Human Resources Generalist - Temp to Hire

Vaco by Highspring; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Vaco by Highspring in Irvine, CA seeks an experienced HR Generalist to join the HR team in a hands-on role across day-to-day HR functions. You will support employees and managers throughout the lifecycle, balancing compliance, administration, and HR operations.

The ideal candidate has 5+ years in HR, strong knowledge of California employment practices, and experience with onboarding, payroll, records, and HRIS.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of HR experience with broad Generalist responsibilities.
• Strong knowledge of California employment laws and practices.
• Experience with onboarding, payroll coordination, records, compliance, and separations.

Responsibilities

• Support HR activities across the employee lifecycle: hiring, onboarding, changes, and separations.
• Maintain employee records and HR system information.
• Assist payroll-related processes, timekeeping, and data accuracy.
• Support leaves of absence and workplace claims documentation.
• Provide guidance on HR policies to employees and managers.
• Ensure compliance with California and federal regulations.
• Contribute to employee engagement initiatives and HR reporting.

Skills

HR generalist experience

California employment law

Onboarding

Payroll coordination

Employee records

HR compliance

HR operations

Interpersonal skills

HRIS

MS Office

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

MS Office

HRIS systems

Job description

We are partnering with a well-established organization in Orange County seeking an experienced HR Generalist to join its Human Resources team. This is a hands-on role supporting employees and managers across a variety of day‑to‑day HR functions. The ideal candidate is a well‑rounded HR professional who enjoys being involved in multiple areas of HR, thrives in a collaborative environment, and is comfortable balancing employee support, compliance, administration, and HR operations.

HR Generalist - Temp to Hire

About the Opportunity

We are partnering with a well-established organization in Orange County seeking an experienced HR Generalist to join its Human Resources team. This is a hands‑on role supporting employees and managers across a variety of day‑to‑day HR functions. The ideal candidate is a well‑rounded HR professional who enjoys being involved in multiple areas of HR, thrives in a collaborative environment, and is comfortable balancing employee support, compliance, and HR operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Support HR activities throughout the employee lifecycle, including hiring, onboarding, employee changes, and separations
• Maintain employee records, documentation, and HR system information
• Assist with payroll‑related processes, timekeeping, and employee data
• Support leaves of absence, workplace claims, and related documentation
• Serve as a resource to employees and managers regarding HR policies, procedures, and general employee questions
• Help ensure compliance with applicable California and federal employment regulations
• Participate in employee engagement, recognition, and other people-focused initiatives
• Assist with HR reporting, audits, and process improvements
• Partner with HR leadership on employee matters requiring additional guidance or escalation

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive Human Resources experience, ideally in a broad Generalist capacity
• Strong knowledge of California employment practices and regulations
• Experience supporting areas such as onboarding, payroll coordination, employee records, compliance, and employee separations
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Comfortable working with HRIS platforms and Microsoft Office
• Ability to work with sensitive and confidential information professionally
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience preferred
• Multi‑state HR exposure is a plus

What Makes This Opportunity Attractive

This is a great opportunity for someone who enjoys being a true HR Generalist and wants exposure across multiple areas of the HR function. The position offers variety, visibility, and the opportunity to work closely with both employees and leadership while helping strengthen HR processes and the overall employee experience.

For residents of Ontario, Canada only: to the extent the position for employment is not with Highspring or not otherwise noted as vacant above, candidate should be informed that this role is to replace a presently employed person at Vaco by Highspring's client.

Equal Opportunity Notice

Highspring LLC (d/b/a Vaco by Highspring) and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries("we", "our", or "Vaco by Highspring") are committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race (including but not limited to traits historically associated with race such as hair texture and hair style), color, sex (includes pregnancy or related conditions), religion or creed, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, status as a veteran, union membership, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, or any other protected characteristics as required by applicable law. The company is also committed to ensuring that persons who need them are provided with reasonable accommodations; if an accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact [e-mail].

Vaco by Highspring also wants all applicants to know their rights that workplace discrimination is illegal.

Additionally, submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied. More details about Vaco by Highspring's use of AI can be found here (https://www.highspring.com/ai-use-notices/). Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase will be conducted by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco by Highspring does not know and cannot opine on if its client's use of AI products in hiring.

Pay Transparency Notice

Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco by Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to:

the individual's skill sets, experience and training;

licensure and certification requirements;

office location and other geographic considerations; and

other business and organizational needs.

With that said, as required by local law, Vaco by Highspring believes that the following salary range referenced above reasonably estimates the base compensation for an individual hired into this position in geographies that require salary range disclosure. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses and/or participation in medical, dental, and vision benefits as well as the company's retirement plan (or similar retirement benefits).