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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Human Resources Associate

💰 $45,000 - $65,000

Human ResourcesAdministrationCorporatePeople Operations

🎯 Role Definition

The Human Resources Associate is a foundational pillar of the People & Culture team, responsible for executing the day-to-day administrative and operational functions of the HR department. This role acts as the first point of contact for employee inquiries, ensuring a high level of internal customer service. The HR Associate is instrumental in maintaining the integrity of our HR systems, supporting key processes like onboarding, benefits, and compliance, and contributing to a positive and productive company culture. Your work directly impacts employee experience and organizational efficiency.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • HR Coordinator / HR Assistant
  • Recruiting Coordinator
  • Office Manager with HR duties

Advancement To:

  • HR Generalist
  • Benefits Specialist
  • HR Business Partner (HRBP)

Lateral Moves:

  • Payroll Specialist
  • Talent Acquisition Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Manage the full employee lifecycle from onboarding to offboarding, ensuring a seamless, compliant, and positive experience for all team members.
  • Serve as the primary point of contact for employee inquiries regarding benefits, payroll, leave of absence, and company policies, providing timely and accurate information.
  • Administer and maintain employee data with meticulous accuracy within the Human Resources Information System (HRIS), processing new hires, terminations, promotions, and other changes.
  • Support the talent acquisition process by posting job descriptions, screening initial applications, scheduling interviews, and coordinating communication between candidates and hiring managers.
  • Plan, coordinate, and execute comprehensive new hire orientation and onboarding programs to ensure new employees are effectively integrated into the company culture.
  • Provide first-level support on employee relations issues, documenting concerns, conducting preliminary inquiries, and escalating complex matters to HR management.
  • Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations by maintaining up-to-date knowledge and assisting with required reporting (e.g., EEO-1).
  • Administer employee benefits programs, including health, dental, vision, and retirement plans, assisting with open enrollment, qualifying life events, and claims resolution.
  • Assist in processing bi-weekly or semi-monthly payroll by verifying timekeeping data, tracking changes, and collaborating with the finance department to ensure accuracy.
  • Generate standard and ad-hoc reports on key HR metrics, such as headcount, turnover, time-to-fill, and diversity, to support data-driven decision-making.
  • Manage the administration of all leave of absence requests (FMLA, PFL, STD/LTD), ensuring proper documentation and communication with employees and managers.
  • Facilitate the offboarding process, including conducting exit interviews, processing final pay, and managing the return of company property.
  • Contribute to the development and implementation of HR policies and procedures, ensuring documentation is current and accessible to all employees.
  • Support the annual performance management cycle by tracking review completion, providing system support, and answering process-related questions.
  • Handle employment verification requests, unemployment claims, and other external inquiries in a professional and timely manner.
  • Champion employee engagement initiatives by helping to plan and execute company events, wellness programs, and recognition awards.
  • Maintain physical and digital employee personnel files, ensuring all records are complete, confidential, and compliant with record-keeping requirements.
  • Assist HR leadership with special projects, such as compensation analysis, benefits benchmarking, and implementation of new HR software or programs.
  • Create and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) for key HR functions to drive consistency and efficiency across the department.
  • Manage the HR department's internal ticketing system or email inbox, triaging requests and ensuring all employee issues are addressed promptly.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis to uncover trends in employee retention and engagement.
  • Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap by ensuring HR data integrity.
  • Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements for HR dashboards.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the People Operations team.
  • Assist with internal communications related to HR announcements, policy updates, and company-wide events.
  • Monitor and update the HR section of the company intranet to ensure information is current and valuable.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Proficiency with at least one major Human Resources Information System (HRIS) such as Workday, BambooHR, or SAP SuccessFactors.
  • Experience using Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) like Greenhouse, Lever, or iCIMS for recruitment coordination.
  • Strong working knowledge of federal, state, and local employment laws (e.g., FMLA, ADA, FLSA, EEO).
  • Demonstrable experience in benefits administration, including open enrollment and qualifying life events.
  • Familiarity with payroll processes and systems (e.g., ADP, Paychex, Gusto).
  • Advanced proficiency in the Microsoft Office Suite, especially Excel for data reporting, VLOOKUPs, and pivot tables.
  • Ability to generate, maintain, and analyze HR metrics and reports for business insights.
  • Understanding of full-cycle recruiting logistics, from sourcing to offer letter generation.
  • Knowledge of best practices for employee onboarding and offboarding procedures.
  • Experience handling confidential and sensitive information with the utmost discretion and integrity.

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to articulate information clearly and empathetically.
  • Superior organizational and time-management abilities, with a keen eye for detail and the capacity to prioritize and manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
  • A proactive, resourceful, and solutions-oriented mindset when faced with challenges.
  • High emotional intelligence and the ability to build trust and effective relationships at all levels of the organization.
  • Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to exercise sound judgment in a fast-paced environment.
  • A strong customer-service orientation dedicated to enhancing the employee experience.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.
  • SHRM-CP or PHR certification is a strong plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Human Resources Management
  • Business Administration
  • Psychology or Sociology

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2-4 years of experience in a Human Resources role.

Preferred:

  • Experience in a fast-growing tech, startup, or corporate environment.
  • Proven experience handling a wide range of HR administrative and operational responsibilities.
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