2024

How to Become an HR Coordinator Without Experience

Do you know 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. But, the tasks vary from handling employee relations and advocating their needs to HR directors and managers.

Sometimes, they also have to travel to universities for recruitment drives and campus visits. If you are keen to know how to become an HR coordinator, then there are several steps one needs to follow to become an HR coordinator.

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.

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. You can easily start your journey to become 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 strategical duties of 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

You should 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 employee relations
  • What are talent management and company management systems

With a detailed course from authentic resources like HR University, you can very efficiently 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 an HR process.

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.

Human Resources Certifications

Step 2: Fulfill the General Qualification Competencies

To apply to HR coordinators’ jobs, your resume must fulfill the general competencies to successfully secure an HR coordinator’s job. And for this purpose, you must acquire a minimum qualification level for this role. Generally, to become a human resources coordinator, you should 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 qualification before applying for the human resources coordinator job.

HR coordinator skillsFor 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, you can 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, 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 generating a recruitment campaign whenever an employee retires, or whenever the need arises.

You should also learn some technical software to look after the performance metrics analytically. In addition to that, make yourself at home with 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 can 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 qualification 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 should be 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 can 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 the 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. But they are still in charge of evaluating the employee’s performance.

In addition to that, 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, but a human resource department is also responsible to handle 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 in practicing the acquired skills through remote working, or voluntarily working in a startup will complement your resume.

This way, you can also 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 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 to 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 you can 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 a research about each organization, and then compare how human resource management works in each organization. This way, you will know what organization should 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, you should work on your career advancement for progression.

You can get a visible salary boost and maybe a promotion with some 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 might want 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 one. Acquire at least a bachelor’s degree. learn how the human resources department works. 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.

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, you can start applying to 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 should continually upskill your knowledge and thus progress for career advancements.

Read the above provided detailed guidance on how to become 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.

 

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Josh Fechter
Josh Fechter is the founder of HR.University. He's a certified HR professional and has managed global teams across 5 different continents including their benefits and payroll. You can connect with him on LinkedIn here.