How to Become an HR Coordinator Without Experience
Do you want to know about the role of the person who screened your job application, phone-called, and interviewed you? That person is the human resources coordinator.
A human resource coordinator is a person responsible for interviewing, screening, and hiring potential candidates. On top of that, a human resource coordinator acts as a communication bridge between the human resources director and the employee. However, the job responsibilities of a human resources coordinator do not end here.
In this article, we are providing a step-by-step guide on how to become an HR coordinator.
If you’re interested in learning via video, then watch below. Otherwise, skip ahead to continue reading.
Steps to Become an HR Coordinator
Here are the steps to become an HR coordinator:
Step 1: Become a Certified HR Coordinator
Acquiring an authentic certification is the first yet most important step to learning the fundamentals of human resources coordinator.
Start your journey to becoming an HR coordinator by enrolling in an authentic certification platform that allows you to learn the fundamentals of human resources and coordination tasks.
To become an expert HR coordinator, you must have a sound understanding of the technical and strategic duties of a human resources coordinator.
Let’s divide the role of human resources coordinator into two sections: technical and non-technical fundamentals of human resources coordinator.
Technical Competence
Job applicants must have a solid understanding of technical terms like:
- How the hiring process works
- How to properly screen the job application
- What are magical tips for the right talent acquisition
- How to process and monitor an application campaign
- What is the right human resources software
- Tactics for good employee benefits and labor relations
- What are talent management and company management systems
With a detailed course from authentic resources like HR University, develop the right skills and knowledge for an HR coordinator’s role.
These technical competencies allow you to understand the complete hiring procedure for talent.
From screening the job applications to finally hiring the right candidate whose skills resonate with the job description, a certification allows you to understand the complete process and associated intricacies of processes within the HR department.
Non-Technical Competence
Other than mastering the technical skills, you must learn the non-technical and other fundamental skills to become an HR coordinator.
An expert HR coordinator has a solid understanding of terms like:
- Teamwork
- Leadership
- Problem-solving
- Adaptability
- Decision making
By learning these skills through an accredited course, you will know how to efficiently communicate with the employees and human resources directors.
Our human resources management course allows you a chance to improve your technical and non-technical competencies as an HR coordinator.
Step 2: Fulfill the General Qualification Competencies
To apply for HR coordinators’ jobs, your resume must fulfill the general competencies to successfully secure a position as an HR generalist or HR coordinator. Hiring managers remain on the lookout for these general competencies.
For this purpose, you must acquire a minimum qualification level for this role. Generally, to become a human resources coordinator, you must have at least a bachelor’s degree in human resources, business coordination, and business HR management.
Know that, when a hiring director screens applications for the human resources coordinator role, they first check whether the candidate has enough qualifications for the human resources coordinator role or not.
Thus, for you to win an interview for your dream human resources coordinator job, you must acquire the least qualifications before applying for the human resources coordinator job.
For an entry-level position, a minimum of a four-year Bachelor’s degree in business administration is required, while for senior human resources coordinator roles, employers prefer a Master’s degree in a specialized field like business administration or human resources operations management for human resources coordinator.
Know that, when you have degrees and certifications in a specialized field, your chances of selection for human resources coordinator jobs will increase.
Step 3: Learn Time Management
In an HR coordinator’s role, time management is important as the HR coordinator has to look after many tasks at the same time. Thus, good management skills are mandatory for this role.
Apart from that, an HR coordinator must have good analytical skills to identify which tasks are urgent and running late.
Furthermore, if you have good time management skills, cover the important tasks in the meantime. Good management skills allow you to assign priorities to certain processes.
If the tasks are carried out in the meantime, then it is easy to target organizational goals in the meantime.
Step 4: Familiarize Yourself With the Technology Aptitude
You need to familiarize yourself with the digitization and technology associated with human resources. For an HR coordinator’s role or even an HR generalist’s position, you must learn the technicalities behind process automation.
In HR, process automation refers to automating the payrolling for timely sending out the salaries to employees.
In addition to that, automatically generates a recruitment campaign whenever an employee retires, or whenever the need arises.
