HR Advisor (16 month contract)

Withersworldwide

Job title: HR Advisor (16 month contract)

Reports to: HR Managers

Location: London

What are we looking for?

We are looking for a bright, enthusiastic and capable HR Advisor to provide advisory generalist HR support to our legal divisions and help drive our major HR processes for our teams in the UK, and where applicable, globally. This role is an excellent opportunity for someone with experience operating at an Advisor level and can hit the ground running supporting our legal staff.  This role will be on a fixed term contract basis, covering a period of maternity leave within the team.

The HR team works collaboratively to support the business in a business partner model. This is a position where you will have a varied and exciting role providing essential support to a number of our legal divisions, as well as across the wider generalist HR team. You will have a business facing role requiring you to liaise and build key relationships across the firm.

Areas of focus and responsibilities

• Working alongside the HR Mangers to provide day to day HR advice and guidance to the divisions.
• Dealing with ad-hoc HR issues as they arise, providing advice and mediation on employee relations issues.
• Supporting the HR Managers and their client groups to design and deliver effective HR solutions.
• Playing a key role in the management of annual HR processes including the coordination and preparation of materials for appraisals, promotions, salary review and bonuses; attending meetings with HR Managers, Partners and Regional Divisional Leaders.
• Helping to facilitate the talent management and succession planning process, alongside the HR Managers by producing, maintaining and collating the relevant information.
• Responsible for checking all regular HR correspondence for the legal divisions drafted by the HR Assistant, ensuring it is accurate and complete.
• Responsible for drafting more complex correspondence such as unique contracts or complex flexible working responses, disciplinary and grievance and performance management matters.
• Responsible for reviewing and analysing management information such as the monthly staff report and flagging issues to the HR Managers.
• Acting as the point of contact for those taking parental leave, conducting maternity/paternity/shared parental leave meetings and ensuring the relevant paperwork is provided.
• Managing the flexible working application process for staff.
• Proactively managing absence through monitoring absence levels, dealing with long and short term sickness absence, ensuring appropriate occupational health referrals and liaising with the Reward team on PHI claims.
• Managing the practicing certificate renewal process and dealing with other SRA and regulatory queries.
• Responsible for advising and administering UK immigration matters. Tasks include working with the in-house immigration team on the application and maintenance of visas, managing our SMS, and managing annual immigration checks.
• Supporting the HR Assistants in resolving queries received by the HR Helpdesk.
• Running the end of probation review process – attending meetings, addressing any issues, making recommendations and ensuring all paperwork is returned.
• Conducting exit interviews as appropriate.
• Ad hoc project work – including writing policy, research, updating current systems/procedures.
• Assisting the generalist HR team with generalist HR responsibilities as and when required.

Skills and attributes

• First class written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to influence and win the confidence and respect of others
• Team player with a flexible approach
• Excellent attention to detail and a sense of urgency
• Methodical approach to working
• Commercial aptitude
• Proactive and resilient

Qualifications required

• CIPD qualified with previous HR Advisor level experience within a professional services organisation
• Highly PC literate with strong systems skills. 
• Must have excellent Excel skills

The essentials

• 16 month fixed term contract
• 9.30 – 5.30pm but flexibility is a must
• 12 week probation period
• 4 week notice period
• Flexible benefit package including pension, private medical insurance, denplan, season ticket loan, subsidised gym memberships, lifestyle discount scheme, the ability to buy and sell holidays, flu jabs, doctors consultation service, cycle to work scheme, on site café and more

About the HR team at Withersworldwide

The HR department at Withers has a complement of 16 HR professionals based in the London office, 7 in the US, 1 in Geneva, 6 in Asia and 2 remote workers who support the global HR function.  The department works with its global divisions on a business partner basis. 

The HR team is a hardworking and committed one and is closely integrated to deliver a valued service to the business. Our HR team enjoy the unique culture that Withers has to offer. We are proud to have won HR team of the year in 2019 at the HR in Law awards.

About Withersworldwide

Withersworldwide has been acting for successful individuals, families and institutions for over 100 years.  We advise clients on the full range of their business, personal and philanthropic legal needs, both at home and abroad. With offices in the key financial centres of Europe, Asia-Pacific, the United States and the Caribbean, we provide coverage and services that other law firms focussed on the needs of the individual cannot.  We have represented 51% of the Top 100 in The Sunday Times Rich List, 25% of the US Top 100 Forbes Rich List, 30% of the Top 20 Hong Kong billionaires in the Forbes World's Billionaires list and over 20% of the Forbes Asia's Richest Families list.

Information for Recruitment Agencies

Withersworldwide endeavours to recruit and fill vacancies directly. However, when we do need to engage with agencies, Withersworldwide operates a preferred supplier list and will not be accepting unsolicited applications from non-PSL agencies for this role.

Equal Opportunities Employment Statement

It is the policy of Withersworldwide to provide equal opportunities for all employees in relation to recruitment, training and promotion.  Decisions in these areas will be made only by reference to the requirements of the job and shall not be influenced by any consideration of ethnic origin, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation or disability.