HR Advisor

BUSINESS AREA AND TEAM

The Xceptor People and Culture (P&C) function consists of global HR and Talent Acquisition professionals focused on creating a world-class working environment and partnering with the business to design and implement strategies to attract, engage, develop, and retain our employees. We are a P&C team of 10, an employee population of c.250, with offices in Cape Town, UK, Singapore, and the US.

A critical part of the P&C function is our client-facing HR Operations Team, based in Cape Town, which is focused on providing and delivering an efficient, effective, consistent, and customer-friendly HR Operations service to all our employees, across all our locations, throughout the employee lifecycle.

To support the organization's continued growth and the development of the function, we have a new opportunity for an HR Advisor, based in Cape Town, or London, to bring together our HR Operations and HR Business Partnering Teams. This role will ensure we have both an escalation point for complex queries from the HR Operations Team and day-to-day transactional support for the HR Business Partners.

THE ROLE

To contribute to the overall success of the People Agenda, in delivering a proactive and customer-focused HR service, ensuring effective support, guidance, and advice, to managers and employees, across a wide variety of HR matters, including employee relations, policy and process, recruitment, and the delivery of key projects. Your role will be primarily operational and provide support across all business areas and global locations.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Advise and coach managers on the application and interpretation of HR policies and procedures in accordance with current and proposed employment legislation and local arrangements, to ensure consistency, accuracy, and best practice.
• Provide high-quality HR advice directly to managers to facilitate the early resolution of difficult, complex, or sensitive employee relations issues, ensuring that the risks associated with such cases are effectively managed.
• Support the wider HR Team in implementing and embedding new strategies and initiatives across the organization.
• Facilitate new starter inductions for all locations excl. North America (NOAM).
• Advise managers on the probationary process, extension process, and simple performance improvement queries.
• Support the management of complex employee cases relating to disciplinary, grievance and sickness absence, including providing advice to managers on policy/procedure and legislation, and supporting formal investigations and hearings.
• Manage sickness absence in collaboration with managers, assisting employees back to work, and working with managers to reduce sickness absence across the organization.
• Key HR contact for Xceptor Academy for Learning & Development, including enhancing the HR offering and the creation of a more effective learning platform.
• Partner with the HR Operations Lead, in relation to Policy and Procedure improvement
• Ensure continuous review, archiving of legacy documents, HR updates, and maintenance, ensuring all policies and procedures are fit for purpose, in line with relevant legislation and communicated effectively.
• Reporting and data analysis, specifically in relation to retention, ensuring early intervention.
• Global Mobility: point of contact for Visa providers and accountability for the effective management of the visa application and renewal process for all locations excl. NOAM.
• Ownership of HRIS data accuracy, in relation to reporting, performance management, and payroll data, ensuring appropriate use, data integrity, and GDPR compliance.
• Escalation point for relevant queries from the HR Inbox/Query Management System
• Provide support, as required, across strategic initiatives.

KEY SKILLS

ESSENTIAL:

• Knowledge and experience of HR best practices.
• An understanding of employment legislation, ideally for the UK, US, South Africa, or Singapore.
• Experience in advising and supporting managers across a range of employee relations matters.
• Naturally personable and empathetic, with the ability to form effective relationships.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills.
• Proficient in HR systems (HRIS) and Microsoft Office Programs.
• Strong data analytics and insight skills.
• Experience collaborating with a global team.

BENEFICIAL:

• Experience working in a FinTech or software organization.
• Academic or Industry qualification in HR.
• BambooHR system experience.
• Employment law knowledge/experience
• Knowledge of GDPR legislation.

EXPECTED BEHAVIOURS & COMPETENCIES

• Interpersonally strong and able to build, develop and maintain effective working relationships.
• Excellent written and verbal communicator, with a high level of attention to detail.
• Naturally customer and service minded.
• Exceptional organisational and prioritisation skills: able to manage multiple deadlines and priorities.
• Self-motivated and able to work on own initiative, and as part of a team/in collaboration with others.
• Flexible, adaptable and enjoys working in a developing environment, unphased by ambiguity.
• Elevated level of discretion and confidence in handling work of a highly confidential nature.