HR Assistant Resume & Writing Guide

Whether you have years of experience under your belt or are just starting out, when looking for a new position as a Human Resources Assistant, the best place to start is by look through a few top-notch HR Assistant resume samples.

HR Assistants do more than just the basics of recruitment support, training, and payroll, and this is something you need to make evidently clear to the reader. You need to ensure that your resume grabs the reader from the very first word. Fear not.

This is what we are here for. Together with our resume guidelines for an HR Assistant, we will show you how to create the perfect interview landing resume filled with insightful and captivating information.

21 HR Assistant Resume Examples

(Free sample downloads are at the bottom of this page)

HR Assistant Resume Writing Guide

Resume Sections

  1. Contact information
  2. Profile Summary
  3. Work History
  4. Achievements
  5. Education
  6. Skill Section
  7. Certification & licensing
  8. Extras: Languages/Awards/Publications/Volunteering/hobbies
  9. > Professional information

1. Contact information

  • First Name and Last Name
  • Email
  • Physical Address
  • Telephone number
  • LinkedIn Profile

What to Highlight in an HR Assistant Resume

When a hiring manager or a potential employer reads through an applicant’s resume, specific pieces of information they look for to ascertain whether you are a worthy candidate to consider.

No matter how impressive your experience is, your resume will not make the impact it should without the information mentioned above. Below we have outlined exactly what you need to include:

Firstly, you need to outline the type of industry experience you have acquired. It is no secret that HR Assistants can be found in almost every business sector, from construction to banking to mining. Ensure that you make use of the BLS Sic code descriptions to identify your experience accurately.

Secondly, hiring managers and potential employers are very interested to know about the scope of the previous organization you worked for. The size of your previous organization allows the reader to gauge your competence and ascertain the amount of responsibility you were given.

For example, an HR Assistant working for a company with a billion-dollar turnover will have had greater workloads than an HR Assistant working for a company with a 10-million-dollar turnover. Ensure that you mention the type of company you worked for. For example, whether it was private, public, service, or education orientated.

Lastly, it would help if you highlighted the primary functions you carried out in your previous positions. Below, we have summarized the main areas of an HR Assistant to help you choose the correct option:

  • Employee Administration – Carries out activities that revolve around administrative tasks such as administering benefits such as pension funds and medical aids, tracking sick leave and vacation days, and payroll execution.
  • Talent Management Plays a central role in the organization of employee resources, developing job descriptions, sourcing candidates, screening, interviewing, shortlisting, and other related recruitment practices.
  • HR Shared Services is an organization where automation, technology, and applications are developed to ensure strategic and operational needs of this business are met with regards to communication, record-keeping, collaboration, and project management tasks relating to the company’s workforce.
  • Rewards & recognition Puts steps in place to maximize employee engagement and organizational development where the aim is to improve the culture within the organization, increase employee satisfaction levels, and incentivize employees for performance excellence.

*Cool Tip for a stellar resume:
One of the best ways to create a great first impression is to outline the goals and targets you have set for yourself as an HR Assistant. Examples include the number of vacancies you hope to fill in a month or implementing a new training system. Ensure that you include hard numbers to quantify your goals. 

HR Assistant Career Summary Examples

Remember, the main aim of your resume is to grab the reader’s attention. Hiring managers, however, are very busy people with little time to read through every resume they receive in great detail. You, therefore, need to do everything you can to ensure you capture their attention from the very first word.

A surefire way to grab the reader’s attention from the very start is by creating a captivating Career summary and situating it at the very beginning of your resume. Your career summary needs to be short and concise and should only include the most pertinent information regarding your skills, qualities, and experience.

If you are unsure whether to choose a career summary or a career objective, let us help you…

A career summary should be used for an HR Assistant who has an extensive amount of experience and needs to condense it to highlight the most impressive information.

However, if you are a fairly new HR Assistant with a limited amount of experience, a career objective is the better choice. Rather than highlighting your experience, a career objective allows you to show off your career goals and targets while still allowing you to highlight your impressive skills and qualities.

Your career summary or objective should not be more than 5-6 lines in length, and it should only include relevant information. Remember, this is just an introduction.

Begin by stating your job title, your years of experience in the industry, and one or two of your most attractive skills or qualities. Finish off with the highest qualification you have obtained, as well as any certifications or industry memberships.

HR Assistant Summary 1

Forward-thinking and accomplished administrative assistant with a solid history of achievement in Human Resources. Motivated leader with strong organizational and prioritization skills. Seeking to obtain a rewarding position that will provide growth and career advancement.

HR Assistant Summary 2

Dependable HR assistant with over four years of experience in companies with 120+ employees. SHRM-CP certified and member of the 2016 “Human Resources Team of the Year.” Cut costs by $13K monthly by implementing a new payroll system. Looking to use knowledge of hiring and training 60+ employees to become a Human Resource Assistant for Polyglot Publications.

