As an HR administrative assistant, crafting a resume that stands out in a competitive field while clearly presenting a diverse skill set can be a significant challenge. Our comprehensive guide is tailored to help you refine and highlight your administrative capabilities and HR expertise, ensuring your resume rises to the top of the candidate pool.
- Which sections do you need to include in your resume to meet recruiters' requirements;
- How to write your HR administrative assistant resume experience section - even if you have don't have little to no work experience;
- Real-life professional examples to guide you how to write the most important HR administrative assistant resume sections;
- Adding even more sections so your HR administrative assistant resume stands out with professionalism and your personality.
We've also selected some of the best (and most relevant) resume guides for the HR administrative assistant role you're applying for:
- Office Manager Assistant Resume Example
- Secretary Resume Example
- Dental Office Manager Resume Example
- Real Estate Administrative Assistant Resume Example
- Hotel Assistant Manager Resume Example
- Front Desk Manager Resume Example
- Dental Administrative Assistant Resume Example
- French Translator Resume Example
- Medical Administrative Assistant Resume Example
- Tax Preparer Resume Example
Enhancing your HR administrative assistant resume: format and layout tips
"Less is more" - this principle is key for your HR administrative assistant resume design. It emphasizes the importance of focusing on why you're the ideal candidate. Simultaneously, it's crucial to select a resume design that is both clear and simple, ensuring your qualifications are easily readable.
Four popular formatting rules (and an additional tip) are here to optimize your HR administrative assistant resume:
- Listing experience in reverse chronological order - start with your most recent job experiences. This layout helps recruiters see your career progression and emphasizes your most relevant roles.
- Including contact details in the header - make sure your contact information is easily accessible at the top of your resume. In the header, you might also include a professional photo.
- Aligning your expertise with the job requirements - this involves adding essential sections such as experience, skills, and education that match the job you're applying for.
- Curating your expertise on a single page - if your experience spans over a decade, a two-page resume is also acceptable.
Bonus tip: Ensure your HR administrative assistant resume is in PDF format when submitting. This format maintains the integrity of images, icons, and layout, making your resume easier to share.
Finally, concerning your resume format and the Applicant Tracker System (ATS):
- Use simple yet modern fonts like Rubik, Lato, Montserrat, etc.
- All serif and sans-serif fonts are friendly to ATS systems. Avoid script fonts that look like handwriting, however.
- Fonts such as Ariel and Times New Roman are suitable, though commonly used.
- Both single and double-column resumes can perform well with the ATS.
Consider your target market – resumes in Canada, for example, follow different layout conventions.
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PRO TIP
List all your relevant higher education degrees within your resume in reverse chronological order (starting with the latest). There are cases when your PhD in a particular field could help you stand apart from other candidates.
Don't forget to include these six sections on your HR administrative assistant resume:
- Header and summary for your contact details and to highlight your alignment with the HR administrative assistant job you're applying for
- Experience section to get into specific technologies you're apt at using and personal skills to deliver successful results
- Skills section to further highlight how your profile matches the job requirements
- Education section to provide your academic background
- Achievements to mention any career highlights that may be impressive, or that you might have missed so far in other resume sections
What recruiters want to see on your resume:
- Proficiency in HR software tools like HRIS and applicant tracking systems.
- Knowledge of labor laws and employment regulations.
- Experience with payroll processing and benefits administration.
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail for record-keeping and scheduling.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills for handling employee inquiries and supporting HR department activities.
Quick formula for writing your HR administrative assistant resume experience section
Have you ever wondered why recruiters care about your HR administrative assistant expertise?
For starters, your past roles show that you've obtained the relevant on-the job training and expertise that'd be useful for the role.
What is more, the resume work experience section isn't just your work history , but:
- shows what you're capable of achieving based on your past success;
- proves your skills with (oftentimes, tangible) achievements;
- highlights the unique value of what it's like to work with you.
To ensure your resume work experience section is as effective as possible, follow this formula:
- start each bullet with a powerful, action verb , followed up by your responsibilities, and your workplace success.
The more details you can include - that are relevant to the job and linked with your skill set - the more likely you are to catch recruiters' attention.
Additionally, you can also scan the job advert for key requirements or buzzwords , which you can quantify across your experience section.
Not sure what we mean by this? Take inspiration from the HR administrative assistant resume experience sections below:
- Managed recruitment processes for over 20 positions, reducing the average hiring cycle by 25% through effective coordination with department heads.
- Implemented a new HRIS (Human Resources Information System), streamlining the employee data management for a company with 200+ employees.
- Designed and facilitated monthly staff development workshops that increased team productivity by 15% as reflected in quarterly performance metrics.
- Conducted an audit of the company's benefits administration, identifying and correcting discrepancies in employee records that saved the company $10,000 annually.
