Human Resources Assistant III (HR - Employee Services Division)

City of Detroit; Michigan; On-site; USD 38,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Detroit's Human Resources Department is seeking a Human Resources Assistant III to support Employee Services and HR programs. This non-supervisory role focuses on office management, document creation, HRIS data entry, and coordinating meetings and travel.

Responsibilities include administering pre-employment tests, answering inquiries, assisting in compensation and training efforts, and maintaining HRMS records and reports. Strong organizational and communication skills are essential.

Qualifications

• High School diploma or GED required; Associate's degree preferred.
• At least three years of HR experience for HR Assistant III.
• Experience with HRIS/HRMS and office equipment.

Responsibilities

• Administers pre-employment tests and background checks.
• Answers phones and directs inquiries.
• Maintains HRMS records and generates reports.
• Supports recruitment and training activities.
• Coordinates meetings and travel arrangements.

Skills

Administrative support

Oral/Written communication

Time management

Document preparation

Education

High School diploma or GED

Associates in Business Administration

Tools

HRIS

HRMS

Excel

Job description

HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT - EMPLOYEE SERVICES DIVISION
HUMAN RESOURCES ASSISTANT III

The Human Resources Assistant class is a non-supervisory role that organizes and expedites office management activities in each major division of the department. Administrative Assistants in this class are classified as Human Resources Assistants, levels I-IV, with varying degrees of responsibility.

Human Resource Assistants in this class lead and perform general office assistant work in support of Employee Services, Classification & Compensation, Human Resource Management, Human Resource Information Systems, Labor Relations, Policy & Planning, Operations, Recruiting and Talent Development and Performance Management. The work requires knowledge of the procedures, techniques and practices in carrying the work of an organization within, and the skill to use various office equipment including fax machines, photocopiers, scanners, videoconferencing, telephone systems, and the ability to create and edit documents.

The duties specified below are representative of the range of duties assigned to this job class and are not intended to be an inclusive list; responsibilities.

• Administers pre-employment tests and performs background checks.
• Answers telephones and gives information to callers, takes messages, or transfer calls as appropriate.
• Assists departments in carrying out various human resource programs and procedures for all employees.
• Assists Human Resource staff members by providing information about procedures, practices and policies within the function or division.
• Assists in administration of the compensation and classification program.
• Assists in organizational training and development efforts.
• Checks and/or compares documents, forms, applications, or other materials for Human Resource function and divisional accuracy, completeness, grammar, and format.
• Conducts or assists in the process of new-employee orientations.
• Coordinates conferences, meetings, or special events, and arranges travel reservations for office personnel.
• Creates, maintains, and enters information into HRMS databases.
• Develops material for use in public speaking engagements.
• Greets visitors or callers and handles their inquiries or directs them to the appropriate persons according to their needs.
• Helps maintain organizational charts and related human resource function directories.
• Helps monitor the performance appraisal process.
• Independently notes and follows up on commitments made at meetings and conferences by Human Resources management, functional management, and Human Resource specialists and analysts.
• Locates and assembles documents for briefings and conferences.
• Maintains functional information needed for budget purposes.
• Maintains HRMS records and compiles reports from the database as needed.
• Maintains scheduling and event calendars.
• Makes copies of correspondence or other printed material.
• Monitors and maintains human capital development, talent development measurement strategy and all related metrics, reporting and special reports.
• Operates electronic mail systems and coordinates the flow of information with Human Resources divisions or with other organizations.
• Operates office equipment, such as fax machines, copiers, or phone systems and arranges for repairs when equipment malfunctions.
• Participates in recruitment efforts; helps coordinate the use of temporary employees.
• Performs human resource related duties as required and assigned.
• Performs special projects and other duties as assigned.
• Prepares minutes of meetings from notes and/or recordings.
• Prepares standardized and custom reports of a financial, personnel, payroll, or department- specific nature.
• Requisitions office supplies, repairs on office equipment and printing services.
• Serves as a liaison between members of the Human Resource divisions, management and staff by transmitting information, explaining appropriate work instructions, and following up on assignments.
• Sets up, manages, and develops systems for paper or electronic filing systems, records information, updates paperwork, or maintains documents, such as attendance records. correspondence or other material.
• Sorts, opens, and distributes incoming mail to staff.
• Supports department managers, department directors or related management staff.
• Uses computers for various applications, such as database management, or word processing.
• Writes simple or repetitive, non-technical correspondence such as letters of acknowledgement in accordance with a given format.

