HR Adviser (Policy & Projects) in City of London

Location: Head Office – New Bond Street, London. Travel to the other regional offices is encouraged (costs of business travel covered by the Company).

The HR Advisor must build and develop positive working relationships with employees and Line Managers across all levels of the business in order to provide support and guidance on all people-related matters in line with best practice. This requires an excellent grasp of the Company structure and a thorough understanding of employees, their roles, and how they operate within the business, as well as in-depth knowledge of Company policies, practices, and our benefits.

The HR team strives to create a positive, engaged, and high-performing work environment by providing effective, efficient, and customer-focused support, aligned with company policies and employment legislation.

• Provide first line generalist advice and guidance on HR policies, terms and conditions of employment, benefits, and other HR-related issues to support understanding, provide practical solutions, and promote effective communication of good HR practice.
• Support Line Managers by developing a good understanding of their role and responsibilities and their direct reports to help with the effective management of their teams e.g. recruitment, employee relations, capability/performance management, and absence.
• Be responsible for the implementation of HR policies, ensuring that all HR issues are dealt with in line with what has been set out in the Company policies and procedures.
• Manage the administration and co-ordination of family leave processes, including maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental leave, and other statutory leave arrangements.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of HR systems and processes including the accuracy and effectiveness of all employment-related documents on our HR Employee Gateway including policies and practices, employee benefits information, and information published in support of well-being or other Company initiatives.
• Contribute to the effectiveness of HR communication channels such as the U&C Intranet (Twine) and Company website by producing news pieces and updates on employment-related matters and managing the content of the U&C Careers Page.
• Take a lead role in co-ordinating employee recognition through our corporate initiatives of KUDOS and the annual Values Awards.
• Co-ordinate U&C recruitment processes to ensure:
• Effective use of online recruitment platforms including management of our associated accounts with the providers.
• Appropriate recruitment permissions/budget approvals in place.
• Alignment with recruitment timelines as discussed and outlined with the recruiting Manager to meet business requirements.
• Attraction of high-quality candidates who share U&C Values.
• Managing the process of obtaining candidate information for diversity monitoring and producing reports for all vacancies once filled.
• Managing completion of shortlisting and interview feedback from recruiting managers ensuring appropriate records of all stages of the recruitment processes and all decision making.
• Invoice handling and recording of annual recruitment spend across different platforms.
• Play a key role in the Company’s Health & Wellbeing Committee to support U&C’s commitment in pushing the wellbeing agenda forward.
• Oversee the offer and pre-onboarding processes for new joiners in conjunction with the HR Co-ordinator including contract drafting, issuing of offers, and employment checks (including Right to Work).
• Maintain a comprehensive HR Office Induction process for new starters to the business and oversee delivery to new joiners in conjunction with the HR Co-ordinator.
• Provide support for the annual Remuneration Review process to include updates to the HRIS.
• Assist with producing employee documentation and correspondence to support the monthly payroll submissions as handled by the HR Co-ordinator e.g. change of contract documentation.
• Oversee the management and co-ordination of the U&C health assessment benefit including liaising with the third-party provider, handling joiners and leavers, and all associated invoices with the Finance team.
• Assist with the coordination of U&C’s Performance & Development Review process, including monitoring completion rates, proactively managing follow-up activities to ensure timely completion against agreed deadlines, publishing communications, and escalating outstanding actions where required.
• Be responsible for the creation of management reports including Headcount on both a regular and ad hoc basis in line with reporting requirements and management requests including for committee meetings such as the Executive Management Committee (EMC).
• Manage any project-based work under the direction of the HR Operations Manager.
• Be familiar with and demonstrate commitment to and enthusiasm for the Company’s Policy on Equality & Diversity in carrying out the advisory role.
• Undertake other ad hoc duties and responsibilities as required, commensurate with the level and scope of the HR Advisor role.

Sound understanding of the principles of good HR practice and employment legislation including knowledge of HR policies and procedures built on this legislation. Ability to produce quality written work in all formats and with excellent attention to detail – policies, letters, minutes, and other internal/external communications. Previous recruitment co-ordination skills would be an advantage, including knowledge of best practice for recruitment and selection, including the use of an applicant tracking system (ATS). A keen desire to take on recruitment management and streamline our processes. Previous experience of using recruitment platforms is highly desirable. Previous experience in learning & development (as part of an HR role) would be an advantage. Ability to work under pressure and manage multiple deliverables in line with appropriate timeframes and deadlines specified in HR policies and procedures.