The Human Resources Coordinator: All You Need to Know

Written by Neelie Verlinden
5 minutes read

The Human Resources Coordinator plays a key role in addressing issues raised by current employees and new hires and coordinating the various activities within the HR department. In this article, we take a closer look at this role. We dive into the core responsibilities of the HR coordinator, take a look at his/her salary, and conclude with an example job description. 

Contents
What is the Human Resources coordinator?
Human resources coordinator job description
How to become a human resources coordinator
Human resources coordinator salary
Wrapping up
FAQ

What is the Human Resources coordinator? 

A Human Resources Coordinator is responsible for facilitating all key HR functions and programs. This includes issues raised by current and future employees and matters related to employment, compensation and benefits, labor negotiations, and employee relations

HR coordinators usually report to the HR director and their work revolves around improving HR policies, processes, and practices, and recommending changes to HR management. 


Human resources coordinator job description 

The human resources coordinator works closely together with the HR director or manager and also works with hiring managers, recruiters, and other HR personnel to ensure that the organization’s HR policies, processes, and practices are as efficient and high-performing as possible. 

Large (or very large) companies may use a number of HR coordinators in different areas to maximize efficiency and productivity. There, you may find coordinators for recruiting, employee benefits, learning, and development, etc.  

In this article, we look at the role of HR coordinator from a ‘generalist’ perspective. However, the exact activities and tasks of a coordinator will still differ from one organization to another. Here are some of the tasks that a Human Resources Coordinator usually has responsibility for.  

Recruitment and onboarding 
HR coordinators assist with and facilitate all key HR functions. When it comes to the recruitment and onboarding of new hires, responsibilities include: 

  • Assisting with the identification, selection, and interviewing of candidates
  • Supporting the administrative part of the new hire process (screening, contracts, updating of HR systems)
  • Helping out where necessary during the preboarding and onboarding of employees, i.e. staying in touch with them, answering their questions, sending them relevant material, and so on

Administrative tasks 
A relatively big chunk of the HR coordinator’s work consists of performing administrative tasks. These include: 

  • General administration and coordination
  • Answering all internal and external HR-related queries and requests 
  • Assisting with payroll administration 
  • Maintaining and updating employee records (in an HRIS)
  • Assisting with (and executing) the termination process
  • Scheduling meetings, events, interviews, etc.

Performance management 
Performance management is another area where the HR coordinator provides support. This support translates into the following responsibilities: 

  • Preparing materials for the performance review
  • Assisting with performance management procedures
  • Organizing performance reviews  
human-resources-coordinator-background-and-featured-image
The HR coordinator plays a pivotal role in facilitating all key HR functions and programs.

Reporting and recommending
An important part of the HR coordinator’s job consists of trying to improve existing processes. In order to do so, the HR coordinator needs to do a lot of research, data analysis, and reporting. Tasks that go with this part of the job include:

  • Conducting audits of HR programs such as payroll, benefits, L&D, and retirement 
  • Generating reports on general HR activity 
  • Recommending possible actions to improve existing processes    

Employee benefits
While, especially in bigger companies, the compensation and benefits manager is in charge of, what’s in a name, comp. and benefits, the HR coordinator often also has some ‘benefits-related’ duties. Think of: 

  • Being the go-to person for employees with benefits-related questions and problems 
  • Acting as the liaison between employees and insurance providers 
  • Administering employee health and welfare plans  
  • Tracking benefit plans (healthcare, retirement, etc.) 
  • Reconciling benefits statements 

HR systems and IT
We already mentioned the HRIS, but a human resources coordinator works with various (HR) systems and technology. Naturally, facilitating – and optimizing – human resources processes involves the use of software and that starts with knowing how to use it. Therefore, a certain proficiency in HR tech is essential, as is an interest in IT. 

The HR director 
The HR coordinator works closely together with the HR director – or manager – they report to. What this entails exactly will differ per organization, but topics can include:

  • Supporting the HR director in educating employees and enforcing company policies 
  • Supporting the HR director with any special (ad hoc) project they need assistance with 
  • Reporting to the HR director about all HR endeavors 

How to become a human resources coordinator 

If you would like to be a human resources coordinator, you’ll generally need a bachelor’s degree in Human Resources or a related field and a minimum of 1 or 2 years of relevant experience in HR work. 

Strong candidates are highly organized and should have experience working with HR (payroll) software and HRIS databases as well as administrator and coordinator experience.   

Human resources coordinator salary (US & UK) 

Salaries will vary depending on specific duties, company size, and location. The average human resources coordinator salary in the US, according to Salary.com, is $47,201. An HR coordinator salary in New York, however, lies around $58,000, while their colleagues in Iowa earn a little more than $40,000 on average.   

In the UK, an HR coordinator would expect a median salary of £23,865 per year, according to PayScale.com


Wrapping up

The Human Resources Coordinator plays an important role in the HR department. They’re like a spider in a web; streamlining existing HR processes and making sure all HR operations run smoothly while assisting employees and new hires with their queries.

FAQ

What is the human resources coordinator?

A Human Resources coordinator is responsible for facilitating all key HR functions and programs.

How to become a human resources coordinator? 

To become an HR coordinator, you’ll generally need a bachelor’s degree in Human Resources or a related field and a minimum of 1 or 2 years of relevant experience in HR work. 

How much does a human resources coordinator make? 

The average human resources coordinator salary in the US is $47,201. In the UK, an HR coordinator would expect a median salary of £23,865 per year.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to stay up-to-date with the latest HR news, trends, and resources.

Neelie Verlinden

Neelie Verlinden is a digital content creator at AIHR. She’s an expert on all things digital in HR and has written hundreds of articles on innovative HR practices. In addition to her writing, Neelie is also a speaker and an instructor on several popular HR certificate programs.

Are you ready for the future of HR?

Learn modern and relevant HR skills, online

Browse courses Enroll now