What Does a Human Resources Intern Do?
Looking for the roles and responsibilities of a human resources intern? Then, you are on the right post.
Every company’s human resources department has several HR team members, such as HR analysts or HR coordinators, working together to handle all people-related issues. After its establishment, the HR department then begins hiring fresh graduates for the human resources team.
These HR internships, often remote, provide crucial experience, and the department gets help dealing with simple and redundant tasks. A human resources internship program is the starting path of a lucrative career in people management and HR.
HR interns possess knowledge about performance management, labor relations, and business strategy, which helps them handle the HR process.
Let’s explore what an HR intern does.
Role and Responsibilities of a Human Resources Intern
Other HR positions have well-defined roles, such as an HR generalist or HR manager. For example, the HR manager job description remains the same throughout most enterprises with only slight variations. However, that’s not the case with HR interns.
Different organizations have different approaches to specifying the human resource internships within their company. For example, some companies list the minimum duties a human resources intern must perform.
In contrast, others list every possible responsibility for developing a flexible internship program. The following duties and tasks are what the typical human resources intern must manage:
- Take over job postings, activate searches on hiring forums and social media platforms for different job types and titles, and help form job alerts
- Screen potential employees’ resumes and figure out the most suitable candidates for a vacancy. Avoid any biases in the operations, such as on-the-job experience, sexual orientation, and gender identity biases, among others, to ensure the company remains an equal-opportunity employer
- Organize and set up interviews with any shortlisted candidates
- Update company databases by entering new employee information and giving them access to the system
- Remove the job posts after hiring the employees to avoid unnecessary job alerts
- Help in managing human resources activities and organizing company events
- Assist the human resources staff in gathering industry salary information to design and go through compensation and benefits packages
- Learn about the company’s policies, employee benefits, and other HR-related stuff to handle any internal staff inquiries
- Work in co-op with human resources generalists and other HR staff if necessary to complete annual HR duties
- Provide administrative support to HR business partners and managers
- Support other HR staff members to deliver high-quality services
- Use Microsoft Word and other related tools to handle employee files, talent acquisition, HR policies, application forms, and new hires’ records.
These are most of the duties a human resources intern must expect during their internship program. After their internship, the usual professional development for a human resources intern is toward an HR generalist or HR coordinator.
To gain further knowledge regarding human resources management, check out our top HR certifications:
Types of Human Resources Intern Positions
HR internships are of different natures (remote/office-based) and are available in various industries, including technology, healthcare, finance, and manufacturing. Setting up a job alert can help you stay informed about new HR internship opportunities.
These internships allow the human resources intern to learn about different HR roles and responsibilities and gain useful skills and knowledge to succeed. Below are some common types of human resources internships:
Human Resources Generalist
HR generalists get a nice exposure to various areas of the human resources department. The human resources intern gets to work on multiple projects. These projects relate to talent management and training, assist with recruitment efforts, and create and implement policies.
Recruitment and Talent Acquisition
Interns working in this area play a major role in the recruitment process. They are responsible for sourcing, screening, and interviewing candidates for listed job positions. Students also learn how to use different recruiting techniques to find and attract top talent.
Employee Benefits and Compensation
These interns help develop and administer employee compensation plans, including benefits, salaries, and bonuses. Plus, the human resources intern learns ways of using data to determine competitive and fair packages for employees.
Human Resources Internship Requirements
Every organization has a different set of requirements when hiring human resources interns. Here are the main requirements candidates must fulfill to get human resources internships:
Professional Education
Like any tax intern, most companies require interns to hold at least a Bachelor’s degree in human resources, communications, or a related field.
Acquiring a degree in human resources ensures you have great knowledge about legal issues, organizational theory, employee training, and company databases.
In addition, some firms prefer candidates with certifications or specialized training in human resources. Important certifications are as follows:
- Certified HR Manager
- Certified HR Business Partner
- Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP)
- Professional in Human Resources (PHR)
- Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR)
- SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP)
Mandatory Skills
Skills (both hard and soft) are important for human resources intern jobs. These skills help you tackle challenges, promote a healthy work environment, and bring development to the company. Here are some important skills a human resources intern must have:
- Effective communication
- Team collaboration
- Problem-solving abilities
- Recruitment process understanding
- HRIS software proficiency
Final Remarks
Becoming a human resources intern is easy because it’s an entry-level role. However, to gain lucrative human resource internships at an established organization, you have to prove yourself. You must have the right mindset and learn crucial people-management, and time-management skills.
FAQs
Below are the most frequently asked questions and answers related to HR intern jobs:
What does an HR intern do?
The human resources intern is responsible for updating employee databases, checking resumes, collecting payroll data, scheduling interviews, posting job advertisements, and assisting co-workers with HR-related queries.
How to become an HR intern?
To become a human resources intern, you must get your college degree, reach out to the right people, create an impressive resume, acquire a certification, write a cover letter, and pass the interview.
What are the objectives of HR internships?
The key objectives of an HR internship are gaining hands-on experience in the human resources department, developing major skills and know-how important for higher-level roles, and gaining insight into the company culture.
How much do HR interns make in the US?
HR interns in the US earn between $22 and $53 per hour. Annually, this translates to an average salary range of approximately $40,000 to $59,000.
How do HR interns prepare for interviews?
HR interns prepare for interviews by researching the company and its culture, reviewing common HR concepts and interview questions, and practicing responses to behavioral questions using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). They also ensure their resumes highlight relevant experiences and prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewer.
What are the skills required for HR?
HR professionals need strong communication and interpersonal skills to effectively manage employee relations and resolve conflicts. Organizational skills and attention to detail are top priority skills for handling HR tasks like recruitment, onboarding, and compliance.
A human resource intern must be proficient in the HR software and have an understanding of labor laws and regulations for effective HR management.
If you are looking to get an HR intern role, feel free to take our HR Certification Courses, where you will learn techniques to build your skillset in human resources, build your HR network, form an interesting CV, and come up with a successful job search plan.
