Senior HR Consultant at Microsoft

Overview

The UK is an exciting, dynamic and significant market for Microsoft and represents every part of the Microsoft portfolio, from the all-up UK Microsoft Consumer and Partner Solutions organisation, through MAI, Data Centres, Microsoft’s Consumer Business, Gaming, Engineering groups for Strategic Missions and Experiences & Devices, to the cutting-edge Microsoft Research centre based in Cambridge. As an HR professional, the opportunities to engage with different client groups are endless; as are your opportunities for impact and growth.

The UK OneHR function is currently hiring for a Senior HR Manager to join our Human Resources Consulting Team, to engage with managers and employess across all professions.  The HR Consulting Team empower Microsoft’s business performance and inclusive culture through human centred, data and insights and AI powered, coaching and global solutions for managers and employees.   You will be joining a friendly, can-do team and your purpose will be to empower managers and employees to deliver Microsoft’s culture and mission.  You’ll support and engage managers on a one to one basis as they navigate performance and development for their teams in a hybrid environment and use your insights to deliver scaleable solutions that deliver broad impact across all functions.  You’ll also join a team at an exciting point in it’s evolution and take an active role in defining and driving new ways of working, in partnership with others across the entire HR function.

Responsibilities

Employee Relations

• Directs the diagnostics and resolution of issues with increasing complexity, visibility and risk related to policy and incident or threat response, by collaborating with managers, peers in Human Resources and Legal profession as appropriate; recommends solutions to address issues from a systematic perspective (e.g., establishing new principles/tools) while prioritizing employee experiences to maintain a safe and professional work environment.
• Assists/Partners with Workplace Investigations Team (WIT), Office of Legal Compliance (OLC) and Global Employee Relations Team (GERT) in investigations of serious cases and implements appropriate remediation in conjunction with a business, region, or geography; ensures appropriate documentation of issues is in place.
• Interprets trends in employee relations issues; designs and recommends interventions and solutions to facilitate an open, inclusive, Microsoft values-based environment that enables effective employee relations for an assigned business, region, or geography.   

HR Solutions Consulting

• Provides expert consulting services to managers and employees in one or more focus areas related to HR programs, processes, and initiatives; represents their focus area in the broader HR community; influences the future direction of HR work by synthesizing insights and contributing perspectives, expertise, and leadership.
• Leads data analytics and organizational health diagnostics by creating analysis plans and leading the collaboration with Human Resources Business Partnership (HRBP); generates and/or presents trends and insights on organizational health solutions; recommends action plans to business leaders based on analytics and business/local needs.        

 Capability Building

• Identifies the appropriate approach and leverages resources to enhance manager capability by conducting one-on-one consulting/coaching with business leaders, or by engaging relevant stakeholders and Human Resource (HR) partners in capability building conversations.
• Leads their area in the collaboration with peer disciplines or professions (e.g., Talent Management, Learning and Development), as well as global Human Resource partners, to contribute insights, leverage resources, and provide capability building support for the leadership of a business, region, or geography via scalable projects, programs, and/or initiatives (e.g., manager excellence community, manager capability, onboarding, team-building, rewards communication).
• Identifies and aggregates training needs within the business, region, or geography supported; develops implementation plans to address the training needs identified, and partners with peer Human Resource (HR) disciplines in developing and coordinating respective trainings as needed.

HR Project and Programs

• Partners with Centers of Excellence on implementing and capitalizing on scalable Human Resources programs and processes (e.g., Rhythm of Business (ROB)/performance and development cycle, management excellence communities, employee movement, ad-hoc projects); manages Human Resources processes for a business, region, or geography by reviewing progress and making recommendations on project/program management.
• Leads the design and implementation of local Human Resource (HR) projects or programs (e.g., critical positions retention, mid-year performance checkpoint) based on unique needs for a business, region, or geography; provides project guidance related to prioritization, timelines, budget, resourcing, and impact.
• Leverages, aligns, and integrates communication strategies and messages from the Center of Excellence (CoE); guides others in the implementation of communication messages; collaborates with peer disciplines (e.g., Human Resources Business Partnership) to gain buy-in on programs and processes from business stakeholders.

Operational Compliance

• Interprets and advocates Microsoft values and compliance with HR policies for a business, region, or geography. Identifies/raises needs to mitigate potential risks by collaborating with the Legal profession; collaborates with peers in other businesses, regions, or geographies to share input and drive standardized/scalable approach for enhancing compliance.
• Leads the localization/update of policies and procedures related to managed projects and programs; establishes partnerships with Human Resources policy owners and relevant stakeholders; may lead efforts to update policies (e.g., benefits-related) in collaboration with peer Human Resource (HR) disciplines (e.g., HR Shared Services Support).

Queue Management

• Manages, distributes, and oversees queries coming through the Customer Relationship Management (CRM)/queue management system for a business, region, and geography; assesses severity levels of queries and determines management approach; responds to written correspondence, email and other outreach from employees and manager; shares feedback to the senior advisors for queue management system (AskHR) regarding opportunities to solve problems earlier in the funnel, escalation, and process efficiency.

Qualifications

• Significant experience with Human Resources or Business programs/processes relating to people processes
• Able to demonstrate high-impact behaviours relevant to a highly matrixed organisation
• Relevant professional qualifications