HR Assistant Summary 3

I am looking to obtain a Human Resources position where my professional experience and educational background will allow for an immediate contribution as an integral part of a progressive company. I am seeking an administrative position that will make the most of my experience in office management, communication, and organization.

HR Assistant Summary 4

Human Resources professional with three years experience in HRIS, optimizing business processes, and database management. Skilled in handling difficult situations with confidentiality and professionalism. Master's graduate in International Business with a Human Resources certification.

Employment History

When it comes to listing your work experience, there are ways to really make your information shine, whether you have an extensive amount of experience or not. Below we have outlined how you can achieve this:

  1. List your experience in reverse chronological order as this allows your most recent experience to be view first.
  2. Include the job title you held, your dates of employment, the company's name, and around 5 or 6 bullet points that outline your work duties and responsibilities.
  3. Use power verbs to start each bullet point.
  4. Quantify your achievements to ensure the reader has something to measure you against.
  5. Use the job description to tailor your experience according to what the employer is looking for.

Samples:

Human Resources Assistant Angie Arkins Agency

September 2021 – March 2023
Provided administrative support to the executive Director, chief financial officer, and controller and support the HR Director with the full cycle recruiting process, including sourcing, screening, and candidate interviews.

  • Organized employee data and ensured all employment records were up-to-date.
  • Assisted with the recruiting and training of new employees for marketing and IT teams.
  • Administered payroll information, compensation materials, and benefits programs.
  • Supported daily operations within the human resources department.
  • Mentored employees through personal and professional discrepancies.
Human Resources Assistant at Gramercy Gadgets & Gifts Online

October 2019– August 2021
Executed daily administrative operations for the Human Resources Executive; oversaw and processed standard US mail and emails, coordinated meetings and events. Responded to inquiries. And answered a high volume of incoming phone calls on a multi-line system.

  • Ensured all personnel, office, and employment records were kept confidential.
  • Provided administrative support with calendars, payroll, meetings, and training events.
  • Trained new employees and conducted orientations for new staff hire.
  • Managed daily HR functions supporting a staff of 220 across three locations: Chico, CA, San Mateo, CA, and Romania. This required weekly travel from Chico to the San Mateo office.
  • Served as a link between Executive management, and employees by answering questions, communicating decisions, and helping to resolve conflict.

HR Assistant Job Descriptions Examples

When a potential employer reads through an applicant’s resume, there several proven foundational skills, qualities, and responsibilities they hope to see. These will most often be found in the job description, so ensure that you read through it carefully to identify the information you need to include.

To help you get started, we have listed a few examples below:

Job Duties of an HR Assistant:

  • Assist HR Administrators with expanding two branches with employee updates, performance evaluations, and basic administrative duties.
  • Assist employees with inquiries and provided information when necessary.
  • Assist employees with time correction forms.
  • Support the HR Manager with any payroll complications.
  • Manage random drug screening quarterly.
  • Ensure all new employee paperwork is completed and processed.
  • Obtain the correct documentation for completion of I-9 immigration eligibility forms.
  • Run extensive background checks on new hires and yearly background checks for nurses, therapists, and certified nurse's aides.
  • Compose letters for employees regarding personal information.
  • Fax employee verifications, call new hires for employee feedback, and mail out letters of no interest to applicants.
  • Update employee information about new employees into the HRIS system and maintain records for employee files.
  • Review CareerBuilder resumes for HHA supervisors and Corporate Directors for certified nurse aides, therapists, and registered nurses.
  • Attend weekly conference calls with the HR team.
  • Assist the hiring manager during campus recruiting events and social recruiting processes.
  • Screen resumes and conduct phone interviews for sales and clerk positions to achieve staffing goals.
  • Facilitate New Employee Orientation Training with regards to organizational culture, policies, and procedures.
  • Provide employee data recording using an Applicant Tracking System.
  • Provide support to the team, including employee relations, benefits, compliance, wellness programs, and culture management.
  • Keep all employee information up to date.
  • Carry out confidential discussions about benefits, salary, organizational structures, and other HR-related topics.

Accomplishments

HR Assistants are the go-to people in an organization when an employee has a query or a problem that needs sorting out. It may seem hard to outline your accomplishments, but you simply need to think back to the “wins” you have achieved. Highlight how you were able to resolve a workplace conflict, or how you could help an employee who was going through a rough period.

Here you can show off your caring nature and your ability to ensure the working environment supports hard work. Remember to include numbers to quantify your statements to show exactly how you could make a difference.

We recommend applying the APR approach (A=Action Verb, P=Problem, R=Result) if you are struggling to write your accomplishment statements.

