Vervoe

HR Specialist

Human Resources (HR)

Complete with job descriptions, skill profiles, and interview templates. Use this HR Specialist hiring guide to help you make the right decisions, fast.

What does a HR Specialist do?

HR Specialists’ give your business direct communication to internal and external stakeholders to assist with all HR related activities such as onboarding, recruitment, contracts, staff exiting and any work related issues.

HR Specialists manage high volume workloads and handle sensitive information daily while providing a positive attitude and paying high attention to detail.

Day to day tasks of a HR Specialist

  • Collaborate and support the HR team in delivery of HR projects and strategy
  • Manage large amounts of internal and external enquiries
  • Lead all HR related task i.e. recruitment, onboarding & training
  • Ensure staffing contracts are completed to a high standard.
  • Resolve work related issues coming up with solutions
Recruitment guide role overview illustration

HR Specialists' primary responsibility is to provide a high standard of service to all internal and external stakeholders within the business. They must have excellent written and verbal communication skills and keep confidentiality as priority.

Role definition illustration

HR Specialist Hiring Process

Build the Ideal Candidate Profile​

To find the best person for the role, you need to understand what the role involves. You can complete this with the hiring manager to define the role, its contribution, and the skills needed.

Write A Job Description Based On Skills

Once you understand the requirements for the role, you’ll need to understand the skills for success. You can then write an effective job description to promote your role.

Selecting The Ideal Candidate

See which applicants have the right skills for the role. Send all your applicants a Vervoe skills assessment from the expert library, or customize one for your organization.

Interview Top Performers

Your skills assessment results will identify top performers. Focus your time on interviewing those that have met or exceeded your requirements. Assessment results will also help guide which skill areas to focus on in the interview.

Making An Offer

Once you assess your candidates against these skills, you’re ready to offer the top performer(s). You should base your offer on the value that the candidate would bring to your team and your business as a whole. It is also important to ensure your compensation and benefits packages are competitive in the industry and help you attract and retain the top talent.

Skills needed for a HR Specialist

A HR Specialist must be focussed and empathetic. Each day can be different, and work volumes can change so the HR Specialist must be able to work under pressure and in a fast paced environment, providing a high standard of communication and care each day.

  • Attention to Detail
  • Organized
  • Problem Solver
  • Confidentiality
  • Positive Attitude

How to write a HR Specialist job description

Once you’ve determined the skills required for the role, you can write the job description to advertise for your position. Here’s what to include in your HR Specialist job description:

Job Title
What position are you hiring for?
Summary
What makes your company unique? What would it be like to work for you?
Responsibilities
An overview of the role’s day-to-day activities, and how the position contributes to the organization
Requirements
Skills a candidate must have to perform the job successfully
Benefits
Details of compensation, benefits, and any perks on offer
Use our sample HR Specialist job description
Job description checklist illustration

Sample skill tests for a HR Specialist

Create a free account today to access the full assessment and more from our library

Question 1

Attention to Detail

Question Type: Audio

Please listen to the below call and summarize the key pieces of information.

Question 2

Care

Question Type: Audio

You have received a call from an internal member of staff who has advised there is information wrong on their contract.They seem frustrated as they have been on hold for some time.To relieve this staff member of their frustration/ stress, what actions & tone would you use?

Question 3

Problem Solving

Question Type: Text

Your work volumes have risen due to a larger number of recruitment within the business. You are worried you will not get through all the tasks you have to complete.Please tell us how you would handle this situation.

How to interview a HR Specialist

Once your Vervoe skills assessment has surfaced the most qualified people for your open role, you can focus on interviewing these candidates. The interview should focus on any skills that require development that were highlighted from the skills assessment.

Now you know that candidates can do the job, the interview becomes more of a relationship building exercise where you can get to know the candidate on a more personal level, understand their motivations, and how they would fit in with the team.

How much does it cost to hire a HR Specialist?

The US average for a HR Specialist is $73,311 according to Builtin.com while the reported average salary on Glassdoor amounts to $57,404. The lowest paid ten percent is paid up to $38,000.

United States

HR Specialist salaries in the United States range from $38,000 - $87,000 (USD). $87,000 salaries in the U.S vary a lot depending on the industry and the nature of the business as well as the location.

Source: Source: Glassdoor

United Kingdom

HR Specialist salaries in the United Kingdom range from £30,000 - £58,000 (GBP). HR Specialist salaries in the UK vary largely based on location and depend on the type of HR business & location.

Source: Source: Glassdoor

Australia

HR Specialist salaries in Australia range from $63,000 - $140,000 (AUD). HR Specialist salaries usually depend on the type of business and the nature of the industry, location, and commission structure (if applicable).

Source: Source: Glassdoor