Candidate Experience & Onboarding Specialist

YMCA of Greater Boston•Boston, MA

23d•$60,000 - $72,000

About The Position

Candidate Experience & Onboarding Specialist The YMCA of Greater Boston is seeking an outgoing, self-motivated, creative, and determined, full cycle recruiting professional to join our People and Culture Team. The Talent Acquisition & Onboarding Specialist plays a key role in ensuring a smooth, welcoming, and inclusive experience for every candidate and new hire. This role supports the full cycle of candidate communication, pre-employment processing, onboarding coordination, and recruitment operations. By maintaining organized systems, timely communication, and strong collaboration with hiring managers and HR partners, this position helps strengthen the organization’s reputation as a supportive and engaging employer. This position ensures all new hires experience a streamlined, informed, and positive onboarding process from offer through their first days of employment. The Specialist manages multiple candidate workflows simultaneously, maintains accurate data in HR platforms, supports recruitment activities, and partners with teams across the organization to ensure a cohesive and welcoming transition for new employees. The role also supports foundational talent acquisition tasks that strengthen candidate pipelines and enhance the overall candidate experience.

Requirements

Associate’s or bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Communications, or a related field is strongly preferred and may be substituted with relevant experience.
Experience managing multiple workflows with strong attention to detail.
Experience communicating with candidates or customers in a professional, service-oriented environment.
Experience using HRIS, ATS, or other digital tracking systems.
3–5 years of experience supporting talent acquisition, onboarding, HR operations, or similar functions—ideally in nonprofit, healthcare, education, or mission-driven environments.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary contact for candidates throughout onboarding, ensuring clear communication and a supportive experience.
Manage multiple candidates simultaneously and track progress through each step of the pre-employment process.
Troubleshoot onboarding challenges and provide timely guidance to candidates.
Forecast onboarding needs and implement systems and tools to maintain efficiency and consistency.
Communicate updates to candidates, hiring managers, and internal stakeholders promptly.
Coordinate collection of all required documents (e.g., CORI checks, references, EEC requirements).
Guide new hires as they acclimate to organizational culture, processes, and key contacts.
Assist with New Hire Orientation and help maintain a consistent, welcoming experience.
Utilize HRIS, ATS, and related platforms (e.g., reference checks, background checks, ADP, onboarding tools) to manage onboarding workflows.
Maintain accurate records in the ATS and HRIS, ensuring data integrity and compliance.
Use analytics to measure onboarding effectiveness and identify process improvements.
Develop and maintain onboarding resources, training materials, and documentation.
Assist with core recruitment tasks: posting requisitions, phone screens, interview scheduling, and preparing offer letters.
Support hiring managers with candidate communication and recruitment logistics.
Maintain candidate pipelines and prospect lists for future roles.
Organize and support recruitment events such as job fairs, open houses, and community hiring initiatives.
Maintain a database of recruitment outlets, community partnerships, and higher-education contacts.
Support recruitment marketing needs, including job slot performance monitoring, upkeep of marketing materials, swag orders, and resource coordination.
Promote employer brand visibility through consistent communication and timely updates.
Gather candidate feedback to improve messaging and strengthen overall experience.