Recruitment & HR Officer in Birkenhead

We are Go North West! We are proud to employ over 1000 people and operate a fleet of over 300 buses, and now we are coming to the proud Merseyside area as part of the new Metro Bus Network. We’re part of the Go-Ahead Group, a leading, multinational public transport operator connecting communities through bus and rail services. Since our formation as recently as 2019, our business has quadrupled in size, and while we’re proud of our progress to date, we’re keen to develop even further. We place great importance on a collaborative style, both with our colleagues and stakeholders including Liverpool City Region and across the wider family of Go-Ahead Group companies. We care about our people – we’re recognised as an Investor in People and we’re members of the Liverpool Fair Employment Charter and the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter.

Job Description

• Manage the full recruitment process from creating job descriptions and role profiles, to reviewing CVs, organising interview dates, conducting assessment days, and responding to all recruitment queries.
• Preparation of materials for weekly new starter inductions including onboarding all new starters to various databases in an accurate manner and ensuring personal details uploaded to payroll and the benefit scheme. This will include preparing offer letters of employment and welcome packs for new starter induction days.
• Management of the full employee life cycle ensuring right to work & licence checks, probation reviews, new starter / leaver forms processed accurately and within tight deadlines.
• Maintenance of key recruitment channels, e.g., Indeed, company website, ELITE website, etc., including tracking applications, and uploading/editing/ending job adverts, and liaising with external partners and stakeholders (e.g., Job Centre Plus) about all recruitment initiatives such as participation in SWAP events.
• Maintaining employee records in line with GDPR guidelines. This includes HR files and databases, recruitment and induction records, employee absence records, performance reviews, and grievance and disciplinary records etc.
• Ensuring effective and ongoing attraction, recruitment and retention through robust workforce planning.
• Support line managers with general admin duties including arranging meetings, taking minutes during disciplinary meetings.
• Be the first point of contact for all HR related employee questions.
• Provide employee relations advice and coach managers across a range of employment issues including absence management, performance management, conduct and capability, disciplinary and grievances etc.
• Producing and updating monthly HR activity reports to be circulated for wider reporting purposes within the senior management team.
• Update and implement HR policies and procedures to ensure overall business objectives are met and facilitate the continuous improvement to working practices.
• Collating payroll data and ensuring monthly timesheets submitted before payroll deadlines.
• Leading the employee engagement agenda, including the design and delivery of effective engagement and communications plan.
• Facilitate strong working relationships with employee groups and trade unions.
• Support and lead when required with ad-hoc projects, working with key business stakeholders and senior management.
• Other duties commensurate with the role and your capability as may be deemed appropriate by line manager.
• Ensuring effective performance improvement approaches, including goal setting and reviewing, and management of conduct and capability.
• Provide support and cover in Go North West Greater Manchester business for periods of holiday cover.

Person Specification

Essential Knowledge and Skills Requirements

• Previous recruitment or administration experience is essential.
• Experience working in a HR role.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to guide, influence and challenge current working practices appropriately.
• Proficient use of Microsoft Office suite (primarily Word and Excel).
• Hands on mentality and must be confident working independently.
• Confident working knowledge of employment practices.

Desired Knowledge and Skills Requirements

• Previous experience working in a unionised environment.
• Ability to prioritise work activities.
• Flexible and adaptable to changing and fast paced situations.
• Experience in building and maintaining key internal and external stakeholder relationships.
• Experience in HR reporting and analytics.
• Confident working knowledge of employment law, recent case law and HR best practice.
• Experience dealing with Employment Relations casework.
• Experience in transport industry is desirable.

Primary place of work – Birkenhead Bus Depot, CH41 8ES, but the first 3 months of employment will include working from Bolton BL3 2AW (travel will be reimbursed).

Contract type – Full time 38 hours per week contract.

25 days of annual leave per year plus public holidays.

Employee benefits and discount application access to hundreds of high street stores.

Various other workplace benefits including the ability to buy/sell annual leave, long service recognition and many others.