Examples of Quantified Human Resource Management accomplishment statements:

  • Identified and implemented an alternative payroll system, reducing company costs by $12,000 per month.
  • Awarded the 2015 “Human Resources Team of the Year” from American Business Awards (team award).
  • Managed corporate LinkedIn and Facebook profiles and increased visibility by 86% within four months.

 Now, the same examples but without quantification:

  • Identified and implemented an alternative payroll system, reducing company costs.
  • Awarded the “Human Resources Team of the Year” from American Business Awards (team award).
  • Managed corporate LinkedIn and Facebook profiles and increased visibility

HR Assistant Education Section & Examples

Your education section is an integral part of your resume and should be given the attention it deserves. Your formal education is essential to potential employers and something they pay close attention to. Ensure that you list your educational information clearly so that it is easy for the reader to make sense of…

List your educational information as follows:

Begin with your commencement and completion date for diplomas, associate degrees, and bachelor’s degrees. For courses, you can simply list the date of completion. Next, write the full name of the qualification, followed by the institution's full name, and then the City or abbreviated State name.

Here are some examples of an HR Assistant Resume:

2020 – Certified HR Assistant (CHRM), American Institute for Business Management and Communication, Oakland, CA.

2018 – Professional in Human Resources (PHR), HR Certification Institute (HRCI), Online.

2017 – Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP), The Association for Talent Development (ATD), Detroit, MI.

2016 – Master of Science in Human Resource Management, Florida University, Miami, FL.

2012 – 2014 – Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Management, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.
Awards: Member of the National Golden Key Honor Society, 2010
Leadership: President of the Golf Club, 2011
GPA: 3.9

Skills

As an HR Assistant, there are many technical skills you need to possess to ensure you are well organized and can keep track of every employee’s information. However, your soft interpersonal skills are by far the most important. Soft skills allow you to be an effective people person, something that is crucial for an HR Assistant to be.

When listing your skills and qualities, there are a few things you need to remember. Firstly, use the job description to your advantage to outline the specific skills and qualities the employer is looking for. However, only include these skills if they are relevant to you and ensure that you include unique skills that the employer will want to see.

The next thing we recommended is that you make use of the skills matrix table rather than bullet points when listing your information. As you can see below, it saves space, it is visually pleasing, allowing the reader to view your information easily.

20 Top Human Resources Skills for a HR Resume

Human Resource AdministrationJob Interviews & Exit Interviews
ConfidentialityStaff Training & Onboarding
Performance ManagementEmployee-Employer Relations
Employee Grievance & DissatisfactionGood Communication Skills
Payroll Systems & AccountingTime Management Skills
Compensation & BenefitsDecision Making Skills
Recruiting & HiringProblem Solving Skills
Human Resources Information Software (HRIS)List of Technical Skills
Dispute Resolution & ManagementInterpersonal Skills
Workplace Health & SafetyTeamwork Skills MS Project

IT Skills Matrix

ADPBreezy HRiCIMS Talent AcquisitionPeakon
SAPSAGEZoho PeopleBamboo HR
PurelyHRCriterion HCMBitrix24Advanced Excel
MatlabMS ProjectHRISLotus Notes

Qualifications/Certifications associated with HR Assistants

SHRM ProfessionalCertified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS)Certification in Labor Relations
Masters Degree in Human Resources ManagementProfessional Human Resources CandidacyProfessional Recruiter Certification (PRC)
Bachelors Degree in Industrial PsychologyCertified Internet Recruiter (CIR)Professional in Human Resources (PHR)

Other sections for HR Assistant Resume’s

If you have reached the end of your resume and you feel that there is more information that you wish to include that will really knock the socks off of the reader, then the optional extras section is just what you need. Here you can include information about yourself that you may not have included in other sections.

However, ensure that information you include is relevant to an HR Assistant.

Here are a few great examples for a resume for HR jobs:

  • Volunteer Work
  • Professional Achievements
  • Certifications and Licenses
  • Languages
  • HR Organization Memberships
  • Hobbies

Professional information for HR Assistants

Sectors: Human Resources, Organizational Development, Payroll, Training, Talent Acquisition, Employee Wellness, Recruitment, Recruitment, Organizational Development, Talent Acquisition
Career Type: Talent Management, Resource Management, People Management
Person type:  Helper, Presenter, Administrator, Influencer, Assistant, Mentor, Coach, Trainer
Education levels: Post-school qualification and upward
Salary indication: Average $ 31 840 per annum (Workable)
Job Outlook: An average of 3% of 2016 – 2026 (Humanresourcepath)
Organizations: Medium Enterprises, SME’s Government, Commercial, Corporate, Multi-National, Small and Medium Enterprises

Download HR Assistant Resume

HR Assistant – Resume (20).pdf