HR Specialist - Corporate (12 month contract)

Job description

We are currently recruiting for an HR Specialist to join our London office to provide a high level of both HR operational support and HR advice to the Practice Groups within our Corporate department in London on a 12 month contact basis.

Role and responsibilities
To be a trusted advisor to the London Corporate HR team and deliver an integrated HR service to the London Corporate fee earning groups, including but not limited to:

Operational HR

• Support individual employees on day-to-day HR issues/ policy queries (e.g. maternity/paternity leave, flexible working, salary and benefits queries)
• Monitor and report on sickness absence, manage occupational health referrals and conduct return to work or absence review meetings as appropriate
• Provide support to international secondees (international and client) e.g. check-ins, collecting end of secondment feedback
• Manage the end-to-end client secondment process e.g. supporting on business case and approval, onboarding, briefing and supporting the secondee throughout
• Managing relationship with NQ’s and paralegals ensuring a smooth transition into the practice group, liaising with partners as necessary.
• Collate statistical information and report on exit information, including trends analysis across practice groups and where appropriate, conduct exit interviews.

Reward

• Provide assistance as required to the HR Managers and Reward Manager in delivering the salary and bonus review for associates, counsel and ‘support in the line’ staff in London, taking specific ownership of the paralegal review and supporting the group manager on the PA review.

Resource Planning and Management Information

• Provide administrative support to the HR Managers on key management processes and Managing Partner meetings (e.g. budget review and preparation, My Say analysis)
• Keep up-to-date with all staff movements (leavers, joiners, secondments etc.) so that resource requirements are planned for
• Provide assistance as required to the HR Managers to produce a manpower plan for the practice groups and closely monitor headcount
• Provide monthly and ad hoc reports on quantitative and qualitative data as required, providing analysis as appropriate and ensure integrity of data as required
• Support the HR Managers, Resourcing team and Group Managers on recruitment

Performance management / employee relations

• Coordinate and manage the Compass timetable for associates and ‘support in the line’ staff alongside the HR Managers
• Support in preparing for quarterly talent discussions
• Provide general support around Compass engagement strategy
• Involvement in performance improvement plans where appropriate
• Assist the HR Managers in providing advice and support to managers on ER matters
• Provide ad hoc support to the ER team (e.g. assisting with disciplinary and grievance investigations, subject access requests and disclosure exercises)
• Work with the HR Managers and Group Managers on motivation and retention strategies, in particular for legal PAs and paralegals

Talent & Development

• Liaise with the Training & Events/third party suppliers to coordinate learning & development activities for the practice groups
• Provide support to ensure London Corporate talent pool data remains up to date

Diversity & Inclusion

• Work with HR managers to drive forward various DE&I initiatives across London Corporate including, but not limited to REACH mentoring, Reverse mentoring and various female network events.

Mental Health and Wellbeing

• Work with HR managers to embed various mental health and wellbeing initiatives across the department including the Mindful Business Charter, promoting resources and events and engaging with mental health allies to increase engagement

General

• Advising staff on policies and procedures
• Helping to ensure consistency of practice and application of policy across London Corporate
• Providing confidential guidance and career counselling
• Providing HR operational service to staff
• Answering ad-hoc internal/external HR queries
• Liaising with a wide range of contacts e.g. Global Mobility team, BD, international HR teams, London support HR teams, HR advice in Belfast
• Assisting the HR Managers with ad hoc projects and tasks
• Build good working relationships with other HR Specialists to share best practice and ensure consistency across practice groups

Key requirements

• Proven HR experience
• Ideally CIPD qualified or similar certification
• Can demonstrate strong relationship building and influencing skills
• Good knowledge of current employment law particularly in relation to performance management and absence management
• Experience of working with HR systems (we use PeopleSoft)
• Ability to be flexible and work across a wide range of client groups
• Excellent attention to detail, prioritisation and organisational skills
• Excellent communication (verbal and written) and interpersonal skills
• Proven ability to combine excellent technical knowledge with sound commercial judgment and to influence decisions
• Resilient; able to understand that credibility has to be earned in this environment and may take time
• Collaborative team player with the ability to work in a fast paced, intellectually rigorous environment
• Proven ability to work well under pressure
• Ability to work with diplomacy and tenacity and able to take the lead to conclude decisions
• Demonstrates a can-do attitude and is pro-active and professional in all client contact