7 essential skills for HR coordinators

HR coordinators handle a range of administrative tasks for your HR team. From organizing training to assisting with hiring, supporting employee benefits, and more – they’ve got it all covered so the rest of your HR team can focus on what they do best.  

But hiring a good HR coordinator is no walk in the park. It’s so easy to get caught up in checking if candidates are good at the “coordinating” side of things that you forget about HR knowledge, interpersonal skills, and other HR competencies that spell success in this job. 

To make things easier, we’ve put together a checklist of seven essential skills for HR coordinators below. And that’s not all – we also show you how to assess these skills so you can find someone who’ll really shine. 

What is an HR coordinator?

problAn HR coordinator helps manage and oversee various administrative tasks within the human resources department. On a day-to-day basis, they help with tasks like:

• Screening candidates 

• Setting up job interviews

• Handling paperwork for new hires

• Explaining and administering employee benefits

• Planning training sessions and company events

• Maintaining employee records

• Rolling out new HR policies 

They work mostly with other HR staff members but coordinate with employees and managers around HR processes, events, or workplace issues. They play a big part in keeping the staff happy and the HR team functioning like a well-oiled machine. 

Core skills every HR coordinator should have 

Candidates with the below skills will make excellent HR coordinators for your company. 

Hard skills 

• HR expertise: Good HR coordinators must have a strong grasp of HR fundamentals to support your HR staff fully in hiring, rolling out employee benefits, planning training and development sessions, and more. 

• Software proficiency: Technology touches almost every part of the HR coordinator's job – from sending emails and scheduling meetings through Microsoft Outlook, to pulling up reports on Excel, to creating event invites using PowerPoint. 

• Basic knowledge of labor laws: Someone who knows the ins and outs of relevant labor laws can better support hiring, benefits, compensation, and more – and help keep your company out of legal troubles. 

Soft skills

• Communication: A big part of an HR coordinator's job is relaying messages clearly, avoiding misunderstandings, and keeping everyone on the same page. That’s where strong verbal and written communication skills really help.

• Time management: Not only do HR coordinators constantly handle multiple tasks, but they also often have to deal with unexpected work and last-minute requests. The best candidates will know how to plan and prioritize their work, meet deadlines, and adapt to any incoming demands without getting frazzled. 

• Teamwork: Since HR coordinators support many different HR functions and deal with everyone – from junior interns to senior folks – working well with others is crucial to success in the job. 

• Problem-solving: When unexpected problems crop up, good HR coordinators can roll with the punches, think on their feet, and sort things out before they escalate. 

How to assess HR coordinator candidates

Understanding the must-have skills for an HR coordinator role is key to sourcing the right talent. But you still need to assess your candidates thoroughly to make sure you hire the best of the lot. That’s where TestGorilla’s talent assessments truly make a difference. 

Our online skills tests let you judge candidates on their real-life capabilities rather than what they’ve listed on a resume. Explore our library of 400+ multi-measure tests and choose up to five tests to create your own custom HR coordinator assessment. Check out our recommended tests below to get started. 

Pick relevant role-specific tests

First, use these tests to find candidates who have the hard skills and knowledge to crush it in their jobs. 

• The HR Fundamentals test helps to see if someone has a strong foundation in their understanding of HR. It also measures other skills, such as their business relationship management and consultation abilities. 

• Our Email Skills (Microsoft Outlook) test or Email Skills (Gmail) test instantly tell you if an applicant is good at using email to coordinate and collaborate with internal and external folks. 

• TestGorilla’s Microsoft 365 (Bundle) test is an all-in-one test that looks at your candidate’s ability to use Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, and Forms – all which are commonly used in an HR coordinator’s daily tasks. 

• Our Conducting Interviews test, Training and Development test, and other job-specific HR tests are great if your HR coordinator will focus more on a particular part of HR and needs to have deeper expertise in that area.  

Add soft skills and situational judgment tests 

Next, test your candidates on the soft skills they need to bring to the table. 

• Our Time Management test is an excellent way to learn about how applicants manage their workloads, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines. 

• The Communication test looks at every aspect of good communication – written, verbal, active listening, and even non-verbal cues – all must-haves for this position. 

• TestGorilla’s Problem Solving test shows you if candidates can correctly spot, define, and fix problems before they blow out of proportion. 

