Human Resources Assistant

Are you the kind of person who color-codes a spreadsheet and remembers everyone’s birthday? Someone who finds joy in balancing the details while making others feel seen? Our HR team is looking for a detail-driven, people-loving professional who’s ready to grow their career in Human Resources while helping us build a workplace where connection, compliance, and culture work hand in hand.

As our HR Assistant, you’ll be the steady rhythm behind day-to-day HR operations — supporting recruiting and onboarding, ensuring documentation accuracy, and helping bring our employee-engagement programs to life. You’ll blend structure with empathy, process with personality, and data with heart — creating smoother systems and brighter employee experiences across the company.

At Cowles Company, a fourth-generation family-owned enterprise with roots in media and publishing dating back to 1890, you’ll be part of a legacy that values integrity, innovation, and community. We’re proud to invest in businesses — and people — with the potential to make a lasting difference. Here, you won’t just help maintain HR processes; you’ll help shape a culture built on connection, purpose, and growth.

Position: Human Resources Assistant 

Pay: $22-$26/hr.

Status: Full-time (30 hrs./wk), Non-Exempt

We are seeking a dedicated Human Resources Assistant to join our team in the US. This role is vital in supporting our HR department's initiatives and ensuring a positive employee experience that aligns with Cowles Company's mission of community support and sustainable practices.

What You’ll Do

• Support recruiting and onboarding — from job postings and interviews to new-hire paperwork and first-day experiences.
• Assist in maintaining personnel and I-9 documentation in compliance with legal and company requirements.
• Bring energy and creativity to engagement initiatives, including company events, recognition programs, surveys, and internal communications.
• Provide essential HR administrative support such as scheduling, reporting, and file organization.
• Respond to employee questions regarding policies, benefits, and procedures with clarity and care.
• Collaborate with other departments to coordinate trainings, meetings, and HR programs.
• Use basic Excel or Google Sheets functions to balance benefit payments and reconcile data.
• Partner with accounting to ensure accurate deductions and reporting.
• Develop (or enhance) skills in pivot tables and data analysis to support HR metrics and insights.

What You Bring

• 0–2 years of HR or administrative experience — or a strong interest in learning and growing in the HR field.
• A knack for organization and time management — you love systems, checklists, and clean data.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; you listen well and respond with empathy.
• Ability to handle confidential information with professionalism and discretion.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office or Google Workspace; HRIS experience a plus.
• Familiarity with social media or internal communications tools is a bonus.
• A collaborative mindset and a genuine desire to help people thrive at work.

Why You’ll Love It Here

At Cowles Company, HR is more than paperwork — it’s people, purpose, and possibility. You’ll join a close-knit team that values relationships, encourages growth, and celebrates creativity. Every day, you’ll make a visible impact while supporting a company with deep local roots and a forward-thinking vision.

Benefits include medical, dental, vision, 401(k) match, EAP, Tech Loan, and so much more!