People Specialist/HR Generalist

Exciting People Specialist/HR Generalist opportunity within an established retail environment.
Contract Duration: 6 months - May extend to 12 months
Hybrid role, offices in Westlake, Ohio.
Role Synopsis
Retail People Relations (RPR) is a globally connected team within People, Communications & Culture, responsible for providing expert People Relations support across our client's retail network.

RPR team members partner closely with business leaders, People & Culture (P&C) teams, legal, and external stakeholders to deliver consistent, high-quality guidance on all People Relations matters. The team's expertise spans everything, including (but not limited to) general RPR queries, policy interpretation, workplace investigations and disciplinary, grievance resolution, business change (eg. divestments and acquisitions), and support with Industrial Relations.

The Retail People Relations (RPR) Specialist provides guidance and support to employees and ex-employees related to Retail P&C policies and processes. The RPR Specialist is the first point of contact for managers and employees, providing responses to general enquiries, advising managers on policy and procedural matters, intake for People Relations concerns and offering advice for non-reportable concerns, and some direct action concerns.

The role also involves administrative transactions including but not limited to, creating and updating concerns in the Case Management System, creation of letters, e-filing, scheduling meetings, and any other adhoc administrative tasks.

Role Purpose
To provide frontline support to employees and managers, coaching to managers, answering queries, handling non-reportable and some direct actions concerns, escalating complex concerns, providing administrative support and ensuring consistent application of policies across the business.
Required Skills & Experience

• Essential Experience and Job Requirements:
• Ability to manage and triage employee queries and low-level concerns.
• Ability to understand and interpret People Relations policies and procedures.
• Technical
• Strong customer service and communication skills
• Basic understanding of employment law, and policy interpretation
• Behavioral:
• Customer focus - ensures employees receive clear and timely support.
• Problem-solving - assesses concerns and escalates appropriately.
• Attention to detail - maintains accurate records and case documentation.
• Psychological safety - handles employee concerns with empathy and care.
• Customer centric thinking
• Psychological safety
• Continuous learning
• Legal and regulatory environment and compliance
• Communication
• Continuous improvement
• Organizational knowledge
• Analytical thinking
• Agile core principles
• Resilience
• Teamwork
• Coaching
• Customer centric thinking

What You Will Be Doing

• Concern Triage & Escalation: Record and categorize concerns in the Case Management System, ensuring efficient triaging to the appropriate teams. Prioritize concerns based on urgency/complexity to meet or exceed SLA targets.

• Query Resolution: Supporting full employee life cycle query resolution and responding to basic process and policy questions from employees and managers. Example queries include life events, time and attendance, performance and compensation queries, and exits.

• Administrative Support: Provide operational support to RPR Advisors, Senior Advisors and Managers

• Concern Handling: Manage transactional PR concerns, including non-reportable, some direct-action, low-level performance, grievances, and disciplinary concerns.

• Concern Escalation: Escalate concerns to the RPR Advisors and/or Senior Advisors in accordance with the SLA, providing comprehensive details, and efficiently handing over in the Case Management System.

• Coaching Leaders: Provide support and guidance to managers on policy interpretation and process execution.

• Policy: Provide feedback on People Relations policies, identifying opportunities for improvement based on trends and Team Member feedback.?

• Continuous Improvement: Proactively seek advice on unclear processes and suggest solutions to problems. Support knowledge creation and maintenance.

• Compliance: Maintain up-to-date knowledge of People Relations policies, ensuring accurate and consistent application when responding to inquiries and escalating issues as needed. Ensure People Relations support aligns with local legislation and our client's policies.

• Risk Management: Identify potential People Relations risks, and share with RPR leaders. Where possible, provide recommendations for mitigation.

• Record-Keeping: Accurately record and triage concerns promptly and relevant information is captured in the Case Management System. Ensure all concerns are documented, and Workday (where relevant) in accordance with local regulations and our client's record keeping policies.

• Psychological Safety: Act as a supportive first point of contact, ensuring employees feel heard and respected, handling all concerns with empathy and care. Recognize and escalate wellbeing concerns where additional support is needed, and maintain a respectful and non-judgmental approach in all interactions.