Apprentice HR Generalist: Grow Your People Skills

Purchaseyourfreedom; Slough; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 31,000; Full time

Job summary

John Crane, part of Smiths Group, is seeking an Apprentice HR Generalist to join our UK HR team and support the delivery of a professional, responsive HR service across the employee lifecycle.

You will work closely with the Senior HR Generalist, gaining hands‑on experience in recruitment, onboarding, employee relations, engagement, HR administration, reporting, and learning & development while receiving guidance on more complex HR matters.

Qualifications

• HR experience
• Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with discretion
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office suite e.g. Outlook, Word, PowerPoint Excel, Pivot tables
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Good attention to detail and organisation skills
• Ability to plan and meet deadlines and proactively take ownership
• Strong interpersonal skills

Responsibilities

• Act as a first point of contact for day‑to‑day UK HR queries.
• Support recruitment activities, including raising requisitions, preparing new hire documentation, and coordinating onboarding processes.
• Monitor pre‑employment screening activities, including background checks, right‑to‑work verification, and escalation of any discrepancies.
• Coordinate weekly site inductions for new starters and deliver HR systems demonstrations.
• Conduct new starter engagement check‑ins to support a positive onboarding experience.
• Manage employee lifecycle administration by liaising with Shared Services to ensure activities are completed accurately and within agreed timelines.
• Track and monitor actions arising from site Tier meetings.
• Produce monthly HR metrics and reports, including headcount, starters, leavers, and absence data.
• Support quarterly HR audits by running reports, validating data, and escalating issues where required.
• Maintain accurate employee records and ensure data integrity across HR systems.
• Support employee relations activities by preparing documentation, drafting invitation letters, scheduling meetings, and maintaining case records.
• Attend employee relations meetings as required and ensure processes are followed through to completion.
• Respond to employee HR enquiries and provide guidance on policies, procedures, and HR processes.
• Monitor long‑term absence cases and support managers with short‑term absence management processes.
• Escalate complex employee relations matters to the Senior HR Generalist as appropriate.
• Support the planning and delivery of employee engagement initiatives and events.
• Assist with the implementation of employee feedback and action plans, including My Say initiatives.
• Participate in employee engagement networks and contribute ideas to enhance the employee experience.
• Support Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) activities, awareness campaigns, and site engagement events.
• Help coordinate communication and engagement activities across the site.
• Support the coordination and delivery of training programmes and learning initiatives.
• Assist with organising and delivering training sessions, including Team Leader and Respect & Ethics training.
• Maintain training records and ensure learning activities are accurately tracked.
• Provide administrative support for wider learning and development projects as required.

Skills

HR experience

Confidentiality

Communication

Attention to detail

Time management

Interpersonal skills

Tools

MS Office

Job description

John Crane, part of Smiths Group, is seeking an Apprentice HR Generalist to join our UK HR team and support the delivery of a professional, responsive HR service across the employee lifecycle.

You will work closely with the Senior HR Generalist, gaining hands‑on experience in recruitment, onboarding, employee relations, engagement, HR administration, reporting, and learning & development while receiving guidance on more complex HR matters.