Consider personality and culture assessments 

Simon Sinek, author and leadership speaker, rightfully said, 

“If you hire people just because they can do a job, they’ll work for your money. But if you hire people who believe what you believe, they’ll work for you with blood, sweat, and tears.”

In addition to testing skills, make sure you really get to know your candidates so you can hire someone who’ll gel with your team, culture, and values. Here’s how.

• TestGorilla’s Big Five (OCEAN) test, Enneagram test, and other personality assessments give you a glimpse of who your candidates really are, including their attitudes, traits and behaviors, and strengths and weaknesses. 

• Our Culture Add test enables you and your candidate to complete independent surveys ranking the importance of different values. Comparing responses can help you go the extra mile to find someone who not only matches your culture but will also add to it. 

Get deeper insights with behavioral interviews 

Once you’ve shortlisted your top candidates, put them through in-person or virtual interviews so you can interact with them, dig deeper into their skills and experiences, and even ask follow-up questions, like:

Can you tell me about a time when you had to handle a difficult situation with an employee?

This question helps you see how candidates deal with conflict and tricky situations. It's about finding out if they can keep their cool and sort things out without making a fuss. Here’s another:

Can you give an example of how you’ve helped organize a company event or a training session?

This question looks at candidates' organizational skills and helps you understand if they can handle projects that involve lots of details and coordination. It tells you if they’re good at keeping things running smoothly and making sure events go off without a snag.

Looking for more inspiration? Check out our blog post with 42 interview questions for HR coordinators. 

3 mistakes to avoid when assessing HR coordinator candidates

When you're picking an HR coordinator, here are a few mistakes you really want to dodge to make sure you hire the best person for your team. 

1. Not seeing if they’re familiar with software specific to your company

Every company uses different tools, and it's important that your HR coordinator can hit the ground running as soon as they start. If you're using specific software for HR management, not checking if candidates are comfortable with these tools can slow things down later. 

Always ask about their experience with the software you use and consider a practical test – such as a live demo – during the interview process. If they’re unfamiliar with the software that you use, consider looking at their experience with similar software or their willingness to learn. 

2. Overlooking professionalism

It's easy to think of HR as just an internal role, but HR coordinators often talk with clients, board members, and vendors. They really represent your company. Skipping over checks for professional conduct can lead to awkward situations externally that might reflect poorly on your company. 

Make sure you observe how they handle themselves in the interview and maybe even role play a scenario where they interact with someone outside the company.

3. Not checking for regulatory knowledge 

It’s easy to assume that a candidate with general HR experience will have a good understanding of specific local, state, and federal regulations, but that’s not always the case. Without making sure a candidate really gets the basics of laws like FMLA, ADA, EEO, and GDPR, you could be setting your team up for some headaches down the line.

It’s important to dig into exactly what a candidate knows about handling legal HR issues. Ask them to describe a time they had to navigate these laws – for example, when maintaining employee records or rolling out new HR policies – or quiz them on how they’d handle made-up compliance scenarios. 

FAQs 

Still looking for more information about hiring HR coordinators? Check out our answers to these frequently asked questions. 

How can one ace an HR coordinator interview?

Good candidates will come prepared, communicate clearly and professionally, and back their decision-making and problem-solving skills by describing past experiences. They’ll also know their way around HR software in case they’re asked to do a live demo. 

What is the next step up from HR coordinator?

HR coordinators can upskill and consider becoming an HR manager, HR generalist, or HR specialist as the next step in their career. These roles come with more responsibility, like planning strategies and making decisions. 

Looking to hire an HR manager? Check out our articles on how to hire HR managers, how to assess HR managers, and interview questions for HR managers. 

What is the highest salary for an HR coordinator?

Salaries for HR coordinators can vary by location, company size, and the role's needs. But, according to Indeed’s 2024 data, they can reach up to about $67,000 USD per year. 

Get yourself a top-notch HR coordinator with TestGorilla

A great HR coordinator doesn't just handle the day-to-day. They connect with your team, understand your company's pulse, and keep everything from recruitment to employee satisfaction ticking without a hitch.

That’s why you can’t just rely on a resume to find a good candidate. You have to make sure they’ve got the right skills, fit with your team, and have what it takes to handle real-world challenges. Our talent assessments are perfect for this. 

Ready to find your perfect HR coordinator? Book a live demo or sign up for a free account today.