You must also learn some technical software to look after the performance metrics analytically.
In addition to that, make yourself at home with the human resources information system (HRIS) and LMS, so you’ll ultimately develop better management skills.
Step 5: Develop Good Attention to Detail
For a sensitive role like HR coordinator, you must have good attention to detail skills since you will be responsible for handling confidential and sensitive employee data.
In addition to that, good attention to detail is necessary for the timely implementation of payrolling processes. Know that when payrolling is done timely, it motivates the employees.
Otherwise, delays in such crucial operations disturb employee productivity and affect the organization’s reputation.
Furthermore, you must develop good attention to detail skills to timely look after employee benefits and state-level applicable taxes on salaries and business profits.
Step 6: Learn the Fundamentals of the HR Coordinator’s Role
Acquiring the qualifications and certifications is not enough to secure human resources coordinator jobs. Instead, to become a human resources coordinator, you must learn the fundamental skills of human resources and business coordination.
You must have a deep understanding of key aspects of an HR coordinator’s role such as:
- Understanding of the recruitment drive and selection
- Analysis of human resources data and their pinpoints
- Succession planning
- Learning, deployment, and employee development
You must understand how a recruitment drive is initiated, and what terms are taken care of before the inauguration.
Furthermore, you must be able to analyze the data and metrics acquired from various job applications for better talent acquisition. This process demands some aspects to be prioritized, and others to be neglected.
In addition to that, you must learn a CRM tool or a human resources management system to understand how a human resources director and HR manager take care of processes promptly.
The fundamentals do not end here, a sound understanding of succession planning is also mandatory. Succession planning is a process of critically identifying situations and then planning a strategy for others so they assume those situations.
In addition to these technical competence fundamentals, you must have good handling and leadership skills.
Consider when you’ll be screening thousands of job applications, you have to finalize hundreds for the initial interviews. Thus, managing these one hundred candidates requires good management and handling skills.
So, understanding the fundamentals of human resources coordinators is necessary to become a human resources coordinator.
Step 7: Develop a Complete Understanding of Human Resources Operations
Again, fulfilling the minimum qualification criteria and learning the fundamentals of a human resources coordinator’s role is not sufficient.
Although a human resources coordinator works in a human resources department, you must have a sound understanding of how the human resources department works.
Know that a human resource department is not just limited to recruiting the candidates for a vacant seat, but their role is very diverse and crucial for the whole organization.
A human resource department is no doubt responsible for screening, interviewing, hiring, and managing employees, but they are also responsible for the performance evaluations of employees.
So this means that the duty does not end after an employee is hired. However, they are still in charge of evaluating the employee’s performance.
In addition, the human resources department is responsible for the implementation of disciplinary actions in an organization for a safe and better working environment.
The responsibilities do not end here, a human resource department is also responsible for handling the employee records. They are also assigned the tasks of employee documentation and building a safe repository with employee records for business needs.
Thus, knowing the detailed working algorithm of how these processes work is crucial for you to understand human resource management before applying to human resources coordinators’ jobs.
Step 8: Develop Good Communication Skills
As the HR coordinators serve as a communication bridge between HR managers and employees, thus good communication skills are mandatory for regulating the information between employees and HR managers.
Also, know that HR coordinators are the first point of contact for laborers, thus good communication and dealing skills are mandatory for effective communication.
In addition to that, since you will be working as a bridge between the employees and a human resources manager, you must ensure that you properly advocate for the employees.
Not just employee advocation, but you are also responsible for establishing good employee relations through your exceptional communication skills.
Step 9: Practice Your HR Skills and Gain Experience (Optional)
Although it is completely optional for you to practice the skills through volunteer work, or a freelance job.
But, we highly recommend you gain experience in the period between you fulfilling the job requirements of learning completely about human resources coordinator to getting hired at your dream job.
You won’t get the job the very next day you fulfill the learning requirements, thus using this time to practice the acquired skills through remote working, or voluntarily working in a startup will complement your resume.
This way, judge whether the acquired knowledge is applicable or not. And if it is applicable then what are tactics for better outcomes?
