting rules
- Friendly, patient phone and email manner
- Organized paper and digital filing
- Ability to juggle deadlines around payroll cutoffs
- Associate degree or coursework in human resources
Education and Training
Entry to the field without an associate degree might be possible, but applicants with one will have a head start over other candidates. Most HR offices require assistants to be background-checked. With experience, you could progress from assistant to HR specialist or recruiter.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $44,030 - $59,800 per year, with a median of $50,610.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping.
BLS projects employment of human resources assistants to decline about 6 percent from 2025 to 2035, as more hiring and benefits paperwork moves into self-service software. Progression is often quick for assistants who master the HR system and openings for newcomers are still steady, at roughly 7,900 a year. While the pool of jobs shrinks, it is a good idea to learn a widely used HR system such as Workday or ADP early on to stay in demand.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping.