Personnel Clerks Career Information
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Nature of the Work
Human resources assistants maintain the personnel
records of an organization's employees. These records include information such
as name, address, job title, and earnings, benefits such as health and life
insurance, and tax withholding. On a daily basis, these assistants record and
answer questions about employee absences and supervisory reports on job performance.
When an employee receives a promotion or switches health
insurance plans, the human resources assistant updates the appropriate form.
Human resources assistants also may prepare reports for managers elsewhere within
the organization. For example, they might compile a list of employees eligible
for an award.
In smaller organizations, some human resources assistants perform a variety of other clerical duties. They answer telephone or letter inquiries from the public, send out announcements of job openings or job examinations, and issue application forms. When credit bureaus and finance companies request confirmation of a person's employment, the human resources assistant provides authorized information from the employee's personnel records. Payroll departments and insurance companies also may be contacted to verify changes to records.
Some human resources assistants also are involved in hiring. They screen job applicants to obtain information such as education and work experience; administer aptitude, personality, and interest tests; explain the organization's employment policies and refer qualified applicants to the employing official; and request references from present or past employers. Also, human resources assistants inform job applicants, by telephone or letter, of their acceptance or rejection for employment.
In some job settings, human resources assistants have specific job titles. For example, assignment clerks notify a firm's existing employees of position vacancies and identify and assign qualified applicants. They keep track of vacancies throughout the organization and complete and distribute vacancy advertisement forms. These clerks review applications in response to advertisements and verify information, using personnel records. After a selection is made, they notify all the applicants of their acceptance or rejection.
For another example, identification clerks are responsible for security matters at defense installations. They compile and record personal data about vendors, contractors, and civilian and military personnel and their dependents. Job duties include interviewing applicants; corresponding with law enforcement authorities; and preparing badges, passes, and identification cards.
Employment
Human resources assistants held about 177,000 jobs in 2009. Although these workers are found in most industries, about 1 in every 6 works for a government agency. Colleges and universities, hospitals, department stores, and banks also employ large numbers of human resources assistants.
Training, Qualifications, Adv.
Similar to other office and administrative support occupations, the growing use of computers in human resources departments means that a lot of data entry done by human resources assistants can be eliminated, as employees themselves enter the data and send it to the human resources office. This is most feasible in large organizations with multiple human resources offices and, to some extent, could limit job growth among human resources assistants. In addition to job growth, replacement needs will account for many job openings for human resources assistants as they advance within the human resources department, take jobs unrelated to human resources administration, or leave the labor force. Job Outlook
Employment of human resources assistants is expected to for all occupations through the year 2010, as assistants continue to take on more responsibilities.
Median annual earnings of human resources assistants in May 2009 were $31,750. The middle 50 percent earned between $25,780 and $38,770. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $21,250 and the highest 10 percent earned more than $45,780. Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest number of human resources assistants in May 2009 were:
| Federal Government | $35,490 |
| Elementary and secondary schools | 33,030 |
| Local government | 32,460 |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 30,930 |
| General medical and surgical hospitals | 29,390 |
Some employers offer educational assistance to human resources assistants.
Personnel clerks maintain the personnel records of an organization’s employees. On a daily basis, these assistants record information and answer questions about employee absences and supervisory reports on employees’ job performance. Other workers with similar skills and expertise in interpersonal relations include bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks; communications equipment operators; customer service representatives; data entry and information processing workers; order clerks; receptionists and information clerks; secretaries and administrative assistants; stock clerks and order fillers; and tellers.
Sources of Additional Information
For information about human resource careers and certification, contact:
- Society for Human Resource Management, 1800 Duke St., Alexandria, VA 22314. Internet: http://www.shrm.org