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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for an HR Specialist

💰 $55,000 - $85,000

Human ResourcesPeople OperationsCorporate Services

🎯 Role Definition

An HR Specialist is a cornerstone of the Human Resources department, acting as a key player in managing the entire employee lifecycle. This role is a blend of administrative expertise, employee advocacy, and strategic support. You're not just processing paperwork; you are the go-to person for our team members, ensuring their experience from recruitment to offboarding is seamless, positive, and compliant. The HR Specialist champions our company culture, supports our managers in building high-performing teams, and ensures the operational engine of the People team runs smoothly and efficiently. This position requires a high degree of empathy, discretion, and a proactive mindset to address the diverse needs of our workforce.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • HR Coordinator
  • HR Assistant
  • Recruiter

Advancement To:

  • Senior HR Specialist
  • HR Business Partner (HRBP)
  • HR Manager

Lateral Moves:

  • Employee Relations Specialist
  • Compensation & Benefits Analyst
  • HRIS Analyst

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Manage the full-cycle recruitment process, including drafting compelling job descriptions, posting on various job boards, sourcing passive candidates, screening resumes, and coordinating interview schedules with hiring managers.
  • Facilitate a comprehensive and engaging new hire onboarding experience, including conducting orientation sessions, processing all new hire paperwork, and ensuring a smooth transition into the company.
  • Serve as the first point of contact for employee inquiries regarding benefits, payroll, company policies, and other HR-related matters, providing timely and accurate information.
  • Administer and explain employee benefits programs, such as health insurance, retirement plans, and leave policies, during open enrollment and for new hires.
  • Act as a neutral party in resolving routine employee relations issues, providing guidance to both employees and managers while escalating more complex cases to the HR Manager.
  • Maintain and ensure the accuracy and confidentiality of employee records within the Human Resources Information System (HRIS), processing status changes, promotions, and terminations.
  • Oversee the leave of absence administration process, including FMLA, ADA, and other state or company-specific leaves, ensuring compliance with all legal requirements.
  • Support the performance management cycle by tracking reviews, providing managers with necessary tools, and answering employee questions about the process.
  • Assist in the development and implementation of HR policies and procedures, ensuring they are up-to-date and communicated effectively across the organization.
  • Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations by staying current on legislation and assisting with required reporting (e.g., EEO-1).
  • Conduct and analyze exit interviews to identify trends and provide actionable feedback to leadership for improving employee retention and engagement.
  • Partner with the payroll department to ensure accurate and timely processing of employee compensation, bonuses, and any pay-related changes.
  • Develop and deliver training sessions on various HR topics, such as harassment prevention, new manager training, and policy updates.
  • Participate in compensation and benefits surveys to ensure the company maintains a competitive and equitable compensation structure.

Secondary Functions

  • Champion employee engagement initiatives by assisting with planning company events, recognition programs, and wellness activities.
  • Generate and prepare routine and ad-hoc reports from the HRIS for management, analyzing data related to headcount, turnover, and other key HR metrics.
  • Support the immigration and visa process for foreign national employees, working with legal counsel to ensure timely and accurate filings.
  • Manage the employee offboarding process, including conducting exit interviews, processing final pay, and managing system deactivations.
  • Assist with internal HR audits to ensure data integrity and compliance with internal controls and external regulations.
  • Contribute to HR projects, such as system implementations, policy rollouts, or the creation of new employee programs.
  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis to provide insights on workforce trends.
  • Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap by ensuring clean and reliable HR data.
  • Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • HRIS Proficiency: Hands-on experience with major HR Information Systems such as Workday, ADP Workforce Now, or SAP SuccessFactors for data management and reporting.
  • ATS Expertise: Skilled in using Applicant Tracking Systems like Greenhouse, Lever, or iCIMS to manage recruitment pipelines efficiently.
  • Knowledge of Labor Law: A strong, practical understanding of federal and state employment laws (FMLA, ADA, FLSA, EEO) to ensure compliance.
  • Benefits Administration: Familiarity with administering health, wellness, and retirement plans, including navigating open enrollment processes.
  • Microsoft Office Suite: Advanced proficiency in MS Office, particularly Excel for data analysis, pivot tables, and VLOOKUPs, and PowerPoint for creating presentations.
  • Reporting & Analytics: Ability to pull and analyze HR data to create meaningful reports on key metrics like turnover, time-to-fill, and employee demographics.

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional Communication: The ability to communicate clearly, concisely, and with empathy, both in writing and verbally, to employees at all levels.
  • Discretion and Confidentiality: Unwavering integrity and the ability to handle sensitive employee information with the utmost confidentiality and professionalism.
  • Problem-Solving: A proactive and resourceful approach to identifying issues, analyzing them, and finding effective solutions in a timely manner.
  • Interpersonal Skills: Strong ability to build rapport and establish trusting relationships with employees, managers, and external partners.
  • Organizational Prowess: Excellent time management and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
  • Adaptability: Flexibility to navigate changing priorities and ambiguity with a positive and resilient attitude.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's Degree in a related field.

Preferred Education:

  • SHRM-CP or PHR certification.
  • Master's Degree in Human Resources or a related discipline.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Human Resources Management
  • Business Administration
  • Psychology or Sociology

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2-5 years of progressive experience in a generalist or specialist HR role.

Preferred: Experience in a fast-growing company or within the specific industry of the organization is highly valued. A proven track record of handling a wide range of HR functions is a major plus.

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