HR Coordinator: Duties, Pay, and How to Become One

Human resources (HR) coordinators are responsible for supporting the daily operations of a company’s HR department. In this role, you will perform clerical and administrative duties pertaining to hiring, orientation, payroll, and employee relations. As a result, you’ll be a critical link between employees and HR managers, ensuring everyone’s needs are met. 

If you’re an organised, detail-oriented individual who excels in collaborative roles, then becoming an HR coordinator can be a rewarding and fulfiling career choice.

Discover more about HR coordinators, what they do, how much they earn, and what you need to do to become one. You can also explore some future careers you might pursue as an HR coordinator and find suggestions for cost-effective courses that can help you gain job-relevant skills today.

What is an HR coordinator?

HR coordinators are responsible for the administrative and clerical functions of HR departments, performing such tasks as maintaining personnel records, creating and updating employee handbooks, and developing employee orientation programmes. In some cases, they may also manage payroll functions, administer benefits plans, and coordinate employer-sponsored events. 

As an HR coordinator, you will frequently be the first contact for existing staff and job applicants who have questions about open positions. Most HR coordinator roles are full-time during regular office hours.

What does an HR coordinator do?

In this role, you are typically responsible for a wide range of HR-related duties and work closely with HR managers. Whilst their exact duties vary from one position to another, some of the most common duties that HR coordinators perform include the following:

• Manage hard and digital copies of employee records

• Assist with the recruitment process of candidates

• Manage the administrative process for interviews, meetings, HR events, and campaigns

• Conduct training sessions and seminars

• Update records for new and existing staff

• Collaborate with the entire human resource team

• Respond to internal and external human resource inquiries from employees

• Assist with employee performance reviews

• Track the hiring status of candidates using the company’s human resource information system (HRIS)

• Conduct background checks on new employees

HR coordinator salary

According to Glassdoor, the average base salary that human resource coordinators earn is £28,829 a year as of September 2024 [1]. 

Related roles and their salaries

Some companies may call HR coordinator jobs by a different job title. As you’re searching for an HR coordinator role, take a look at some of the different titles you may encounter along with their annual base pay, according to Glassdoor:

- HR assistant: £26,426 per year [2]

- HR representative: £36,280 per year [3]

- Recruiting coordinator: £26,388 per year [4]

- HR specialist: £40,387 per year [5]

- HR officer: £30,197 per year [6]

How to become an HR coordinator

HR coordinators are integral to ensuring the proper functioning of HR departments, both large and small. To work in this profession, you typically need education, a certain skill set, and specific qualifications. Whilst you have several ways to begin a career in HR, some of the most common steps many professionals take to join the field are as follows:

1. Get the relevant education.

Not all HR jobs require that you possess an undergraduate degree, but many of them do. Although some employers will accept most degrees, you may want to earn one in business management, economics, HR, or even psychology. With one of these bachelor’s degrees, you can increase your hireability. For more senior positions, such as HR consultancy, employers often expect applicants to have a master’s degree in human resource management. 

If you pursue a master’s, make sure the course is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) because you can gain automatic CIPD membership. Continue reading to learn more about CIPD in step three.

2. Gain the right HR coordinator skills.

To become a successful HR coordinator, you must be a detail-oriented and organised individual who excels at communication and collaboration. You’ll need to possess the people skills to empathetically meet employee needs and the technical understanding to ensure your company abides by all HR laws. Some of the skills you’ll want to develop to succeed as a professional HR coordinator may include:

• An understanding of payroll, benefits, and the recruiting process

• The ability to coordinate training and development efforts

• A strong grasp of employment law

• Proficiency in Office Suite software

• Knowledge of HR procedures and practices

• Organisational skills

• Attention to detail

• Strong verbal and written communication skills to effectively manage employee relations

• Time and project management skills

3. Obtain HR qualifications.

To gain a human resources coordinator role, you’ll most likely need to complete a CIPD-accredited course. The CIPD offers these courses in Foundation (A level [Level 3] equivalent qualification), Associate (undergraduate standard [Level 5] qualification), and Advanced levels (postgraduate standard [Level 7] qualification). Once you’ve earned your qualification, you may even see an increase in your salary.

4. Make use of your networks.

Networking is an effective strategy to get your foot in the door—not just for an entry-level job, but also for more senior positions within the HR industry. Find some ideas to build relationships, gather information, and improve your exposure below:

• Talk with friends and family members who have worked in HR. 

• Attend local networking events and meet other HR professionals. 

• Join social media groups or follow HR professionals on LinkedIn. 

• Connect with a mentor who can provide career guidance and advice.

5. Craft a CV that demonstrates your HR coordinator competencies. 

When you’re considering a new job or pivoting to a new career, it’s important to understand how your experience and skills meet employers’ needs and to convey this in your CV. As a result, you’ll want to identify the transferable skills you possess and how they might fit with an HR coordinator role. For example, if you’ve previously worked in customer service, you might highlight your experience manoeuvring complex interpersonal interactions, negotiating skills, and coming up with creative solutions that both resolve problems and improve customer satisfaction. These are all good examples of transferable skills to include on your CV that are valuable in HR departments.

Hiring managers looking for HR talent will want to know about your accomplishments, so make sure to include them on your CV. For instance, you might note that in a previous position you reduced employee turnover from 15 per cent to 8 per cent by initiating an employee recognition programme. Whatever your achievements, potential employers will likely seek to understand the impact of your work.

Future career paths for an HR coordinator

Landing a job as an HR coordinator could be the first step to obtaining more advanced positions in the field. If you’d like to advance your HR career, some of the jobs you might consider pursuing in the future include:

• Senior HR coordinator: In this role, you would take on more responsibilities. These may be supervising junior coordinators or handling more complex projects such as coordinating benefits for new hires. You might also manage employee performance reviews for a larger group of employees.

• HR specialist: You could specialise in the employment process, recruitment, training, or any other HR function. If you’re climbing the ladder in an enterprise environment, specialisation is a great way to gain exposure to higher levels in the management structure.

• HR consultant: Consulting firms work with companies of all sizes to advise them about the administration of HR policies, recommend solutions to issues with their HR programmes, develop methods for analysing data, and conduct training programmes related to specific aspects of HR.

• HR manager: In this position, you have full responsibility for everything related to human resources, from hiring staff to performance management as well as dealing with human resources violations. The role will vary depending on company size and industry. If you’re moving from a coordinator role, you may want to take this role at a smaller company, where you can gain experience before moving up the ranks.

Earn a professional HR credential online with Coursera

HR coordinators are valuable members of an HR team, and the industry offers many professional opportunities. You can prepare for this career path by building your skills and gaining the right credentials. 

If you want to apply for an HR coordinator role, completing online learning can be a great way to build your CV and set yourself apart from other applicants. In the University of Minnesota’s Human Resource Management: HR for People Managers Specialization, you can discover how to become a better manager of people by developing strategies and skills for hiring, managing performance, and rewarding employees.