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Why You Need a Remote HR Assistant and How to Hire One

Need a hand with employee onboarding and other HR tasks? An HR assistant may be the solution. Learn what they do and how to hire one in this post.
Behind every company’s success is a dedicated HR department.‍

And behind a dedicated HR department are hardworking HR assistants—the secret MVPs of any organization.‍ Here’s everything you need to know about hiring a remote HR assistant for your business:

What do remote HR assistants do?

The HR assistant role is considered the most junior position in the human resources department, but their job is anything but simple. They’re responsible for all kinds of admin tasks and serve as the bridge between management and employees.

Here’s a closer look into a typical HR assistant’s duties:

 

Onboard new hires

When a new member is added to the team, the HR assistant helps them settle in and feel right at home. They’ll introduce the employee to your organization’s SOPs and policies and make sure these are clearly understood. The HR assistant may also answer any of their company-related questions.

Onboarding new team members is a big responsibility, with a study by Brandon Research Hall reporting that a well-executed onboarding process can help improve employee retention by 82%. That’s why it’s crucial to do an effective job of delegating this task to your HR assistant.

Related: Best practices to follow for a solid onboarding process

Maintain employee records

Keeping employee records organized and up-to-date is tedious work, but HR assistants handle it like pros. They make sure that every document has its place—from personal information sheets and job contracts to attendance, performance evaluations, and promotions.

Manage payroll and benefits

Before your employees’ payslips are given, your HR assistant will see to it that all the details are accurate. They’ll double-check whether leaves, lates, and absences were reflected and make the corresponding changes. The same thing goes for benefits and bonuses.

If anyone in the team has disputes with their pay, a good HR assistant will resolve them ASAP.

Facilitate exiting employees

Whether it’s someone who has to be let go because of poor performance or someone who resigns voluntarily, HR assistants may be tasked with the termination process. This process involves:

  • Updating records
  • Informing the concerned parties
  • Conducting exit interviews
  • Releasing the employee’s final pay

While exit interviews aren’t required, we strongly suggest implementing them. Their comments can be tough pills to swallow, but take them in stride and use them to improve the way your company does things.

Provide help with other admin tasks

HR assistants may also lend a hand with the following:

  • Coordinating seminars (ex. orientations with the organization’s HMO provider)
  • Updating employees of any changes or additions to the company’s policies
  • Sending memos
  • Planning team activities and outings

Who needs remote HR staff?

HR assistants are key members of the HR department. You’ll benefit from hiring a remote HR assistant if:

  • Your company is growing and you’re expecting to onboard a lot of new team members
  • You want to have a fully remote team
  • You don’t have a ton of experience with recruitment
  • You have an HR manager who needs an extra pair of hands with admin tasks

What are the benefits of hiring remote HR positions?

Team members in an office share a laugh during a virtual meeting

Your general operations will improve

If you want faster recruitment, a smoother onboarding process, and more engaged team members, hiring an HR assistant is the right call. Thanks to their awesome time management skills, they help your HR manager increase efficiency without sacrificing their quality of work.

Your employees will be happier

With an HR assistant, there will be fewer lapses in the processing of payrolls and benefits. Your employees will also have a go-to for queries they may have about leaves, team activities, and new policies they don’t quite understand yet. All of these can boost your team’s overall satisfaction with your company.

You’ll have more room in your schedule

Handing some of the reins of your business over to an HR assistant won’t just ensure the right people are joining your company and that your employees are happy.

You’ll also be able to focus your energy on things that need your full attention—whether it’s starting a new project, talking to prospective clients, or spending more time with your family and friends.

What to look for in an HR assistant

Can’t wait to add an HR assistant to your team? Make sure they have these skills and traits:

  • Experience with HR administration: The HR assistant you hire should have prior experience in the same role. They get bonus points if they have a working knowledge of labor laws.
  • A highly organized mind: Since a huge part of an HR assistant’s duties involves file management, they have to be super meticulous. They shouldn’t have any problem finding, organizing, and cleaning up files or data.  
  • Strong people management skills: Anyone working remote human resources jobs should possess excellent communication skills—and we don’t mean just having great English. They also need to know how to deal with different kinds of people and address sensitive issues with tact and diplomacy.
  • Stellar time management skills: Being an HR assistant means dabbling in a little bit of everything. Sometimes, they have to do a bunch of stuff at the same time. You need somebody who won’t get sidetracked by distractions.  
  • Expertise in remote work tools: Your HR assistant must be familiar with tools like Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Zoom, Basecamp, and Clickup—anything to do with project management and remote work, basically.
  • Trustworthiness: HR assistants handle employees’ personal information and are aware of internal company matters, so they must maintain confidentiality at all times.

How to hire an HR assistant using Shepherd

Do you want to hire an HR assistant but don’t know where to start? That’s what Shepherd is here for. As a headhunter agency, we help businesses like yours with hiring remote employees at a fraction of the local cost.

Here’s our step-by-step process:

Step 1: Let us know about your ideal candidate

What responsibilities do you expect your HR assistant to do? Are there any specific skills or qualifications they should have? Tell us about the position you’re looking to fill by answering this form.

Step 2: We’ll kick off a search

We’ll schedule a call to discuss the specifics of the role. Then, we’ll let you meet the project manager who will be your point of contact throughout the hiring process.

After the call, our talent assessors and scouts will start looking for remote staffing professionals with the potential to be your new HR assistant. Our team will make sure each candidate passes a rigorous screening process before we present the final list to you.

Step 3: Take your pick from our carefully selected list

We’ll give you a list of the most qualified candidates for the position. Pick which individuals you’d like to interview for the HR assistant role, and then we’ll schedule the dates.

Step 4: Say hello to your new remote HR assistant

Once you’ve made your selection, we’ll hand off the relationship to you. You can then start onboarding and delegating assignments to your brand new HR assistant.

Learn more: How we helped a mobile game studio find their perfect HR assistant

How much should you pay remote HR staff?

Typically, a remote Filipino HR assistant who works full-time earns around $1,000 - 2,000 a month. The exact figure depends on their level of experience and scope of work. Either way, hiring them costs significantly less than local counterparts.

Here’s a guide to give you a better idea of salary ranges for remote Filipino assistants.

Ready to hire a remote HR assistant?

HR assistants help with remote recruiting, providing administrative support, and processing payroll and benefits. They often work behind the scenes, but their role is essential to an organization’s success.

Let us know about your ideal HR assistant now and we’ll help you find an excellent one at a fraction of the cost.

FAQs about hiring remote HR staff

What do HR assistants do?

HR assistants are the backbone of the human resources department. They work on a variety of tasks to ensure new and seasoned employees alike are happy, engaged, and well-informed.

These are some of their main functions:

  • Assist with recruitment
  • Onboard new hires
  • Maintain employee records
  • Manage payroll and benefits
  • Facilitate exiting employees
  • Provide help with other admin tasks
What makes a good HR assistant?

The ideal HR assistant needs to have the following skills and traits:

  • Experience with HR administration
  • Strong people management skills
  • A highly organized mind
  • Stellar time management skills
  • Familiarity with remote work tools
  • Trustworthiness
How do I hire an HR professional?

Get in touch with us. Just give us details about the remote HR jobs you want to fill, attend the interviews, and hire the most qualified individuals from a list of highly vetted candidates. It’s that simple.

Get the hiring guide here

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Get the salary guide here

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