Remote working and freelancing jobs are a great opportunity to test and verify your skills as a human resources coordinator.
Sometimes, having experience is not necessary to secure a job, as some tech-savvy organizations hire employees as freshers, and then train them on their work rules.
But, it is helpful for career progression. In addition to that, a mild experience will also allow you to negotiate your salary as you will not be an absolute fresher in this case.
Thus, acquiring experience in your free time is always a good tactic.
Step 10: Apply for an HR Coordinator’s Job in a Well-Reputed Firm
If you have fulfilled all the previous requirements to become a human resources coordinator, you’re now eligible to apply for HR coordinator jobs.
Once you fulfill the general competencies like minimum education, fundamental knowledge of human resources and coordination, and have a credential certificate, then start hunting the right human resources coordinator roles based on your skills and abilities.
You must explore various career development opportunities. In addition to that, when you are applying for a job, carefully read the job description.
Understand the duties and responsibilities mentioned in the job description, and check whether you can efficiently fulfill them or not.
In addition to that, search for the right human resources coordinator role by carefully reading the HR coordinator job description from several human resources areas.
Make research about each organization, and then compare how human resource management works in each organization. This way, you will know what organization must be on your preference, and which ones are best for your benefit.
Then, put your efforts into tips for preparing and rocking the HR coordinator’s interview.
Step 11: Prepare for Career Advancement
If you already have enough experience working as an HR coordinator, work on your career advancement for progression.
Get a visible salary boost and maybe a promotion with advanced qualifications.
For example, if you are currently working as an entry-level human resources coordinator, then we recommend you enroll in a master’s degree in a specialized field according to your job description.
While someone with already a Master’s degree wants to acquire a post-graduate degree for promotions and career advancement.
So, above it was the detailed guide for you to become a human resources coordinator. Make sure you don’t miss any step except for the experience. We hope that now you’re clear on where to start your journey to become an HR coordinator.
Summary
In your journey to becoming a human resources coordinator, acquiring the minimum qualifications and certifications are two of the most important steps.
A Bachelor’s degree in a related field is generally among the criteria of a human resources coordinator’s job application. While certifications complement your resume and enhance your willingness to learn more.
However, acquiring the qualifications and certificate is not enough to completely fulfill and master the fundamental knowledge.
After you find yourself skillful enough, start applying for human resources coordinator jobs. Carefully read the job descriptions first to know whether the requirements align with your skills or not. Work on your communication skills for effective screening.
We also recommend that you continually upskill your knowledge and thus progress for career advancements.
FAQs
Below are the most commonly asked questions and answers related to human resources coordinators:
What are the duties of an HR coordinator?
A HR coordinator is responsible for assisting HR managers in planning, implementing, and evaluating HR policies. They coordinate and schedule interviews, orientations, training programs, and performance management reviews for employees and candidates.
Their role also involves performing research on HR best practices, trends, and regulations. Furthermore, an HR coordinator participates in projects, like employee engagement and diversity and inclusion.
Human resources coordinators must maintain and update employee records and databases in compliance with legal requirements. They are also responsible for processing benefits and leave requests for employees.
What is the goal of an HR coordinator?
The goal of an HR coordinator is to enhance the work environment and increase employee engagement by taking part in major HR activities, such as gathering and making decisions based on employee feedback.
What is the highest salary of an HR coordinator?
The highest HR coordinator salary is $74k per year in the United States. The base pay of an HR coordinator ranges between $45k-63k annually. This HR professional also earns additional income every year, which includes bonus and commissions, which ranges between $6k-$11k.
What is the difference between an HR coordinator and an HR specialist?
An HR coordinator and an HR specialist have different duties and skills. Based on the role, a human resources specialist has more problem-solving and strategic planning skills than a coordinator. They also have more specialized technical skills as compared to an HR coordinator.
If you are new to Human Resources and are looking to break into an HR Coordinator position, we recommend taking our HR Certification Courses, where you will learn how to build your skillset in human resources, build your human resources network, craft an excellent HR resume, and create a successful job search strategy that lands you a sought-after HR Coordinator job.