- Spearheaded the transition to a paperless employee onboarding process, enhancing the new hire experience and cutting processing time by 30%.
- Played a key role in organizing the annual leadership conference for 100+ managers, coordinating logistics and content that boosted leadership effectiveness.
- Assisted in the creation of a company-wide diversity and inclusion program, which increased minority representation in the workforce by 20% over two years.
- Managed complex travel arrangements and scheduling for HR executives, ensuring 100% compliance with budget constraints and company policies.
- Collaborated on the development and rollout of an improved employee performance appraisal system, leading to a more accurate assessment of staff development needs.
- Coordinated employee relations efforts that decreased staff turnover by 10% through development of a robust feedback and recognition program.
- Provided daily administrative support to a team of 5 HR professionals, effectively handling a workload that included benefits, recruiting, and payroll support.
- Orchestrated a company-wide employee satisfaction survey that informed management policy changes leading to a 5% increase in employee satisfaction scores.
- Led a project implementing a new scheduling system across the company that improved hourly staff scheduling efficiency by 35%.
- Ensured strict adherence to labor and employment laws, reducing risk of legal issues and maintaining 100% compliance throughout my tenure.
- Revamped the employee exit interview process to capture more actionable data, resulting in the identification of key areas for workplace improvement.
- Automated time-intensive data entry tasks by implementing advanced Excel macros, which saved roughly 10 hours of manual work per week.
- Coordinated with the IT department to enhance the security of personnel records, effectively reducing data breaches to zero within the HR department.
- Initiated a mentorship program that paired new hires with senior staff, resulting in a 25% improvement in new hire productivity within the first three months.
- Oversaw the revamp of the company's leave management system, which decreased unrecorded leave by 90% and improved overall compliance with company policies.
- Collaborated with external benefits providers to negotiate more cost-effective plans, saving the company an average of $50,000 annually on health insurance premiums.
- Facilitated team-building events that fostered a more cohesive and collaborative work environment, positively impacting team morale.
- Developed and launched a proprietary internal communication platform to streamline HR announcements, reaching 100% employee engagement rate.
- Liaised with department managers to identify staffing needs, successfully reducing average time-to-fill by 20 days through an optimized candidate funnel.
- Constructed and maintained comprehensive HR reports and dashboards that provided insights for strategic planning in workforce management.
Quantifying impact on your resume
- Include the number of employees you've onboarded to demonstrate your capacity to manage high-volume hiring processes.
- State the percentage reduction in employee turnover following initiatives you implemented to show your contribution to employee retention.
- Mention the number of training sessions you've coordinated to highlight your organizational skills and impact on employee development.
- Specify the amount of time you reduced in the recruitment cycle to illustrate efficiency improvements.
- Report the number of HR reports you generate monthly to show your analytical ability and contribution to informed decision-making.
- Quantify the size of the benefits packages you’ve managed to reflect your responsibility for significant company resources.
- Detail the number of HR policies you’ve developed or revised to show your role in compliance and shaping the work environment.
- Calculate the cost savings achieved through your negotiation with benefit providers to demonstrate your financial impact.
Action verbs for your HR administrative assistant resume
No relevant experience - what to feature instead
Suppose you're new to the job market or considering a switch in industry or niche. In such cases, it's common to have limited standard professional experience. However, this isn't a cause for concern. You can still craft an impressive HR administrative assistant resume by emphasizing other sections, showing why you're a great fit for the role:
- Emphasize your educational background and extracurricular activities to demonstrate your industry knowledge;
- Replace the typical experience section with internships or temporary jobs where you've gained relevant skills and expertise;
- Highlight your unique skill set, encompassing both technological and personal abilities;
- Showcase transferable skills acquired throughout your life and work experiences so far.
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PRO TIP
If you failed to obtain one of the certificates, as listed in the requirements, but decide to include it on your resume, make sure to include a note somewhere that you have the "relevant training, but are planning to re-take the exams". Support this statement with the actual date you're planning to be re-examined. Always be honest on your resume.
The heart and soul of your HR administrative assistant resume: hard skills and soft skills
If you read between the lines of the HR administrative assistant role you're applying for, you'll discover that all requirements are linked with candidates' hard skills and soft skills.
What do those skills have to do with your application?
Hard or technical skills are the ones that hint at your aptitude with particular technologies. They are easy to quantify via your professional experience or various certifications.
Meanwhile, your soft skills are more difficult to assess as they are personality traits, you've gained thanks to working in different environments/teams/organizations.
Your HR administrative assistant resume skills section is the perfect opportunity to shine a light on both types of skills by:
- Dedicating a technical skills section to list up to six technologies you're apt at.
- Focusing a strengths section on your achievements, thanks to using particular people skills or technologies.
- Including a healthy balance of hard and soft skills in the skills section to answer key job requirements.
