People and Culture Manager

Workstream; Peoria (IL); On-site; USD 47,000 - 63,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary: $55,000 annually

Paid Time Off

Professional Development Opportunities

Advancement into Director of People &

Job summary

NOW Hospitality is seeking a dynamic People & Culture Manager to lead talent acquisition, onboarding, development, performance, and culture across our growing hospitality organization.

You will build scalable people systems, partner with leadership, and create exceptional employee experiences across multiple locations. The role reports to executive leadership and focuses on driving growth and high performance.

Qualifications

• 3–5+ years of Human Resources, Talent Acquisition, or People Operations experience
• Restaurant, hospitality, retail, or multi-unit operations experience strongly preferred
• Experience recruiting hourly and management positions
• Knowledge of employment laws and HR best practices
• Exceptional organization and communication skills
• Strong interpersonal and conflict resolution skills
• High level of professionalism and confidentiality

Responsibilities

• Own the full-cycle recruitment process for hourly and management positions
• Develop recruiting strategies for restaurants and corporate positions
• Manage recruiting platforms including Workstream, Indeed, and other hiring channels
• Screen applicants and coordinate interviews
• Conduct reference and background checks
• Build relationships with local schools and hospitality organizations
• Create a best-in-class onboarding experience
• Coordinate I-9 verification and employment eligibility
• Assist with manager onboarding and leadership education
• Maintain company training programs and ensure compliance across locations
• Support performance coaching and succession planning
• Maintain employee files and ensure labor law compliance
• Foster a positive culture and employee engagement across locations
• Create HR dashboards and reporting; analyze turnover and hiring trends
• Support leave administration and unemployment claims

Skills

HR professional

Recruiting

Employee relations

Leadership

Communication

Organizational skills

Confidentiality

Tools

Workstream

Toast Payroll

Trainual

HRIS

Job description

Position Summary

NOW Hospitality is seeking a dynamic People & Culture Manager to lead all aspects of talent acquisition, onboarding, employee development, performance management, and company culture across our growing hospitality organization.

This role is responsible for building and maintaining the people systems that support multiple restaurant locations and future concepts. The ideal candidate is a relationship-driven leader who is passionate about developing people, creating exceptional employee experiences, and building scalable systems that support long-term growth.

This position reports directly to the President/Executive Leadership Team and partners closely with the Director of Operations and General Managers.

Primary Responsibilities

Talent Acquisition & Recruiting

• Own the full-cycle recruitment process for hourly and management positions
• Develop recruiting strategies for restaurants and corporate positions
• Manage recruiting platforms including Workstream, Indeed, and other hiring channels
• Screen applicants and coordinate interviews
• Conduct reference and background checks
• Build relationships with local schools, colleges, hospitality organizations, and community partners
• Maintain an active pipeline of qualified candidates

Onboarding & New Hire Experience

• Create a best-in-class onboarding experience
• Complete all new hire paperwork and compliance documentation
• Manage I-9 verification and employment eligibility
• Coordinate Toast Payroll setup
• Assign and monitor Trainual completion
• Track certifications (Food Handler, BASSET, ServSafe, etc.)
• Conduct new hire orientation
• Execute 30, 60, and 90-day check-ins

Training & Leadership Development

• Maintain company training programs
• Ensure training compliance across all locations
• Coordinate leadership development initiatives
• Support General Managers with employee coaching
• Develop career pathing and succession planning
• Assist with manager onboarding and leadership education
• Partner with Operations on continuous learning initiatives

Employee Relations

• Serve as the primary HR resource for managers
• Guide performance coaching conversations
• Assist with disciplinary documentation
• Conduct workplace investigations when necessary
• Support conflict resolution
• Manage employee concerns confidentially and professionally
• Coordinate exit interviews and analyze turnover trends

Performance Management

• Maintain performance review processes
• Track employee development plans
• Support managers with accountability systems
• Monitor employee retention metrics
• Identify high-potential employees for advancement
• Assist in succession planning across the organization

Compliance & Human Resources

• Maintain employee personnel files
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws
• Maintain employee handbook and company policies
• Manage leave administration and required documentation
• Coordinate unemployment claims and employment verification requests
• Support workers' compensation administration
• Ensure labor law compliance across all restaurant locations

Culture & Employee Engagement

• Champion NOW Hospitality's culture and values
• Develop employee recognition programs
• Coordinate company celebrations and appreciation events
• Improve employee communication across all locations
• Support internal communications and announcements
• Help create an engaging and positive work environment
• Strengthen employee retention through culture initiatives

Systems & Administration

• Manage HRIS and employee records
• Maintain organizational charts
• Track staffing levels across all locations
• Create HR dashboards and reporting
• Analyze turnover, hiring, and retention trends
• Recommend process improvements
• Support implementation of new people systems as the organization grows

Qualifications

Required

• 3–5+ years of Human Resources, Talent Acquisition, or People Operations experience
• Restaurant, hospitality, retail, or multi-unit operations experience strongly preferred
• Experience recruiting hourly and management positions
• Knowledge of employment laws and HR best practices
• Exceptional organization and communication skills
• Strong interpersonal and conflict resolution skills
• High level of professionalism and confidentiality

Preferred

• Multi-unit restaurant experience
• HR certification (SHRM-CP, PHR, or equivalent)
• Experience with Workstream, Toast Payroll, Trainual, or similar systems
• Experience building HR systems in a growing organization

Core Competencies

• Leadership Development
• Talent Acquisition
• Coaching & Mentorship
• Employee Relations
• Organization & Project Management
• Hospitality Mindset
• Problem Solving
• Emotional Intelligence
• Communication
• Culture Building
• Accountability
• Process Improvement

Success Measures (First 12 Months)

• Reduce time-to-fill for open positions
• Improve employee retention across all locations
• Achieve 100% onboarding and compliance completion
• Standardize onboarding and training processes
• Build a leadership development pipeline
• Improve manager hiring consistency
• Increase employee engagement and recognition
• Create scalable people systems to support future restaurant growth

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary: $55,000 annually
• Paid Time Off
• Professional Development Opportunities
• Opportunity for advancement into Director of People & Culture as NOW Hospitality continues to grow.

NOW Group is a creative collective specializing in hospitality concepts, curated events and brand partnerships, and strategic consulting. We build standout brands, craft memorable experiences, and help businesses grow with clarity and impact.