Employee Relations Consultant

Cisco; Penang; Hybrid; MYR 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Cisco is seeking an experienced Employee Relations Consultant for Malaysia, reporting to the Employee Relations Leader within the P&C organization. The role collaborates across APJC and globally to investigate workplace concerns, advise on HR policies, and provide strategic ER guidance.

The ideal candidate will have deep ER expertise, strong communication skills, and the ability to balance business needs with fair resolution, while upholding Cisco's guiding principles and culture of

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in HR, Business Admin, Psychology or related field.
• 6+ years progressive experience in Human Resources.
• 3+ years experience handling complex Employee Relations investigations.
• Solid knowledge of SEA, Singapore and Australia ER laws and compliance requirements.

Responsibilities

• Join a high performing ER team and collaborate with APJC and global colleagues.
• Independently conduct complex workplace investigations and maintain case files.
• Provide guidance on policy interpretation, investigations, disciplinary actions and workforce reductions.
• Balance business needs with fair resolution of issues while mitigating risk.
• Review disciplinary actions including termination documentation and advise stakeholders.
• Contribute to continuous improvement within the ER team and uphold integrity and accountability.
• Communicate effectively with all levels of the enterprise, including senior leadership.
• Partner with People Partners, People Legal and other teams to deliver HR strategies.

Skills

Employee relations

Investigations

Policy interpretation

Communication

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR / Business / Psychology

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft PowerPoint

HR Acuity

Job description

Location preferred: Malaysia - Hybrid

Employee Relations Consultant - Malaysia

Meet the Team

We are seeking an experienced Human Resources consultant with strong Employee Relations (ER) experience to support as ER Consultant in Southeast Asia, Singapore, Australia and across the APJC region. The role will report to the Employee Relations Leader and is part of Cisco’s People & Communities (P&C) organization.

The Global ER team is responsible for the fair and respectful treatment of employees through the investigation of workplace complaints and advising on HR policies and practices and complex employment matters.

The role will collaborate with business leaders, People Partners and cross-functional stakeholders to address employee concerns, conduct investigations and be a consultative partner on complex employee relations matters.

The position requires deep subject matter expertise, in depth ER experience, strong communication and interpersonal skills.

Your Impact

• Join a high performing ER team, working in close alignment and collaboration with ER and P&C colleagues and leaders in APJC and globally.
• Independently conduct complex workplace investigations and maintain comprehensive case files. Engage with key stakeholders, including providing timely communication to relevant parties, to build partnerships within the P&C ecosystem.
• Provide collaborative guidance to People Partners and management on topics ranging from policy interpretation, workplace investigations, disciplinary action recommendations, performance management and workforce reductions.
• Provide guidance and / or solutions aligned to consistent application of policies and procedures as well as on best practices and ways to mitigate risks while using judgement to balance business needs with fair resolution of issues.
• Review and advise on disciplinary actions including termination documentation – tailoring and delivering recommendations in an effective way to help influence the right outcomes with stakeholders while mitigating risk to Cisco.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement culture within the Employee Relations team, embracing change and driving operational rigor and accountability.
• Communicate with all levels of the enterprise, including senior leadership.
• Remain respectful and empathetic in the face of difficult and sensitive situations.
• Partner closely and collaboratively with People Partners, People Legal, People Care Crisis, Leader Consulting, Offboarding and other teams to deliver HR strategies.
• Uphold and integrate Cisco’s Guiding Principles and foster a culture of integrity, respect and accountability in all actions, decisions and interactions.

Minimum Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Psychology, or related field
• 6+ years of progressive experience in Human Resources
• 3+ years’ experience handling complex Employee Relations investigations
• Solid knowledge of Southeast Asia, Singapore, and Australia Employee Relations, labor laws and compliance requirements

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior ER experience supporting other APJC countries (e.g., Australia, South Korea) preferred.
• Ability to exercise good judgment during challenging, sensitive, complex and ambiguous situations
• Ability to execute with quality, a sense of urgency and accountability
• Comfortable challenging the status quo and taking smart risks
• Demonstrated experience collaborating and supporting business objectives. Experience in influencing and coaching senior level and executive business leaders
• Strong communication skills, including presentations and training delivery.
• Ability to multi-task and work proactively and independently, managing competing priorities in fast-paced environment.
• Highly motivated, confident, proactive and intellectually curious
• Willing to embrace emerging AI tools to improve efficiency while balancing the critical human element of employee advocacy and workplace culture.
• Technically proficient in Microsoft tools, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and can easily adapt to other online tools used by the team. Experience with HR Acuity a plus.

Why Cisco?

At Cisco, we’re revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect organizations in the AI era – and beyond. We’ve been innovating fearlessly for 40 years to create solutions that power how humans and technology work together across the physical and digital worlds. These solutions provide customers with unparalleled security, visibility, and insights across the entire digital footprint.

Fueled by the depth and breadth of our technology, we experiment and create meaningful solutions. Add to that our worldwide network of doers and experts, and you’ll see that the opportunities to grow and build are limitless. We work as a team, collaborating with empathy to make really big things happen on a global scale. Because our solutions are everywhere, our impact is everywhere.

We are Cisco, and our power starts with you.