A Human Resource (HR) trainee is someone who works in a human resources (HR) department as an entry-level employee, usually after graduating from college. HR trainees may hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree, depending on the organization they will be working for and their long-term career goals. Working as a human resource trainee allows you to learn about the entire department, gain valuable experience, and eventually advance to a more permanent, higher-level position. He or she may provide support across the department as needed, which could include anything from administrative tasks to sitting in on interviews, meetings, or orientation sessions.
When a human resource trainee is first hired, he or she will most likely have a lot to learn and will spend a lot of time observing. Many will start in an administrative position, such as answering phones in the department or performing other support tasks as needed. He or she will usually have the opportunity to shadow a human resources officer or manager in order to gain experience and learn how their job is done. Responsibility and job responsibilities may increase after this introductory period.
A HR trainee will frequently need to start by cultivating positive, professional relationships with the rest of the company’s employees. This makes it more likely that employees will approach him with problems or questions. The human resource trainee may also be expected to attend department meetings, first to learn what is being discussed and then to participate in the meetings and provide practical input. For example, if a group of employees presents the HR trainee with a similar issue, it may be his or her responsibility to convene a meeting to discuss the problem and offer suggestions for resolving it.
A human resource trainee may be assigned to a variety of other tasks. Although they may not be permitted to conduct interviews, the trainee may be permitted to observe one in progress. If a company hires a large number of new employees at once, the human resource trainee may be in charge of planning an orientation or conducting special training sessions. He or she may also be asked to deliver presentations to current employees about new company policies, benefit changes, or anything else that needs to be communicated.