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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for HR Advisor

💰 $60,000 - $95,000

Human ResourcesEmployee RelationsTalent Management

🎯 Role Definition

The HR Advisor is a hands-on human resources professional who partners with managers and employees to resolve employee relations issues, deliver HR policy guidance, and implement people programs that improve performance, engagement and compliance. This role combines case management (conducting investigations, forming performance improvement plans, handling grievances) with proactive advisory work (coaching managers, improving processes, supporting restructures and recruitment) and operational HR activities (onboarding, HRIS administration, reporting). The HR Advisor ensures employment law compliance, drives consistent application of HR policies, and contributes to broader HR strategy and projects.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • HR Coordinator / HR Assistant
  • HR Generalist
  • Recruitment Consultant / Talent Acquisition Specialist

Advancement To:

  • Senior HR Advisor / Senior Employee Relations Advisor
  • HR Business Partner
  • HR Manager

Lateral Moves:

  • Talent Acquisition Specialist / Recruitment Lead
  • Learning & Development Specialist / OD Consultant
  • Compensation & Benefits Analyst

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Provide high-quality, practical employee relations advice and coaching to managers and employees on performance management, capability issues, discipline, grievances, bullying and harassment, and other conduct matters, ensuring consistency with company policy and employment legislation.
  • Lead and manage formal and informal employee relations casework from intake through resolution, including drafting letters, timelines, investigation plans, witness statements, findings, and outcome documentation while maintaining strict confidentiality.
  • Plan, conduct and/or oversee workplace investigations (disciplinary, misconduct, harassment, discrimination), including interviewing parties and witnesses, gathering evidence, preparing investigation reports and recommending remedial actions.
  • Partner with line managers to design and implement performance improvement plans (PIPs), track progress, advise on fair objective setting, and facilitate capability reviews and performance-related terminations when necessary.
  • Advise and guide managers on absence and sickness management, long-term absence case handling, reasonable adjustments, return-to-work processes, and occupational health referrals to reduce absence and maintain compliance.
  • Support restructures, redundancies and reorganizations — perform role audits, advise on consultation processes, handle selection processes, redeployment and redundancy payments, and ensure legal and procedural fairness.
  • Draft, review and update HR policies, procedures and standard operating templates to reflect legislative change and best practice, and ensure policies are clearly communicated and consistently applied.
  • Manage disciplinary and grievance procedures end-to-end, ensuring investigations and hearings are fair, timely and well-documented; support appeals and follow-up actions.
  • Provide specialist advice on employment law matters (contracts, statutory entitlements, family leave, discrimination law) and escalate complex legal issues to HR leadership and legal counsel as required.
  • Support recruitment and onboarding by advising hiring managers on selection, offer process, contract terms, immigration checks, background checks, and structured induction plans to improve retention and candidate experience.
  • Maintain and update accurate employee records in the HRIS, ensuring data integrity for reporting, payroll and compliance purposes; support HRIS configuration and user training as needed.
  • Generate and analyze HR metrics and management information (turnover, absence, case trends, time-to-fill) to identify risks, measure impact of interventions and inform leadership decision-making.
  • Deliver targeted training and workshops to managers on people topics such as performance conversations, difficult feedback, investigation best practice, and employment law awareness to build capability and reduce risk.
  • Act as a trusted escalation point for managers on complex people issues, offering pragmatic, solution-focused recommendations and supporting implementation of agreed actions.
  • Support pay reviews, salary benchmarking and short-term compensation recommendations in partnership with reward/compensation teams to ensure fair and competitive treatment of staff.
  • Liaise with external partners including legal advisors, trade unions, employment tribunals and occupational health providers to manage disputes and compliance requirements.
  • Manage confidential HR case documentation and ensure strict adherence to data protection regulations when handling sensitive employee information.
  • Participate in HR projects and change initiatives (HRIS implementations, policy rollouts, engagement programs) and represent the employee relations perspective in cross-functional workstreams.
  • Facilitate exit interviews, analyze attrition drivers and provide actionable recommendations to reduce voluntary turnover and preserve institutional knowledge.
  • Support diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives by advising on inclusive recruitment practices, accommodation requests, and bias mitigation in HR processes.
  • Coach and mentor junior HR staff, providing guidance on case management, policy interpretation and professional development to build team capability.
  • Monitor regulatory changes and best practices in employment law and HR operations, proactively recommending updates to leadership and implementing changes to maintain compliance.
  • Prepare and present executive-level summaries and case trend reports to HR leadership, offering insight-driven recommendations and highlighting areas of legal or operational risk.

