Senior HR Advisor

Who are we?

First Rail is one of the UK's most experienced rail operators, carrying more than 345m passengers across four franchises (Great Western Railway, South Western Railway, and Avanti West Coast) and our open access operators (Hull Trains and the newly launched Lumo). We operate all types of passenger railways - intercity, commuter, regional and sleeper services.

We are continually seeking ways in which to improve the experience for our customers. Our Customer Contact Centre uses industry leading systems to deliver excellent customer service and ensure that requests are speedily and effectively resolved.

Our delivery teams are responsible for a variety of customer support matters which range from processing customer compensation claims to complaints handling, group bookings and assisted/special services, quality assurance and fraud prevention and detection and retails sales to individuals and corporates.

First Customer Contact is part of FirstGroup, the largest rail operator in the UK and second largest bus operator in the UK outside London. FirstGroup operates services throughout the UK and Ireland, with over 30,000 employees providing services that make travel smoother and life easier. FirstGroup works hard to reduce its impact on the environment, introducing cleaner and more environmentally responsible methods of transport.

About the job

As a Senior HR Advisor, you will be the first point of contact for all general queries, and you will take responsibility for keeping up to date with any changes in employment law. You will be the escalation point for the HR Advisors/Assistants in the department.

Reporting to the Head of HR you will oversee a variety of different tasks for the day to day running of the contact centre.

Your main responsibilities will be:

Create, develop, and update HR policies and procedures in line with any changes in employment legislation.
Establish and build effective relationships with key stakeholders at all levels.
Be responsible for ER case management, providing accurate advice covering all levels of complexity.
Display excellent commination skills, both written and verbal.
Offer guidance and support to HR advisor/ HR Assistants, fostering a collaborative and efficient HR team.
Support the Head of HR with ad hoc projects as and when required.
Monitor, analyse and report on key HR Data/ KPI's
Support in Manager upskilling training programmes.
Absence Management- proactively monitor absence levels, dealing with Long Term Sickness and supporting with Occupational health providers.
To prepare all written correspondence for FCC employees e.g., changes to terms and conditions, absence, maternity/paternity/adoption leave, performance development, disciplinary, grievance etc.
To aid the general improvement of all HR data by creating and pro-actively maintaining accurate and complete employee records ensuring compliance with HR best practice and Data Protection requirements.
To produce electronic reports and monthly employee lists from the HR database as required
To record performance ratings and produce reports/analysis as required.

As a minimum, you will need to have:

CIPD/Relevant qualifications
Proven experience in a similar HR role
Strong attention to detail.
Excellent organisation skills and ability to prioritise work.
Ability to think independently and apply logic and common sense.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Proven ability of providing excellence and efficiency to internal customers.
Experience of building internal relationships
Computer literacy, must be able to easily operate in terms of checking and maintaining data.
Responding to emails utilising chat services
Microsoft Technologies – Office 365, Teams etc

The Reward

A Travel Pass which entitles you to free travel on the FirstGroup Bus.
Discounted travel for you and your family on our trains (Avanti West Coast, Great Western Railway, Hull Trains, Lumo and Southwestern Railway) after 6 months of service
25 days holiday (plus Public Holidays)
Contributory pension scheme
Discounted Gym Membership to help you stay fit for less
Discounts at over 100 retailers, including well-known high-street shops, cinema tickets, flights, and holiday bookings through our in-house rewards package.
Discounts on selected local retailers & brands
Engaging and vibrant environment

We all belong at First Customer Contact. FirstGroup's vision is to provide an inclusive environment for all colleagues, across its group of businesses, ensuring all candidates have an equal opportunity to access meaningful employment.

We value our differences such as age, gender, LGBTQIA+, ethnicity, religion, and disability. We maintain a zero tolerance towards any form of prejudice towards our colleagues, customers, and future talent.

We celebrate and encourage diversity of thought, progressive ways of working and seeing all our colleagues grow and thrive.

We review all roles and job descriptions to ensure they are accessible and, where possible, we support and provide flexible working options; we recommend that you refer to each vacancy description for further details.

If you require additional support to complete your application due to a disability or neurodivergent condition, for example, dyslexia, dyspraxia, or autism, please follow the links below. We encourage you to share any additional needs you may require so we can provide a fair and equal process for all who apply.

https://exceptionalindividuals.com/neurodiversity/

https://www.healthassured.org/blog/neurodiversity/