Halfords

Job Purpose

To support the Group Shared Services Manager in the following ways:

• Be responsible for day-to-day management and delivery of the Employee Relations Advice Team according to governance, processes, policies and agreed service level agreements, and ensuring there is adequate team coverage to meet the stakeholder needs.
• As the Employee Relations Manager, you will be responsible, alongside the Group Shared Services Manager, for creating and embedding the ER strategy, policy, and practice across the Halfords Group, whilst continually seeking ways in which operational efficiency can be achieved.
• Maintain an effective feedback loop with the Group shared Services Manager and wider People Team to drive effective change.
• You will be accountable for line managing, leading, supporting, coaching, mentoring and developing the ER team whose primary role is to ensure that leaders across the group are equipped, empowered, and engaged to manage all ER matters ensuring legal, commercial, and business considerations.
• Ensure the Employee Relations Advice Team provides accurate, effective, consistent and timely employee relations advice to all areas of the business.
• Act as a mentor for the Employee Relations Advisors providing support and guidance where required and act as the initial point of escalation, especially in relation to more complex and/or sensitive cases.
• The role will be required to continually seek ways in which operational efficiency can be achieved to provide outstanding support to the business and key stakeholders.
• Ensure Manager consistency and competence across group in managing ER related subjects, launching ‘off the shelf’ and bespoke E learning ER modules in line with the Group Talent Team.
• Utilising data to identify trends and risks, translating this into relevant targeted preventative measures, training and support to reduce company exposure to risk.
• Actively support and drive key ER and People Team related projects and initiatives.
• Deputise for the Group Shared Services Manager ensuring SLAs are met and stakeholders are responded to.

Key Responsibilities:

Team Development:

• To develop, coach, mentor and support the Employee Relations Advisors to ensure high standards and performance levels.
• Provide proof-reading expertise, where required on correspondence sent from People Advice to ensure accuracy and consistency and give feedback to the team to ensure right first time.
• Conduct regular 121 meetings where you can review current case work, objectives and development needs to actively promote continuous improvement and development.
• To keep yourself and the ER Advisory team up to date with developments in employment legislation, people best practice and knowledge sharing within the team to ensure continuous development and improvement in the service offered.
• Own the engagement survey for the ER Team and implement any actions arising from the survey, whilst actively encouraging and facilitating activities which drive a culture focused on colleague engagement.
• Ensure that every member of the ER team has an up to date and effective PDR with reviews completed proactively and on time.
• Take ownership for the performance and development of each of the ER Advisors/Assistants, ensuring that appropriate Performance Development Records and Personal Development Plans are in place to achieve this.

Meeting SLA’s:

• Oversee the day-to-day management of the People Advice inbox to ensure tasks including the production of letters such as acknowledgement, invite, outcome letters are produced within SLA’s and the business are supported with pro-active management of ER cases.
• Provide managers and stakeholders with consistent, legal and policy compliant advice and guidance whilst considering legal risk framework.
• Providing the business with pragmatic and commercial based solutions whilst considering the employment legal and risk framework.
• Support line managers with the management of high-risk, complex and sensitive ER cases by advising, influencing and coaching on how to proceed, following best practice and ensuring compliance with employment law and ensuring the appropriate advice is being given by the Employee Relations Advisors.
• Ensure that the ER Team partners with the business to deliver a high quality, pro-active, and SLA compliant case management offer on ER issues such as disciplinary, grievance, capability, appeals, absence management, the Equality Act, redundancy, TUPE, changing terms and conditions, probation, and flexible working, whilst ensuring consistency of decisions across the business.
• Develop line manager capability by creating and reviewing material and processes for the Group Shared Service Manager and the Learning & Development Team to deliver training to upskill line managers.
• Case manage complex, sensitive and high risk ER cases as escalated from the Employee Relations Advisors.
• Support the progression and processing of ET’s, COT3’s and settlement agreements liaising with our internal legal team and ACAS as necessary.
• Championing the ER Advice Team and building relationships across the business to obtain buy in cooperation and support when formal meeting support is required on case work.
• Ensure the management of all cases in line with GDPR regulations and current employment law.
• Be responsible for managing the rota and ensure adequate cover for ER Advice phone/ email are in place.
• Continually seek ways in which operational efficiency can be achieved to provide outstanding support to the business and key stakeholders.

Reporting

• Ensure accurate records of all ER case outcomes and people systems are maintained ensuring all relevant administration and paperwork is processed accordingly.
• Provide monthly and ad hoc reports to the Group Shared Services Manager and People Business Partners and highlight trends and area of concern.
• Actively partner with the People Business Partners and other key stakeholders to develop an effective reporting suite that delivers real insights into case trends and or demographic data insights that can support targeted learning and development and /or other proactive initiatives to actively reduce case load.
• Utilise your knowledge to manage controllable costs, expenditure, and achieve budgets set for the team.
• Undertake at least an annual review of the service provided by the ER team to its key stakeholders, taking actions to build upon opportunities for improvement along with identifying areas to consolidate.

Project Work

• Lead and deliver on ER related projects to include large scale OD work, TUPE & redundancy.
• Working with the Group Shared Services Manager to develop, deliver and review training material and processes to up-skill line manager capability and launching this via E learning platform and face to face delivery.
• To draft, advise and review all People related policies on an annual basis and in line with changes in legislation and business needs and ensure all changes are effectively communicated across the business using various appropriate media to do so.
• To ensure all ER templates utilised across the group are up to date and fit for purpose.

Key Skills/Experience:

• Minimum of 3 years employee relations experience ideally from within a high volume shared service environment.
• CIPD level 7 qualified or equivalent is desirable but not essential
• Demonstrable experience of having successfully managed a team.
• Strong knowledge of Employment Law and demonstrable experience in handling complex, sensitive and high-risk employee relations cases.
• Holds a full UK driving licence and is able to travel to the office in Redditch for at least a minimum of 2 days per week to support and meet and lead the ER team effectively, as well as having business insurance that would enable you to travel to other locations to support on key project activity, deliver training and/or attend meetings, seminars etc in line with business needs.
• Previous experience in dealing with third parties such as solicitors and ACAS and unions.
• Excellent verbal and written communication and influencing skills at all levels with the ability to hold challenging conversations in a way which leads to the desired outcomes.
• Excellent organisational skills, always meeting deadlines and self-motivated with good attention to detail.
• Customer focused and service oriented.
• Experience of managing and prioritising own and teams workload in a high volume, fast paced and demanding environment with changing priorities.
• Works with pace and accuracy, staying focused on the detail.
• Experience in building and maintaining strong relationships with teams and stakeholders.
• Excellent coaching and effective questioning techniques.
• Experience and confidence in effectively challenging and supporting managers.
• Experience of applying best practice and a commercial outlook to people issues.
• CIPD qualified ideally level 7 but not essential.
• Fun, team player who works collaboratively for the success of the wider team and business.
• Deals with highly confidential and sensitive information with tact and diplomacy, 100% discretion.
• Able to work in a sensitive and diplomatic manner, while remaining confident and resilient.
• Customer focused and service oriented, with experience in building and maintaining strong, relationships effectively with teams and stakeholders both face to face, and remotely via telephone or Microsoft Teams.
• Confident communicator, comfortable communicating with managers & employees at all levels, flexing your style as necessary.
• Able to manage own emotions in the face of pressure, setbacks or dealing with provocative situations.
• Able to balance priorities with the ability to handle the day-to-day workload as well as projects.
• Considers the bigger picture as well as the detail.