These minimum qualifications establish the education, training, experience, special skills and/or license(s), which are required for employment in the classification. Note: additional qualifications (i.e., special conditions) may apply to a particular position.

Education

• For all Human Resources Assistants, it is a requirement to have a High School graduation or General Educational Development (GED) certificate. Preferred Associates in Business Administration or related field.

Experience

• Background, experience or exposure in one or several of the Human Resource roles and responsibilities - Employee Services, Classification & Compensation, Human Resource Management, Human Resource Information Systems, Labor Relations, Policy & Planning, Operations, Recruiting and Talent Development and Performance Management.

In addition to the minimum education requirements, the following experience requirements also apply:

• For selection, appointment to a Human Resources Assistant level II or higher, in addition to the minimum education requirements, more progressive levels of experience are required based on the following:
  • Human Resources Assistant III – at least three (3) years of experience

Equivalency

• Equivalent combinations of education and experience that provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities will be evaluated on an individual basis.

Evaluation Plan

• Interview: 50%
• Evaluation of Training, Experience & Personal Qualifications: 50%
• Total of Interview and Evaluation T.E.P: 100%

Additional points may be awarded for:

• Veteran Points: 0-15 points
• Detroit Residency Credit: 15 points

LRD: 09/03/2026

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

At the intermediate level, knowledge requirements might include detailed, intensive knowledge of:

• Administrative and clerical procedures and systems, such as word processing, managing files and records, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology; for example, to file material and obtain requested data from files.

• Advises clerks or secretaries in subordinate organizations of the appropriate Human Resources procedures to use.

• Basic or commonly used Human Resource rules, procedures, or operations, which typically require some previous experience and training in Human Resources divisions.

• Extensive body of rules, procedures, or operations applied to clerical assignments and knowledge of the organization and functions of the office in order to perform all of the procedural work of the office. This includes knowledge to carry out and coordinate, in a timely and effective manner, many different procedures, each of which might involve numerous steps.

• Grammar, spelling, punctuation, and required formats sufficient to recognize and correct such errors in correspondence and reports.

Skill in:

• Adapting policies or procedures to emergency situations and establishing practices or procedures to meet new situations.

• Communicating effectively, both orally and in writing.

• Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

• Managing one's own time and the time of others.

• Recognizing how and when certain policies, procedures, or guidelines will be confusing to others.

• Talking to others to convey information effectively.

• Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

• Use of Excel (e.g. Formulas, Pivot Tables, VLookup, Hlookup, other functions, charts, tables) and other financial management software packages functionality, HRIS system functionality.

• Use of Microsoft Office (e.g. Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint) and other office suite software packages.

• Use of personal computers, telephone systems, fax machines and other standard office equipment.

Ability to:

• Effectively speak, write, read, and understand the English language.

• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with both external and internal contacts.

• Follow written and oral directions.

• Hear at a conversational level.

• Process and integrate simple data.

• Read and comprehend relevant documents.

Candidates considered for placement in this classification may be subject to a Criminal Background Investigation based on the requirements of the position.

The above statements describe the general nature and level of work performed by employees assigned to the class. Incumbents may be required to perform job-related responsibilities and tasks other than those stated in this specification. Specific job duties may vary from position to position. The City of Detroit is an Equal Opportunity Employer. No applicant for employment shall be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, or other criteria prohibited by City, State, or Federal law.