The HR team at Allen & Overy provides a first-class service to the business, offering strategic HR business advice and operational excellence through business partners and specialist teams in the full range of HR functions such as talent and development, resourcing, reward, employee relations, systems and HR administration.
What you will do
In this role, you will work with the HR team to provide a high level of both HR operational support and HR advice to the Finance & ENRI practice groups in London. The HR generalist teams sit within the global HR function.
This will include:
Acting as a trusted advisor within London Finance & ENRI and deliver a fully integrated HR offering including but not limited to:
Operational HR

• Support individual employees on day-to-day HR issues/ policy queries (e.g. maternity/paternity leave, flexible working, leave requests and salary and benefits queries)

• Monitor and report on sickness absence, manage occupational health referrals and conduct check-in meetings as appropriate

• Provide support to international secondees (international and client) e.g. through check-ins and collecting end of secondment feedback

• Provide support on the client secondment process e.g. coordinating with on-boarding arranagementsandbriefing and supporting the secondee throughout their secondment

• Manage relationships with trainees, solicitor apprentices and NQ’s upon qualification, ensuring a smooth transition into the practice group, liaising with BD, Finance and partners as necessary

• Manage on-boarding and off-boarding processes for new joiners and leavers.

• Conduct exit interviews with leavers, analysing and reporting on themes across practice groups and developing action plans where appropriate.

Reward

• Provide assistance as required to the Senior HR Manager and HR Manager to deliver the salary and bonus review for associates, counsel, practice professionals, PA’s and ‘support in the line’ staff in London Finance & ENRI

• Supporting with Senior HR Manager and HR Manager with monthly payroll checks, ensuring the payroll team are notified of changes and flagging any discrepancies.

Resource Planning and Management Information

• Provide administrative support on key management processes and initiatives (e.g. budget review and preparation, My Say analysis)

• Keep up to date with all staff movements (leavers, joiners, secondments etc.) to enable effective resource management, ensuring the relevant people are informed of any changes

• Provide assistance as required to the Senior HR Manager and HR Manager to produce a manpower plan for the practice groups and closely monitor headcount

• Provide monthly and ad hoc reports on quantitative and qualitative data as required, providing analysis where appropriate and ensure integrity of data

Performance management / employee relations

• Coordinate and manage the Compass timetable for associates and ‘support in the line’ staff together with the Senior HR Manager and HR Manager

• Prepare for and attend quarterly talent discussions, working with the Senior HR Manager and HR Manager to collate and follow up on actions following the discussions

• Provide general support around Compass engagement strategy

• Assist with the coordination of local promotion processes, including Senior Associate, Counsel and support roles

• Involvement in performance improvement plans where appropriate

• Assist the Senior HR Manager and HR Manager in providing advice and support to managers on ER matters

• Manage ER cases for the paralegal population, and support the Group Manager with legal PA ER matters

• Provide ad hoc support to the ER team (e.g. supporting with disciplinary and grievance investigations, subject access requests and disclosure exercises)

Talent & Development

• Liaise with the Training & Events team to promote associate training programmes and nominate individuals to attend where appropriate

• Ensuring the London Finance & ENRI talent pool data and promotion pipelines remain up to date

• Arrange internal and external coaching, mentoring or training where developmental needs are identified

Inclusion

• Work with the Senior HR Manager and HR Manager to drive forward various inclusion initiatives across London Finance & ENRI

Mental Health and Wellbeing

• Work with the Senior HR Manager and HR Manager to embed various mental health and wellbeing initiatives across the department including the Mindful Business Charter, promoting resources and events and engaging with mental health allies to increase engagement

General

• Providing day to day HR support to those in the Finance & ENRI practice groups

• Advising staff on policies and procedures

• Helping to ensure consistency of practice and application of policy across London Finance & ENRI

• Providing confidential guidance and career support

• Answering ad-hoc internal/external HR queries

• Liaising with a wide range of stakeholders, e.g. Specialist HR teams in London, HR Advice in Belfast, BD and Finance

• Working with the Senior HR Manager and HR Manager with ad hoc projects and tasks

• Build good working relationships with other HR Specialists to share best practise and ensure consistency across practice groups

What you will have

• Proven HR experience

• Ideally CIPD qualified or similar certification

• Can demonstrate strong relationship building and influencing skills

• Good knowledge of current employment law particularly in relation to performance management

• Experience of working with HR systems (we use PeopleSoft)

• Competent in Excel

• Ability to be flexible and work across a wide range of client groups

• Excellent attention to detail, prioritisation and organisational skills

• Excellent communication (verbal and written) and interpersonal skills

• Proven ability to combine excellent technical knowledge with sound commercial judgment and to influence decisions

• Resilient; able to understand that credibility has to be earned in this environment and may take time

• Collaborative team player with the ability to work in a fast paced, intellectually rigorous environment

• Proven ability to work well under pressure

• Ability to work with diplomacy and tenacity and able to take the lead to conclude decisions

• Demonstrates a can-do attitude and is pro-active and professional in all client contact

Should you require additional support at any stage of the recruitment process due to a disability or a health condition, please do not hesitate to contact a member of our recruitment team who will work with you to provide any adjustments as required.

We are an equal opportunities recruiter and do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or any other protected characteristic.

We recognise that our people are our most valuable asset, which is reflected in the wide range of benefits that are available to our employees. Some of these benefits include: our occupational pension scheme, group income protection cover, private medical insurance, mental health resources and free apps, health and wellbeing services encompassing an onsite gym, wellbeing centre and GP service, emergency back-up care support, parental and special leave, holiday entitlement increasing with length of service, holiday trading, season ticket loans and online discounts and lifestyle management services.

Our approach to hybrid working seeks to combine and maximise the benefits of effective remote working with the benefits of being in the office. Our current hybrid working arrangements require office based working for a minimum of 60% of your time (i.e. three days per week for a full time role) in accordance with our hybrid working policy.

#LI

A&O Shearman is a global industry-leading law firm, with nearly 50 offices in nearly 30 countries worldwide. Our fluency in English law, US law, and the laws of the world’s most dynamic markets, enables us to provide unmatched insight and seamless delivery to clients. We work on challenging and important deals and disputes that have the potential to shape the future.
We offer exceptional opportunities for our people; opportunities to work for the world’s leading businesses; to transform the status quo, and to deliver your best work, helping you and your career to thrive, while delivering unparalleled outcomes for our clients.
Whether you're helping clients solve complex challenges, transforming the ways we manage our business, or ensuring the smooth-running of our operations, this is an environment where you can belong and excel. We provide first-rate training and development, we are committed to an inclusive environment, and we provide support and ways of working that help you optimise your wellbeing.
What truly defines a career with us? We recruit the best and ask for the best of you. And together, we will redefine success.