- What should your human resources cover letter include?
- What can you write in the introduction of your cover letter?
- What should be mentioned in the cover letter body for a human resources vacancy?
- How to write a cover letter closing
Excel in your human resources career by putting our cover letter example & writing guide to work for you! Find expert tips that teach you how to write an eye-catching cover letter so that you land an interview in this dynamic field.
The role of human resources is to be the go-between for employers and employees within a company. They administer company benefits, work with new hires during the onboarding process, and take care of payroll-related questions. If you are pursuing a career in this field, you’ll need great conflict resolution, communication, and people skills. Plus, you’ll need to learn how to show these skills and all of your other HR skills on a cover letter.
Crafting a cover letter for a human resources role is all about strategy. You need to show a hiring manager you know how to work effectively as an HR professional.
In this guide and human resources cover letter example, we’ll look at some ways you can craft a stellar HR cover letter that will get you interviews. Here’s what we will cover:
What should your human resources cover letter include?
What can you write in the introduction of the cover letter?
What information can you give in the body of the cover letter?
How to write a cover letter closing
What should your human resources cover letter include?
When reading your cover letter, a hiring manager will be searching for a specific set of skills. They will want to know you have experience working with employees on a company’s behalf. Depending on the role, they may also look for payroll experience or knowledge related to employee benefits.
Above all, a hiring manager will be looking for professionalism, which is something you can show right from the start in your header and introduction. You can find more tips on how to create a professional salutation in our cover letter salutation guide.
Following your salutation, you’ll include the other elements of a cover letter, such as the introduction, body, and closing. We’ll cover more tips for each of these areas in the paragraphs below.
What can you write in the introduction of your cover letter?
The goal of your cover letter is to introduce yourself to the hiring manager and prompt them to call you in for an interview. You can start strong by writing an impactful introduction. In the introduction, you should cover some of the top skills you have in the HR industry. For example, if you have payroll and benefits experience, mention them in the introduction along with the number of years of experience you currently have.
You should also show your enthusiasm for the role in the introduction. Hiring managers are looking for potential employees who are excited about the work and who can become a part of their team. Showing you have the skills for the job and that you are looking forward to joining the company can make your cover letter stand out.
Dear Mr. Jonathan Hayes
Please find enclosed my resume detailing the diverse skills, qualifications, education and experience in Human Resources that I can offer as InnovaTech Solutions’s next Human Resources Manager.
What should be mentioned in the cover letter body for a human resources vacancy?
The next section of your cover letter is where you can add more details about your achievements and experience. In the cover letter body, you are trying to convince a hiring manager you are the right candidate for the job. If you’re struggling to decide what the best way to include your skills on your cover letter is, our skill-centered cover letter guide can help!
An effective approach is to break it into three different sections:
Why you. The first question you should answer for the hiring manager is why they should hire you. Are you an expert in new employee orientation and the role is for an HR employee who handles onboarding? Showing you have tackled tasks in the past similar to the ones you will have in this role will work in your favor.
Why here. When hiring new employees, especially in an HR role, a company will look for someone excited about the company’s future. In your cover letter, you should explain why this company is the right fit for you and why you want to work there. What was it about this specific company that made you want to put your application in for the job?
Why now. Likewise, why is this the perfect role for where you are in your career? Everyone should have a career plan in place, so explain how this role fits into your plan. How do you see this role or this company helping you to reach your career goals?
- Tailor your cover letter around the specific role.
- Highlight your key achievements in the HR industry.
- Showcase your strongest HR soft skills, such as communication and problem-solving.
- Repeat items directly from your resume.
- Focus only on what the company can do for you.
- Include unnecessary information that doesn’t relate to the company or the position.
With five years of experience advancing from a Human Resources Assistant to my current role as Personnel Analyst II, I am eager to continue to hone my skills as a Human Resources Generalist. In my current role, I perform a variety of high-level personnel support responsibilities in areas such as recruitment, examination, employee relations, job analysis, classification and compensation. In addition, I am responsible for supervising a team of personnel technicians and assistants.
Additional strengths and accomplishments I offer include the following:
Facilitating training sessions and brown bag meetings in company policies and HR / personnel subjects such as new employee orientation, substance abuse, and sexual harassment training.
As Talent Acquisition Coordinator, I played a key role in the acquisition of multiple healthcare personnel for the opening of a new clinic.
I am well-versed in federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations, and in reviewing policies and practices to ensure compliance; I also offer experience with union and EEO cases.
In addition, I am highly credentialed for a Human Resources Generalist position, as I possess a Master of Human Resource Management, a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, and Professional in Human Resources (PHR) ~ SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) certifications.
How to write a cover letter closing
The last paragraph in your cover letter is the closing. This is the area of your cover letter where you’ll need to tie everything together and ask for an interview. It is a short section and should only be 1-2 sentences, but it is still important to leave a lasting memory.
Tie your experience and skills together. Revisit why your skills are the best fit for this role: “I’m a highly credentialed Human Resouces Generalist and SHRM certified with skills related to employment law and policy development.”
Be grateful. End the letter with gratitude and a call to action: “I am excited to learn more about this position and look forward to arranging an interview.”
Earnestly interested in further exploring this opportunity, I look forward to arranging a meeting where we can discuss your needs and my background in detail. Until then, thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Alexandra Bennett, PHR, SHRM-CP
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