Senior HR Business Partner

We are seeking an experienced HR professional to join our HR & Development Team. The successful candidate will act as a proactive business advisor, ensuring the effective execution and management of HR advisory services, talent acquisition, HR initiatives, and projects. This role is key in helping to develop and support the firm’s people strategy.

The focus will be on providing leadership and guidance to Partners and Managers on people matters, including resource planning, talent acquisition and retention, employee relations, talent management, and employee engagement. The role is a core member of the HR management team, reporting to the Director of Human Resources, and will be responsible for leading and developing their direct reports to ensure effective recruitment, management and development of our people throughout the full employee lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

HR Advisory

• To provide proactive advice and guidance to employees, partners and managers on the full employee lifecycle including onboarding, performance management, resource planning, absence management, welfare, reward and recognition, offboarding and other employee relations matters; to seek guidance from the HR Director and the Firm's internal employment counsel as appropriate.
• Provide advice and support in managing organisational change including restructuring exercises, resource planning, employment redeployment and terminations.
• Review policies and procedures and put forward proposals and recommendations aligned with legislative and market changes and organisational and business needs.
• Keep up to date with pay and benefit trends and market rates and provide advice and guidance on remuneration issues; working with the Compensation and Benefits team conduct the annual salary review and bonus awards process.
• Work with the HR Operations team to ensure the effective deployment of the annual performance review process for lawyers and business services staff.
• Conduct 'settling in' meetings and exit interviews and disseminate information as appropriate; ensure trends and issues are highlighted to the HR Director.
• Ensure secondments are managed and administered effectively; provide guidance to the Practice Groups for client secondment agreements and arrangements.
• Work with JSM’s Responsible Business Leads on the development of the Firm’s inclusion programmes, employee networks and other diversity related initiatives and events; actively participate in projects and initiatives.
• Assist in the development of the Firm's wellbeing programmes and the coordination of wellbeing related initiatives and events; actively participate in projects and initiatives.

Talent Acquisition

• Responsible for talent acquisition for both legal and business services roles to provide a proactive and responsive end-to-end recruitment service following best practice and Firm procedures; advise the business on current market practice and trends in relation to hiring.
• Ensure an overall excellent onboarding experience; make recommendations for change as appropriate.
• Assist the HR Director with lateral partner hiring.
• Advise on recruitment and assessment tools, processes and procedures to ensure efficient and cost-effective ways of recruiting, including direct sourcing; make recommendations for change.
• Promote and administer the employee referral scheme.
• Negotiate, agree and maintain up to date and competitive recruiter Terms of Business and Service Level Agreements; build and maintain recruitment agency relationships.
• Ensure we are using the ATS to its full potential to enhance the user experience; suggest improvements as appropriate.
• Assist with employer branding, including developing recruitment literature and website content for career pages; coach the team to draft engaging and accurate job postings.
• Advise on relocation, work permit and regulatory issues as required.
• Assist the Early Careers recruitment and development team if cover is required during periods of absence or increased workload.

General

• Prepare and collate management information as required ensuring requests for reports and data are delivered timely.
• Oversee reporting and analysis on recruitment activity for JSM; monitor and report on LinkedIn and other job board usage and maintain the business relationship with the vendor.
• Monitor budget and spend throughout the year; support the HR Director in setting the budget and developing the people strategy.
• Keep abreast of changes in employment law and current trends in HR and recruitment best practice; assist with updating policies and procedures as appropriate.
• In conjunction with the learning and development team, assist partners and managers in identifying training and development needs and support the delivery of training as appropriate.
• Undertake projects and any other ad hoc responsibilities as required.
• Manage, coach and develop direct reports to deliver objectives and achieve high performance.
• Assume responsibility for own personal development and contribute to the development of other members of the wider HR team; share knowledge and ideas.

Skills and Experience

• Educated to degree level or equivalent.
• HR related qualification desirable.
• Proven HR and recruitment experience in legal, professional services or financial services organisation.
• A thorough understanding of current employment law and how to apply this in the workplace.
• Track record of developing and implementing HR initiatives which have contributed to achieving business objectives.
• Effective project management.
• Ability to use initiative and provide pro-active and pragmatic solutions to problems.
• Analytical approach, with ability to provide clear and reasoned explanations and advice on issues.
• Ability to engage with and gain support from a range of individuals within the firm.
• Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues and engage constructively with external service providers.
• Flexible and adaptable to changing priorities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in both English and Cantonese; Mandarin desirable.
• Excellent organisational skills and ability to prioritise and juggle multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Strong influencing and persuasion skills.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet strict deadlines.

Should you require any reasonable adjustments to be made for you during the recruitment process please do not hesitate to contact a member of the JSM recruitment team.