Policy Advisor

Job description

Job Description:

Summary

M&S is a leading retailer with a strong heritage of brand values, extraordinary colleagues and customers who want to see us succeed. The key to unlocking our future success is our commitment to the strong belief about how behaviour drives business success and employee engagement. Our business is transforming, we’re setting bolder goals and giving our people the space and resources to achieve them. We strive to be at the forefront of the digital revolution, and we are driving change and innovation to deliver for customers’ existing and new.

Our M&S Line Manager Advisory Service in Salford Quays, Manchester are looking for confident ER Policy Advisors with the ability to build rapport quickly, to coach Managers to make effective and commercial decisions, on a wide range of topics that include absence, disciplinary & grievance to improve Line Manager capability.

What you will be doing

As a team we take circa 2000 calls/contacts a week on a wide range of people issues, so understanding our people policies and being able to coach and provide advice is key to being successful in the role. An ER Policy Advisor needs to have the ability to juggle a demanding workload and working with and coaching a range of stakeholders. This would really someone who enjoy empowering managers with risk-based options and driving their accountability and capability to make the decision. The role provides great exposure to identifying key people themes and trends, it’s a fast-paced working environment where no two calls or cases are ever the same. You’ll be working with an energetic team, who embrace and welcome new ideas.

About the role

Your key accountabilities will include:

·  Delivery of high quality and consistent advice
·  Maintain personal expert knowledge of M&S people policies and practice
·  Provide managers with risk-based options to guide decision making
·  Coach and develop line managers to deliver effective people management and improve line manager capability
·  Coach Employee Representatives to effectively support their colleagues
·  Make decisions in relation to appropriate next steps in case management, operating pragmatically to achieve the right outcome for individuals and the business, within a commercial risk framework
·  Assess and triage cases received directly from colleagues in relation to an appeal, grievance or flexible working request
·  Support case managers with Employment Tribunal activity

About you

Your skills and experience will include:

·  Equipped to judge the severity of employment relations issues they advise on and determine where more experienced or specialist input maybe required
·  Ability to communicate clearly and confidently over the phone
·  Background of coaching and advising managers of all levels
·  Comfortable in constructively challenging colleagues, peers and managers
·  Focus on delivering a great colleague experience
·  Ability to make decisions quickly whilst maintaining a high attention to detail
·  Ideally CIPD qualified or working towards with awareness of external trends, cases and best practice