Acas Adviser

The Acas Helpline is a fast-paced telephone-based advice service and often a customer's first experience of Acas. People generally contact Acas when they have encountered a problem at work and need advice and guidance on what options are available to help resolve the problem. Our customers can range from HR professionals with a lot of experience, to employers needing professional advice, through to extremely vulnerable workers at risk of exploitation.

The Adviser

• Delivers impartial employment law advice to required standards across relevant channels, tailoring it to individual needs.
• Deciphers complex information and asks relevant questions to establish the root cause of an issue to ensure appropriate advice is provided.
• Identifies appropriate options and communicates clearly next step guidance, tailoring it to individual customer needs.
• Refers on to other Acas areas or other government services.
• Promotes Early Dispute Resolution utilising appropriate online guidance.
• Manages conflict understanding the customer needs and circumstances.

Main Accountabilities

• The effective and efficient delivery of impartial employment law advice through appropriate channels to agreed call quality standards.
• Acting independently, impartially, confidentially and with sensitivity always, and in accordance with Acas policies and principles.
• Maintaining and developing own knowledge and skills through Continuous Professional Development (CPD) to ensure high-quality advice and service is provided to customers.
• Effectively engage in coaching, and other activities to maintain and enhance performance in the role.
• Collaborate effectively with colleagues to share knowledge and expertise.
• Promoting the benefits of early dispute resolution, influencing callers appropriately.
• Identifying appropriate referrals, both to other Acas services and to external organisations such as the enforcement agencies.
• Manage own time effectively through the principles of right place, right time to contribute to the effective delivery of a point of demand service.
• Promote customer participation in the Customer Survey to contribute to Acas's organisational understanding of our customers.
• Collate accurate data regarding the nature of customer calls.

Success Profiles

The Civil Service have launched a recruitment framework called Success Profiles.

Behaviours

The following behaviours have been identified at Level 2:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions

Essential Experience

• Strong verbal communication skills.
• Providing good customer service.
• Good influencing skills.
• Ability to understand and manage own emotions, as well as the emotions of others.
• Overcoming challenges and defusing conflict.
• Ability to work at pace within a busy environment.
• Interpreting information to identify relevant details.

Working Conditions

Locations We recruit across Manchester, Glasgow, Newcastle and Nottingham. You will be asked to express one location preference during the application process. We are regularly appointing across all 4 hubs. Appointments will be made in merit order based on location choice. If you are successful and have indicated a location preference that is currently unavailable, you will be held on a 12-month reserve list. We will make further offers when vacancies become available.

Hybrid working arrangements will be available and the balance between home and workplace is to be agreed with the line manager. Please note the training period (10 weeks) must be completed on a full-time basis, any agreed part-time hours will take effect following this. Part-time working can be requested at a minimum of 25 hours. We cannot currently accommodate requests for compressed hours or term-time only working. The adviser service operates between 8am and 6.15pm, Advisers are scheduled based on their working pattern during these hours.

Based on the training and development opportunities provided, and the service needs ideally we like newly appointed Advisers to remain in post for a minimum of 18 months.