Secondary Functions

  • Contribute to the design and delivery of employee engagement surveys, create insight reports and partner with business leaders to develop action plans that improve culture and retention.
  • Support workforce planning activities by providing headcount analytics, skills gap analysis and recommendations for talent pipelines.
  • Coordinate with payroll and benefits providers to troubleshoot issues and ensure accurate administration of pay and statutory entitlements.
  • Maintain relationships with external vendors (background screening, EAP, training providers) to deliver consistent people services.
  • Participate in departmental budgeting for HR initiatives and provide cost-impact analysis for proposed changes to headcount or benefits.
  • Assist in HR process improvement initiatives using lean principles to streamline workflows and improve manager/employee experience.
  • Support the rollout of health, safety and wellbeing programs and advise managers on reasonable adjustments and supportive return-to-work plans.
  • Actively contribute to employer branding projects and candidate experience improvements during recruitment and onboarding touchpoints.
  • Provide ad-hoc HR reporting, including bespoke analyses for senior stakeholders and support for audit requests.
  • Engage in continuous professional development and knowledge sharing across the HR function to keep practices current and effective.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Strong knowledge of employment law and statutory employee rights (FMLA, ADA, EEOC considerations, local jurisdiction variations).
  • Case and investigation management (investigation planning, evidence review, interviewing techniques, report writing).
  • HRIS proficiency (Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, ADP, Oracle HCM, UK/region-specific systems) with experience maintaining accurate employee data and running reports.
  • Applicant Tracking Systems and recruitment tools (Greenhouse, iCIMS, Taleo or similar) to support hiring and onboarding workflows.
  • HR metrics and analytics: ability to extract, analyze and visualize turnover, absence, resolution times and other people metrics using Excel, Power BI or Tableau.
  • Performance management processes and tools: PIP design, calibration sessions, succession planning.
  • Compensation and benefits knowledge: salary benchmarking, job evaluation basics, statutory pay calculations.
  • Experience drafting and implementing HR policies, contracts and employee communications with legal and commercial awareness.
  • Familiarity with case management and documentation software and secure recordkeeping best practices.
  • Project management skills: process mapping, stakeholder coordination, milestone tracking for HR projects and rollouts.

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional interpersonal and written communication skills with the ability to simplify complex legal or policy matters for managers and employees.
  • Strong coaching and influencing skills to guide managers on sensitive people issues and secure buy-in for recommended actions.
  • High level of discretion, integrity and confidentiality when handling sensitive employee information and investigations.
  • Critical thinking and problem-solving with a pragmatic, solutions-focused mindset.
  • Resilience and emotional intelligence when managing conflict, escalations and change situations.
  • Stakeholder management: ability to build credibility and trusted relationships across all levels of the organization.
  • Time management and prioritization: manage multiple cases and projects with competing deadlines.
  • Attention to detail and strong documentation practices to ensure defensible outcomes.
  • Negotiation and mediation skills to facilitate resolutions and reduce escalation to formal processes.
  • Cultural awareness and commitment to inclusion, ensuring fair treatment and unbiased advice.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Psychology, Law, or a related field.

Preferred Education:

  • Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) Level 5/7 or SHRM-CP / SHRM-SCP certification.
  • Postgraduate qualification in employment law or HR management advantageous.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Human Resources Management
  • Business Administration
  • Psychology / Industrial-Organizational Psychology
  • Employment Law / Legal Studies

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 3–7 years of professional HR experience with a strong focus on employee relations, case management, and policy implementation.

Preferred:

  • 5+ years’ experience advising managers on complex employee relations cases, conducting investigations, supporting restructures, and delivering HR projects in a mid-size to large organization or within a regulated industry.
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