What Does an Employment Coordinator Do?

The job title of "employment coordinator" is often used as a generic term to describe any number of roles within the human resources field. Most commonly, it is applied to positions in which the coordinator is responsible for all aspects of the hiring process, from recruitment to maintaining employee records. Coordinators of this type generally work alone in small businesses or as members of teams in larger organizations.

One of the most important duties of an employment coordinator is recruitment. As such, he or she is often involved in the planning and implementation of employee referral programs and job fairs. These individuals might work closely with nearby educational facilities to recruit new graduates into entry-level positions. It also generally is the responsibility of the coordinator to post new job listings internally as well as in newspapers and online job search sites.

Besides recruitment, an employment coordinator is often involved in every aspect of the hiring process. Along with interviewing perspective workers, a coordinator might also be in charge of checking references, ensuring proper background checks and receiving results from candidate drug screenings. Frequently, the pleasure of offering employment to a successful applicant is the responsibility of the coordinator as well. The burden of firing or denying employment might also fall on his or her shoulders.

An employment coordinator's duties rarely end when the words “you’re hired” are spoken. Each hired worker creates the need for paperwork, and the coordinator generally is held accountable for the completeness and accuracy of these files. All tax information, work permits and contracts must be present within these files, both for organizational purposes and in case of a government audit. It generally is the job of the coordinator to keep employee information, such as addresses and contact numbers, current as well.

With such a wide range of duties, it is no wonder that most employment coordinator job postings list good organizational skills and the ability to multi-task as prerequisites for hire. Adaptability, dependability and attention to detail also are important qualifications. The role of coordinator is a highly public position, so good people skills, a pleasant personality and a certain degree of empathy are also needed.

Educational requirements for employment coordinator jobs vary widely among positions. Some positions require a high school diploma at a minimum, and others require a four-year degree or experience in the human resources field. Candidates who have an associate's degree or higher in the fields of business administration or office technology are often highly recruited for these jobs.