Talent Manager : Generalist – Talent Department - Johannesburg, South Africa

Bowmans; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 700 000 - 900 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading law firm in Johannesburg is seeking a Talent Manager to provide comprehensive people management services, guide recruitment and onboarding, and oversee employee relations while ensuring compliance with HR policies. The ideal candidate will have an HR degree and extensive management experience. The role involves collaborating closely with partners to foster a positive work environment and drive HR initiatives.

Qualifications

• 8-10 years of experience in HR with at least 5 years in management.
• International experience in a professional services environment is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive people management service to partners and staff.
• Guide recruitment and onboarding processes for designated departments.
• Manage employee relations and support HR policies.

Skills

People management

Coaching

Building relationships

Performance management

Employee relations

Education

Degree - Industrial Relations / Human Resources Management

Job description

Job title: Talent Manager : Generalist – Talent Department - Johannesburg, South Africa

Job Location: Gauteng, Johannesburg

Deadline: December 21, 2025

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Purpose

• Responsible for providing a comprehensive people management service to the firm through guiding, coaching and supporting partners and staff in navigating and complying with HR policies and procedures, and working together to achieve best practice across all areas of HR.

Experience and Qualifications

• Degree - Industrial Relations / Human Resources Management
• 8-10 years’ with at least 5 years at a management level in a professional services environment.
• ROA – International Experience Advantage.

Key Activities

• Building relationships and becoming a trusted HR advisor within designated departments :
• Develop relationships with Partners and senior managers as a trusted HR advisor.
• Develop relationships with all individuals below management level as a trusted HR advisor
• Involved in the recruitment, onboarding and exiting of all employees within designated departments :
• Provide support and guidance to management on recruitment in accordance with the Firm’s recruitment strategy and policy
• Actively guide and support the meeting of transformation targets
• Work together with specialist HR team to actively drive and participate in the recruitment of staff for designated departments
• Liaise with the relevant specialist HR teams to ensure that there is a smooth on-boarding process for lateral hires as well as secondees to integrate the individual successfully into the firm.
• Actively engage and monitor performance of the individual during their probationary period
• Liaise with the relevant specialist HR teams and other business service functions to ensure that there is a smooth exit process.
• Conducts and / or Ensure team conducts all exit interviews and provide quarterly reports on trends identified for future retention strategies
• Oversee induction to the firm for ad hoc new joiners
• Involved in resource planning, performance management and development of all employees within designated departments / offices :
• Actively engage with management in regard to legal and business services manpower planning
• Guide partners to select and place top talent as part of the secondment program
• Actively engage with partners to monitor work allocation and productivity of lawyers to ensure they meet their yearly targets. Assist with identifying areas of concern (under capacity or burn out) and addressing these
• Actively engage with management to identify key talent and develop and implement succession planning
• Actively engage with partners to develop and retain non-partner fee earners
• Assist in driving the performance management and promotions process within designated departments, or offices, facilitate performance appraisals
• Actively engage with employees to assist them in drafting development plans, monitoring progress and collaborate with L&D to best facilitate and support development
• Manages employee relations issues :
• Provide advice and management support of ER procedures, inclusive of poor performance, issuing of warnings, disciplinary inquiries, grievances and referrals to external tribunals, in a manner that minimizes risk and supports the culture of the Firm and is compliant to the country specific disciplinary policy and procedure
• Guide management and assist employees if additional support is required through referring the individual to the employee wellness service providers.
• Work closely with the specialist HR team and provide support to management with regards to employee’s health and incapacity.
• Custodian of HR policies and procedures within BGAG :
• Keep abreast of current HR best practice and relevant legislation
• Develop and maintain designated HR policies in conjunction with subject matter experts
• Promote awareness of and ensure adherence to all HR policies
• Remuneration & benefits implementation, compliance and support :
• Actively engage with partners and management and the specialist HR team to deliver on the firms reward strategy
• Actively engage in the salary review process with partners, management and remuneration specialist for lawyers and business services
• Actively engage in the bonus process with partners
• Financial Management :
• Provide input to the HR budget and provide input on spend where required.
• Management and Leadership :
• Manages own teams performance to ensure delivery of the approved HR strategy across designated departments and offices
• Gives regular, comprehensive and constructive feedback to team and conducts their performance appraisals
• Proactively seeks feedback from team members and deals constructively with any criticism
• Adjusts management style to get the best from the individuals within the team
• Delegates work to team members taking into account their capacity, level of skill and exposure to different types of work and complexity; provides clear instructions and direction, with reasonable deadlines
• Manage and / or contribute to assigned, initiatives, projects, responsibilities :
• Participation in change management initiatives as appropriate
• Manage designated projects and initiatives (e.g. development of competency frameworks, job grading, remuneration and reward strategy, performance management, work allocation project, secondments, etc.)
• Internal Communication :
• Executives / Partners
• Business Services Management
• All levels of staff
• ROA –person responsible for HR
• External Communication :
• Vendors
• Consultants
• International law firms
• Potential lateral hires
• Competencies :
• Interactive Communication
• Organizational Awareness
• Resilience
• Teamwork
• Business Perspective
• Human Resources Management
• Legislation, Policies, Procedures and standards
• Planning and Organising
• Human Resources jobs