People Advisor

It’s the people at Shakespeare Martineau that make us so special. By understanding what our people want, giving them the support they need, recognising everyone’s contribution and realising the unique power of teams, together we win.   As a firm we are focused on proactively building and developing diverse teams, bringing different backgrounds, personalities and perspectives together. We play to our strengths, pushing ourselves to be consistently better than yesterday and deliver amazing solutions for our clients. We empower our teams with a high degree of individual responsibility; we self-manage and encourage everyone to be responsible for their own learning, knowing it makes us even better at what we do!    

We believe in trusting our people to make the right decisions for themselves, from when and where you work, to how you dress; we focus on outputs.  

Want to find more about our amazing benefits?

Our Marketing & People Team focus on building a high-performance culture with strong engagement and a reputation for developing talent at all levels. The team has around 30 members comprising of People Advisors, People Operations, People Business Partnering, Development, Talent & Culture and Payroll & Member Services functions. This is a dedicated team of individuals all passionate about helping our people succeed.

We have an exciting opportunity for a proactive and passionate People Advisor with demonstrable experience to join our highly-skilled and collaborative People team. 

You will be a part of our People Advisor team and will be aligned to designated business units working alongside a People Business Partner, with the agility and adaptability to support other business areas where needed. You will also work closely with the Senior People Advisors and wider team on a day to day basis supporting on a full range of initiatives, projects and people activities.

You will: 

• equip line managers with the people skills to develop high performing teams
• challenge the status quo and bring fresh ideas to the table; moving from traditional to progressive methods
• handle and manage a varied range of people activities, collaborating with other teams, where accountability may fall outside of the People remit

This opportunity will initially be offered on a fixed-term basis of 12 months. 

Your key duties will include:

• being the first point of escalation for day to day People Advisor activities and a point of contact in the absence of the People Business Partner
• supporting and coaching line managers with any people related issues tailoring your approach to the audience
• providing quality advice, leading and managing ER matters, where necessary with guidance and direction from the Senior People Advisors, People Business Partner and Employment Team
• working closely with hiring managers and the recruitment team; ensuring sourcing and on boarding is a great people experience
• leading and / or supporting on wider business initiatives and projects
• embedding our culture, values and behaviours across the firm
• continuously driving forward the people experience in everything we do
• leading and / or supporting with organisational changes, keeping track of the moving parts and handling any contentious correspondence / agreements
• supporting with annual activities such as promotions, pay reviews and incentive plans
• translating data analysis into tangible proposals and outcomes – absence, turnover, stability, reward & benefits
• building trusted relationships with our people across the business
• working closely with the People Operations team ensuring any transactional changes are actioned accordingly

Skills and experience:

• a minimum of 1 years’ previous experience in a HR Advisor / Officer role is essential
• demonstrable experience of ER case management is crucial
• attention to detail is a key fundamental part of this role, with the ability to prioritise and manage high volumes of work, maintain quality and accuracy and provide excellent service delivery
• strong written and verbal communication skills
• CIPD qualified (or working towards) would be preferable
• strong IT skills and proficient in MS Office

Key competencies:

• a high degree of organisation and the ability to prioritise and manage own time effectively
• the ability to interact with, and influence, key stakeholders at all levels with confidence and credibility
• to be proactive, willing to challenge and have the confidence to identify and recommend changes and improvements
• to have a solutions focused approach
• to be empathetic with a high level of emotional intelligence
• to enjoy and thrive working in a collaborative team, supporting others when required
• keen to learn, interested in driving your own career progression and be proactive in taking ownership
• be flexible and adaptable in their approach

We embrace agile working and offer a blended approach to where and how we work.

We appreciate that people have different needs and preferences and we’re keen to be flexible, after all, we value what you do, not where you do it.

We have hubs in Birmingham, Leicester, London, Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Solihull, Stratford-upon-Avon and Sheffield. This role will be predominantly home based with travel as required into Birmingham or one of our other West Midlands hubs 

Please be aware, for some vacancies, where we receive high numbers of applications we may need to bring the close date forward.

Due to the nature of the work undertaken, confirmation of employment will be subject to a variety of checks which will be carried out once an offer of employment is accepted. Details of the checks can be found here.

Shakespeare Martineau is a committed equal opportunities employer. We seek to attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures. We value and respect individuality and encourage a culture within our business where people can be themselves and be valued for their strengths and experiences. Everyone who either applies to or works for the firm is treated equally, regardless of their gender, age, ethnic origin, nationality, marital status, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.