- Creating a language skills section with your proficiency level - to hint at an abundance of soft skills you've obtained, thanks to your dedication to learning a particular language.
Within the next section of this guide, stay tuned for some of the most trending hard skills and soft skills across the industry.
Top skills for your HR administrative assistant resume:
HRIS Management Software
Microsoft Office Suite
Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)
Payroll Software
Document Management Systems
Time and Attendance Systems
Data Entry Tools
Email Communication Tools
Virtual Meeting Software
Human Resources Analytics Tools
Communication
Organization
Attention to Detail
Problem-Solving
Interpersonal Skills
Time Management
Confidentiality
Adaptability
Team Collaboration
Customer Service Orientation
PRO TIP
Bold the names of educational institutions and certifying bodies for emphasis.
Showcase academic background with education and certifications' sections
Listing your education and certifications should be a rudimentary part of your resume writing.
Including your relevant academic background - in the form of your higher education degree and niche-specific certificates - will prove knowledge of the industry.
For your education section:
- Start by including your degree, followed by start and graduation dates, as well as the institution;
- You could include relevant coursework, major/minor , or GPA, only if your've just graduated from college or if this information would further support your application;
- If you have an "ongoing" degree, you can still list it in case you think your diploma can impress recruiters or it's required;
Follow a similar logic for your certifications section by listing the institution, alongside dates you've obtained the certificate. For some of the most recent and relevant industry certificates , check out the next part of our guide:
The top 5 certifications for your HR administrative assistant resume:
- Associate Professional in Human Resources (aPHR) - HR Certification Institute (HRCI)
- Professional in Human Resources (PHR) - HR Certification Institute (HRCI)
- SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) - Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
- Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP) - Association for Talent Development (ATD)
- Human Resources Management Professional (HRMP) - Management and Strategy Institute (MSI)
PRO TIP
The more trusted the organization you've attained your certificate (or degree) from, the more credible your skill set would be.
Recommended reads:
HR administrative assistant resume summaries or objectives: real-world samples for best industry practices
Grasp recruiters' attention from the get-go of your application with a professional HR administrative assistant resume summary or objective.
It's wise to select the:
- Resume objective , if you don't happen to have much experience alignment and would like to more prominently feature your dreams and personality.
- Resume summary , if you'd like to have a more standard approach to your application and feature up to five career highlights to help you stand out.
Writing your resume summary or objective should be tailored to each role you apply for.
Think about what would impress the recruiters and go from there.
But, if you need further help with this introductory section, check out some real-world samples in the next part of this guide:
Resume summaries for a HR administrative assistant job
- With over 5 years of dedicated HR administrative experience at a Fortune 500 company, I have successfully streamlined recruitment processes and implemented a comprehensive employee onboarding system that increased workforce retention by 15%. Expertise in HRIS software and data-driven decision-making ensures operational efficiency and strategic human resource planning.
- Seasoned customer service manager with a decade of experience transitioning to human resources administration, bringing a track record of leading high-performing teams and enhancing client satisfaction. Eager to apply strong interpersonal skills and a passion for staff development to manage HR processes and employee relations.
- Dynamic educator with 7 years in academic environments seeking to leverage extensive background in student counseling and staff coordination to transition into human resource administration. Committed to fostering a supportive workplace culture and adept at mediating disputes with tact and empathy.
- Driven professional with no previous HR experience but a strong desire to pivot towards a career in human resource administration. Equipped with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and leadership roles in volunteer organizations, I am enthusiastic about harnessing robust organizational and communication skills to contribute to team success.
- As a recent graduate with a major in Human Resource Management and internships at mid-sized firms, I am keen to apply theoretical knowledge and fresh perspectives to practical challenges. Eager to bring a blend of academic excellence and proven organizational talents to support HR administrative tasks and company growth.
- Detail-oriented administrative assistant with 2 years of experience in office management now pursuing HR administration. Recognized for exceptional multitasking abilities and proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, I strive to apply my organizational acumen and proactive approach to the dynamic field of employee relations and support services.
Recruiters' favorite additional HR administrative assistant resume sections
When writing your HR administrative assistant resume, you may be thinking to yourself, " Is there anything more I can add on to stand out? ".
Include any of the below four sections you deem relevant, to ensure your HR administrative assistant resume further builds up your professional and personal profile:
Key takeaways
- The layout of your resume should take into consideration your professional background while integrating vital sections and design elements;
- Highlight your most pertinent achievements for the role all through different sections;
- Be very specific when selecting your certifications, hard skills, and soft skills to showcase the best of your talents;
- Include within the top one-third of your HR administrative assistant resume a header and summary to help recruiters understand your experience and allocate your contact details. A skills box is optional, but it will help you align your expertise with the role;
- Detail the full extent of your professional experience with specific bullets that focus on tasks, actions, and outcomes.
