Human Resource Generalist

Foodstories; Gurugram District, Bengaluru, Mumbai Suburban; On-site; INR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

Foodstories in India is hiring a Store HR professional to manage the complete employee lifecycle at the store level. You will partner with the Store Manager and Operations to oversee frontline recruitment, onboarding, attendance, leave management, engagement, and HR compliance.

The role requires hands-on experience in retail/hospitality HR, managing high-volume shifts, and building a positive, inclusive workplace culture across store teams. This is an on-site, performance-driven position.

Qualifications

• 25 years of HR experience in Retail, Hospitality, QSR, Restaurants, Food & Beverage or customer-facing businesses.
• Prior frontline store management experience is mandatory.
• Strong understanding of shift-based, high-volume workforces.
• Experience in frontline recruitment and employee engagement.
• Experience handling grievances, attendance, attrition, and HR operations at store level.

Responsibilities

• Lead store-level recruitment, onboarding, attendance and leave management.
• Manage employee lifecycle, transfers, promotions, exits, and documentation.
• Oversee payroll inputs and coordinate with central HR/payroll teams.
• Drive employee engagement initiatives and culture across store teams.
• Ensure HR compliance with local labour regulations and company policies.
• Provide performance management support and issue resolution at the store level.
• Maintain HR data accuracy in HRMS and reporting.
• Partner with Store Manager and Operations to optimize people operations.

Skills

Frontline recruitment

Employee engagement

HR operations

Retail & hospitality HR

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR

MBA/PGDM in HR

Tools

HRIS/HRMS

Payroll systems

Job description

About Foodstories:

Foodstories is the gourmet store to shop at in India, a destination for discerning consumers who appreciate exceptional taste, premium quality, and discovering something new. More than just a food store, Foodstories brings together the world of gourmet food, everyday indulgence, wellness, and culinary discovery under one roof.

Designed for people who believe great food is an experience, Foodstories offers a thoughtfully curated selection of premium farm-fresh produce, artisanal bakery products, handcrafted cheeses, single-origin chocolates, exotic spices, global pantry essentials, wellness products, and much more. With nearly half of its offerings freshly prepared in-store, Foodstories places freshness, quality, and authenticity at the heart of the experience.

The Foodstories experience extends beyond shopping. Each store brings together gourmet retail, all-day dining, specialty coffee, fresh food, and wellness in a contemporary environment designed to make discovering and enjoying great food an everyday experience.

With a growing presence across India, Foodstories currently has stores at Hill Road, Bandra and Lokhandwala, Andheri in Mumbai, Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj in Delhi NCR, Banjara Hills in Hyderabad, and Prestige Sterling Square in Bengaluru. The brand is continuing its rapid expansion, with new stores coming soon in Bellandur, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad.

Foodstories also makes premium food accessible wherever customers are, through its online platform, app, WhatsApp ordering, and personalised phone-based concierge services creating a seamless omnichannel experience between its stores and digital platforms.

Founded by Ashni Biyani and Avni Biyani, Foodstories is built around a shared passion for exceptional ingredients, global food cultures, and elevated experiences. With its distinctive mix of gourmet retail, fresh food, dining, coffee, and wellness, Foodstories is creating a new benchmark for how India shops, discovers, and experiences premium food.

We are looking for a Store HR who will be the HR point of contact for our store teams and play a hands-on role in managing the complete employee lifecycle at the store level.

About the Role

The Store HR will partner closely with the Store Manager and Operations team to ensure smooth people operations across the outlet. The role will be responsible for frontline hiring, onboarding, attendance and leave management, employee engagement, grievance handling, performance management, compliance, and overall employee experience.

The ideal candidate must have prior HR experience in the retail and/or hospitality industry, with a strong understanding of managing frontline, shift-based and customer-facing employees.

Key Responsibilities

1. Store Hiring & Recruitment

• Manage end-to-end recruitment for store-level and frontline positions.
• Work closely with Store Managers to understand manpower requirements and staffing gaps.
• Source candidates through job portals, referrals, walk-ins, local hiring networks, and other relevant channels.
• Screen candidates and coordinate interviews with the operations team.
• Drive timely closures for critical store positions.
• Maintain recruitment trackers and monitor joining ratios.
• Build and maintain a pipeline of suitable frontline talent for future requirements.

2. Onboarding & Employee Lifecycle

• Coordinate joining formalities, documentation, background verification, and induction.
• Ensure new employees receive a smooth and engaging onboarding experience.
• Conduct HR induction covering company policies, workplace conduct, attendance, leave, benefits, and employee expectations.
• Maintain accurate employee records and HR documentation.
• Manage employee movements including transfers, promotions, confirmations, and exits.
• Conduct exit interviews and identify key reasons for attrition.

3. Attendance, Leave & Workforce Management

• Monitor daily attendance, shift rosters, leave, absenteeism, and manpower availability.
• Work closely with Store Managers to address attendance and staffing issues.
• Track late coming, absenteeism, overtime, and other workforce-related matters.
• Ensure timely and accurate payroll inputs from the store.
• Coordinate with the central HR/payroll team to resolve employee payroll queries.

4. Employee Relations & Grievance Handling

• Act as the primary HR point of contact for store employees.
• Build strong relationships with frontline employees and store leadership.
• Listen to and resolve employee concerns and grievances in a fair and timely manner.
• Support managers in handling disciplinary and behavioural issues.
• Maintain confidentiality while handling sensitive employee matters.
• Foster a positive, respectful, and inclusive workplace culture.

5. Employee Engagement & Culture

• Drive employee engagement initiatives at the store level.
• Organize employee activities, celebrations, recognition programs, and team-building initiatives.
• Support initiatives aimed at improving employee morale and retention.
• Promote Foodstories' values and culture across the store team.
• Regularly interact with employees to understand their experience and concerns.

6. Performance Management

• Coordinate store-level performance review and appraisal processes.
• Ensure employees and managers complete performance discussions on time.
• Support managers with performance-related concerns and improvement plans.
• Track employee confirmations and performance-related actions.
• Identify high-performing employees and support recognition initiatives.

7. HR Compliance & Documentation

• Ensure adherence to company HR policies and procedures.
• Maintain accurate employee documentation and store HR records.
• Support compliance with applicable labour and employment regulations.
• Ensure required statutory records and documentation are maintained.
• Coordinate with the central HR team on audits and compliance requirements.

8. HR MIS & Reporting

• Prepare and maintain regular store HR reports.
• Track headcount, attrition, absenteeism, hiring, vacancies, attendance, and employee movements.
• Highlight key people-related issues and trends to the HR and Operations leadership.
• Maintain accurate and timely HR data in HRMS and other systems.

Must-Have Experience

• 25 years of HR experience, preferably in Retail, Hospitality, QSR, Restaurants, Food & Beverage, or other customer-facing businesses.
• Prior experience managing frontline/store employees is mandatory.
• Strong understanding of shift-based and high-volume workforce environments.
• Experience in frontline recruitment and employee engagement.
• Experience handling employee grievances, attendance, attrition, and HR operations at the store-outlet level.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.
• MBA/PGDM in HR will be an added advantage.

What We Are Looking For

• We are looking for someone who is hands-on, approachable, energetic, and comfortable working on the store floor.
• The right candidate should enjoy working closely with frontline teams, understand the realities of retail and hospitality operations, and be able to balance employee needs with business requirements.
• This is not a desk-only HR role. The Store HR will be expected to be visible and accessible to employees, work closely with the Store Manager, and proactively identify and solve people-related issues.