HR Business Partner

Role summary/purpose of job

The purpose of this role is to strategic and operational HR business partnering support for the aligned practice groups and associated business services teams within London. The HR Business Partner (HRBP) will provide the full range of HR generalist support.

The HRBP will work closely with partners, associates/employees, and people managers, acting as a trusted advisor to ensure that the people agenda is reflected in all business decisions. They will also work closely with colleagues in the wider HR team.

The HRBP will be supported by an HR Advisory team as well as the broader HR team which includes a shared services centre and centres of excellence.

Key responsibilities and deliverables

HR strategy and solutions

• Support the Senior HRBP in delivering a comprehensive people strategy for designated stakeholder group.

• Actively participate in client group management meetings; advise, challenge, and support the client group partners and leaders on HR matters.

• Develop and sustain strong business relationships within client groups to become a trusted advisor on all HR related issues.

• Actively champion the embedding of Workday across the employee lifecycle.

• Promote the HR operating model and encourage increased usage and efficient, effective ways of working.

Business improvement 

• Collaborate with HR colleagues on developing and delivering on various local and global HR projects and initiatives.

• Work with the business to implement business improvement, HR policies and processes within client groups.

• Proactively gather and analyse HR data and use data-driven insights to support and propose project and improvements to people processes.

• Influence and support change management across the stakeholder groups.

Talent management and development 

• Support the identification and development of key talent within client groups to enable individuals to meet their potential and the departments to meet their business objectives.

• Support designated client group partners and leaders with talent management and succession planning activity.

• Support the Senior HR Business and work collaboratively with the talent COE, in the design, co-ordination and facilitation of development activities as needed within client groups.

• Provide HR support to help effectively manage client and internal secondment opportunities and programmes.

• Support managers to build a strong culture of diversity and inclusivity.

 Engagement and communication

• Work with the partners and line managers to support communication, initiatives and processes to improve employee engagement relating to employee feedback.

• Develop positive and effective working relationships with HR operations and HR centres of expertise (such as talent, reward, diversity, inclusion and wellbeing) to deliver a seamless HR service to the business.

  Performance and reward

• Provide advice and coaching to partners and line managers to increase performance management capability.

• Manage the cyclical performance management and reward processes for client stakeholder group. 

• Support and help encourage a culture of continuous feedback, and recognition within client groups.

Employee relations

• Keep fully up to date with all developments in terms of employment legislation and employee relations issues and utilise this technical knowledge to provide advice and guidance to partners and line managers.

• Support line managers in dealing with complex and contentious performance, grievance and disciplinary issues in collaboration with employee relations.

• Manage and monitor sickness absence and the general performance of employees, liaising with line managers, Occupational Health and HR Support Services where relevant

HR transactions

• Manage the delivery of HR lifecycle transactions including on boarding, movers, leavers, maternity and other leave, flexible working requests etc.

Key requirements

• Demonstrable experience in a generalist HR role working at a strategic and operational level.

• CIPD qualification or equivalent.

• Strong knowledge and experience of employee relations and current knowledge of employee legislation and best practice.

• Experience of working in change intensive environments.

• Good project management skills.

• Ideally experience of working within a professional services organisation.

• Proficient IT skills including experience of HR databases, Excel and Workday.

• Proficient English language skills.

Competencies

• Able to delegate and deliver work through others.

• Will actively manage personal learning and development and that of others.

• Excellent leadership skills and the ability to inspire confidence, particularly in an environment with a focus on continuous improvement.

• The ability to build strong working relationships and to be able to persuade and influence a range of people at all levels and across cultural and global boundaries.

• Excellent resource allocation and planning ability.

• Excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to listen, clarify and share information easily.

• A diplomatic and adaptable working style, works collaboratively with colleagues and demonstrates an empathetic approach when dealing with others.

• Dedicated to meeting and exceeding customer expectations with a commitment to the highest level of integrity.

• Resilient and able to remain calm and positive under pressure and when dealing with ambiguity.

• Is delivery focussed and drives forward quality of service.

• Decisive and mature in judgement and able to resolve complex problems taking a proactive approach to analyse the issues and generate solutions.

Inclusion

Freshfields is an equal opportunities employer and all applications received by the firm will be considered by the firm on the basis of their merit alone and we welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals regardless of background. All offers of employment will be conditional on the candidate having/securing the right to work in the UK and providing the firm with evidence of that right (as required by the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006) prior to employment commencing.

Freshfields is a Ban the Box employer. We ask applicants to disclose criminal convictions only when a conditional job offer is made. A conviction does not automatically lead to withdrawal of the offer: we make decisions on a case by case basis and take a number of factors into account (eg the role you are applying for and the circumstances of the offence). You would have the opportunity to discuss the matter with us before we make a decision.