Human Resources Officer

Lewis Silkin works with leading businesses to protect and enhance their most important assets - their ideas, their people, their brand and their future. We call it: Ideas. People. Possibilities.

With offices in London, Oxford, Cardiff, Dublin and Hong Kong, we are recognised by clients and industry alike as being distinct for our unique culture, market-leading practice areas, sector focused approach and for providing solutions to complex, multijurisdictional business challenges, with a pragmatic and human touch. We have two things at our core: people — both ours and our clients’— and a focus on creative, tech and innovative businesses.

Our culture is encapsulated by an ethos of bravery and kindness, guided by our values of Integrity, Clarity, Unity and Excellence (our ‘I-CUE’). We aim to provide a supportive environment for our people, clients and wider community and embrace diversity & inclusion, ensuring people are able to bring their full selves to work.

Location Note

At Lewis Silkin we are currently reviewing our flexible and agile working policies. This role will be based in our London Office, and we are unable to say at this time what the blend of office-based and home-based working there will be.

The HR team consists of 16 members, the majority of whom are based in our London office.  This role will report into the Divisional HR Manager(s) aligned to the Employment, Immigration and Reward Division (EIR). All members of the HR team work closely together to support staff across the firm covering resourcing, reward, learning & development and employee relations. This role also provides the opportunity to work with the wider HR team on a regular basis. 

The primary focus of this role will be to support the EIR HR Manager(s) to effectively and efficiently deliver the full employee life cycle for fee earners and support staff across the division. The post holder will also have the opportunity to support the wider HR team on firm-wide HR projects.

• Working alongside the Recruitment team, supporting the recruitment process for roles within the division including shortlisting and interviewing.
• Having oversight of, and ensuring, the joiner and leaver procedures are effectively implemented within the division, liaising with central teams as required.
• Managing the on-boarding process for new joiners and conducting exit interviews for leavers.
• Carrying out a variety of induction sessions, for example, leading one week and six-week catch ups for new joiners across the division.
• Manage the Career Development Partner (CDP) process for EIR associates.
• Be the day to day contact for the Secretarial Co-ordinators/Deputy Secretarial Co-ordinators and Office Managers, who have overall management responsibility for the division’s secretarial support function; acting as their key divisional HR support dealing with, or escalating as required, all of the HR lifestyle.
• As above be the day to day contact for any HR matters arising from the EIR paralegal group; supporting partners and Talent Partners as required.
• Liaising with the central Learning and Development function to input into the design and delivery of relevant high-quality training across all roles within the division.
• Supporting the Divisional HR Manager (s) and taking the lead as appropriate on day to day employee relations issues.
• Supporting the Divisional HR Manager (s) on performance management issues and providing HR support and best practice guidance to line managers regarding performance management.
• Advising divisional employees and line managers on matters of HR policy.
• Responsible for managing maternity and paternity leave and ensuring the appropriate maternity support and coaching is given to employees before, during and after maternity leave.
• Absence management and follow up as required, such as conducting return to work interviews where sickness absence trigger points have been reached and making occupational health referrals where necessary.
• Own the divisional processes for fee earner secondments; acting as the point of contact for associates and paralegals on secondment; executing the required paperwork and liaising with the Co-Coo/Divisional Business Executive to ensure client contracts are in place and internal teams are updated.
• Ensuring payroll changes are given to the appropriate central team members (responsible for payroll) in a timely and efficient manner and ensuring employment paperwork and changes to terms and conditions are updated as required.
• Support the EIR HR Manager(s), the EIR Co-COO, divisional management team and Talent Partners with statistics, data or other relevant information to input into the divisional management priorities and activities.
• Working with the Divisional Business Executive to input into regular reports and papers as required by the EIR management team, or firm wide leaders such as the capacity chart reports, the EIR Guide and any other updates.
• As part of the HR team, ensuring the timely delivery of the firm’s appraisal, salary review and bonus processes, taking a lead for the secretarial appraisal and bonus review.
• Attending the Divisional People Bubble and EIR Reps Meetings and taking responsibility for managing the agenda items and circulating the meeting notes as appropriate.
• Manage the process of reviewing and responding to divisional flexible working applications, including liaison with the appropriate line manager/Talent Partner; People Bubble group and Flexible Work Committee as appropriate.
• Keeping the divisional HR Manager(s) up to date with all HR activity across the division, providing regular updates on activity and on-going matters.
• Working with, and acting as a mentor, to junior members of the wider HR team.
• Additional ad hoc projects as required.
• Any other reasonable duty in line with the level of the role.

Candidate Profile:

The successful candidate must have a professional manner and first class communication skills.  They must be highly organised and be able to demonstrate a pro-active approach to their work, and have the ability to work autonomously when required.  They must enjoy working in a busy team environment and have a flexible and co-operative nature; as well as excellent stakeholder management skills.

Experience and Qualifications:

• Educated to degree level (or equivalent by experience), and ideally CIPD qualified.
• At least two years’ experience of working at HR Officer level within a law firm or professional services environment. 
• Experience of using employee database software and online recruitment management tools.
• Previous demonstrable experience of managing ER issues from start to end.

Abilities and desired qualities:

• Excellent organisational, attention to detail and prioritisation skills with the ability to manage a varied and demanding workload often to tight deadlines. 
• Client focused and ability to maintain discretion and confidentiality at all times.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to build successful relationships at all levels. 
• Team player with a flexible and willing attitude. 
• Flexibility to work additional hours where resource requirements dictate and travel to our other offices when required (and when applicable within the current government pandemic restrictions).

At Lewis Silkin our ethos is simple. We strive to do the best for our clients, our people and the communities in which we operate. We recognise that an inclusive workplace allows for all kinds of ideas and thoughts, a variety of points of view that can trigger discussions or deliver innovative results, and a wide range of versatile skills and expertise. We are proud of the diversity within Lewis Silkin and of our culture that allows people to be themselves at work, ensuring we provide the best possible service to our clients. We are committed to finding the right person for this role and are open to discussing flexible working patterns and office location.