HR Adviser

Slaughter and May; Greater London; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Slaughter and May is recruiting an experienced HR Adviser to join the HR Advisory team in London. This permanent, full-time role reports to an HR Manager and supports HR Managers for Legal Groups and Business Services.

The role covers the full employee lifecycle, complex employee relations, flexible working, and performance processes, with data analysis and Workday governance at its core.

Qualifications

• Experience in a similar HR advisory role within professional services.
• CIPD qualification preferred; strong knowledge of employment law.
• Ability to build relationships with partners, managers and staff.

Responsibilities

• Deliver comprehensive HR service across the employee lifecycle.
• Advise managers on ER matters including absence, performance and disciplinary issues.
• Manage flexible working, family leave, and changes to terms and conditions.
• Support performance reviews and HR data reporting using Workday.
• Collaborate with HR Advisers to ensure consistent approach and high-quality delivery.

Skills

Interpersonal communication

Relationship building

Data analysis

HR systems proficiency

Organisation & multitasking

Education

CIPD qualification preferred

HR qualification

Tools

Workday (HRIS)

Job description

We are recruiting for an experienced HR Adviser to work within the HR Advisory team. The role is a permanent, full-time position and will report into one of the team’s HR Managers. Human Resources (‘HR’) is responsible for supporting and developing the firm’s people to help drive and shape the future success of the firm.

The HR Adviser will be responsible for providing support to the HR Managers for Legal Groups and Business Services departments to ensure a comprehensive, proactive, and considered HR service to the firm.

Our HR Advisory team offers a comprehensive range of HR support, partnering with Partners and Business Services leaders to develop and implement people strategies that drive organisational success. Working closely with the broader HR function—including Early Careers Development, Early Careers Recruitment, Recruitment, Diversity and Inclusion, HR Systems and MI, Global Mobility, and Reward and Benefits—this role ensures an integrated, proactive, and high-impact HR service.

Key responsibilities

The key responsibilities of this role are set out below and there may be others which are not listed. You may be required on occasion to work outside our normal working hours of 9:30am to 5:30pm.

• Working alongside HR Managers to deliver a comprehensive, proactive HR service across the full employee lifecycle, with clear accountability for defined populations, processes and outcomes.
• Acting as a trusted adviser to partners, directors, managers and employees, building strong working relationships and providing high‑quality, pragmatic and risk‑aware HR advice and guidance.
• Managing employee relations matters end‑to‑end, including probation, sickness absence, health and wellbeing, performance management, disciplinary and grievance processes. This includes responsibility for handling cases independently within agreed parameters, with exposure to more complex ER matters where appropriate, working closely with the Head of Employee Relations and HR Managers on higher‑risk issues.
• Owning and managing flexible working requests and changes to terms and conditions of employment on an end‑to‑end basis, including advising managers, attending formal meetings where required, and preparing outcomes and documentation.
• Managing the family leave process, working proactively with departments to support employees before, during and on return from leave, keeping abreast of legislative and policy developments and contributing to continuous improvement.
• Owning and proactively supporting performance review processes for allocated populations, providing guidance to managers, ensuring consistency of approach and supporting appropriate follow‑up actions.
• Managing fixed‑term contracts and contractors, including tracking end dates, advising on extensions and ensuring timely and accurate completion of documentation.
• Carrying out leaver feedback meetings, producing analysis and insights to inform wider people initiatives and improvements.
• Collating, analysing and interpreting management information, identifying trends and supporting evidence‑based decision‑making in partnership with HR Managers and the wider HR team.
• Working closely with HR Managers on internal moves, visas and international secondments, including responsibility for visiting lawyer, visiting barrister and secondment processes where allocated.
• Maintaining accurate HR records and ensuring HR systems and data are kept up to date, including taking responsibility for activity within Workday to support accurate data management, workflow processing and strong system governance, and providing guidance to managers and colleagues on appropriate use of the system.
• Collaborating effectively with other HR Advisers to ensure consistency of approach, shared learning and high‑quality delivery, and contributing to the successful implementation of HR projects and initiatives across the firm.

General

• Keeping abreast of industry trends and developments, through a strong network of external contacts both within and outside the legal sector and making recommendations for change within the firm where appropriate.
• Working closely with the wider HR team, providing support and guidance where required to provide a seamless service to the business.
• Any other duties that fall within the parameters of this role.

Candidate profile

Candidates for this position must have:

• Experience working in a similar role within a professional services environment.
• Preferably CIPD qualified or part qualified.
• Client focused with the ability to adapt approach and service.
• Good working knowledge of employment law and best practice HR Management.
• Experience of using HR systems and producing management information; experience of working with Workday (or a comparable HRIS) would be advantageous, with the ability and appetite to develop system and process expertise.
• The ability to build strong business relationships with internal and external contacts and the resilience to deal with demanding individuals.
• Proactive, prepared to take a hands‑on approach, to managing their workload using their own initiative.
• Comfortable accepting instructions and guidance from different team members and managing several priorities at one time.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team but comfortable working on their own.
• A willingness to provide feedback, share information, contribute ideas and suggestions as necessary.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, written, spoken and presentational, including strong influencing skills.
• Ability to express views clearly and succinctly in a variety of communication settings and styles.
• Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to multi‑task, keep calm under pressure and work to tight deadlines.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Skilled in data analysis and HR systems, with the ability to interpret trends and suggest appropriate next steps.
• Experience of handling confidential matters with discretion and professionalism.
• Experience of working in a diverse team whilst fostering an inclusive team culture.
• High level of professionalism and integrity; displaying the highest standard of professional ethics.

We are a Disability Confident Committed employer and will offer an interview to applicants with a disability or long‑term condition who best meet the minimum or essential criteria for our Business Services roles. You are disabled under the Equality Act 2010 if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long‑term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities. For more information about the Disability Confident scheme, please see the government website here.

We welcome applications irrespective of race, colour, ethnic or national origin, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, belief or marital status.