Human resources (HR) officers develop, advise on and implement policies relating to the effective use of

personnel within an organisation.

Their aim is to ensure that the organisation employs the right balance of staff in terms of skills and
experience, and that training and development opportunities are available to employees to enhance their
performance and achieve the employer's business aims.
HR officers are involved in a range of activities required by organisations, whatever the size or type of
business. These cover areas such as:
working practices;
recruitment;
pay;
conditions of employment;
negotiation with external work-related agencies;
equality and diversity.
Typical work activities
An HR officer must have a clear understanding of their employer's business objectives and be able to
devise and implement policies which select, develop and retain the right staff needed to meet these
objectives.
HR professionals not only deal with staff welfare and administration-centred activities, but also strategy
and planning. HR departments are expected to add value to the organisation they support. The exact
nature of the work varies according to the organisation, but is likely to include:
working closely with various departments, increasingly in a consultancy role, assisting line managers
to understand and implement policies and procedures;
promoting equality and diversity as part of the culture of the organisation;
liaising with a wide range of people involved in policy areas such as staff performance and health
and safety;
recruiting staff - this includes developing job descriptions and person specifications, preparing job
adverts, checking application forms, shortlisting, interviewing and selecting candidates;
developing and implementing policies on issues like working conditions, performance management,
equal opportunities, disciplinary procedures and absence management;
preparing staff handbooks;
advising on pay and other remuneration issues, including promotion and benefits;
undertaking regular salary reviews;
negotiating with staff and their representatives (for example, trade union officials) on issues relating
to pay and conditions;
administering payroll and maintaining employee records;
interpreting and advising on employment law;
dealing with grievances and implementing disciplinary procedures;
developing with line managers HR planning strategies which consider immediate and long-term staff
requirements;
planning, and sometimes delivering, training - including inductions for new staff;
analysing training needs in conjunction with departmental managers.


Employment Law
The body of law that governs the employer-
employee relationship, including individual employment contracts, the application of TORT andcontract doc
trines, and a large group of statutory regulation on issues such as the right to organize and negotiate colle
ctive bargainingagreements, protection from discrimination, wages and hours, and health and safety.
Beyond establishing an economic relationship between employer and employee, work provides a powerfu
l structure for organizing socialand cultural life. The employment relationship is more than the exchange o
f labor for money. In U.S. society, self-
worth, dignity, satisfaction,and accomplishment are often achieved by one's employment responsibilities,
performance, and rewards. The development of employmentlaw demonstrates the importance of work. Si
nce the 1930s, employees have acquired more legal rights as federal and state governmentshave enacte
d laws that give them the power and authority to unionize, to engage in Collective
Bargaining, and to be protected fromdiscrimination based on race, gender, or disability.
A species of contract by which one person agrees to perform a job, service or task for another, with
or without remuneration although, as with all contracts at common law, some form of consideration
must flow.

JOB DESCRIPTION
JOB TITLE: Human Resources Manager (maternity leave cover)
REPORTS TO: Executive Director: Finance & Administration
DEPARTMENT: Finance and Administration
DATE: May 2008
SALARY SCALE: Principal Officer

JOB PURPOSE
To develop and deliver people management strategies which support the Boards overall strategic aims
and objectives. The jobholder will be expected to contribute at both a strategic and operational level in
order to identify HR priorities and recommend appropriate people management solutions which support
business aims, in addition to providing a customer-focused HR service. The jobholder will provide
expert professional advice and support to managers and staff on all aspects of people management,
which fully reflects the Board's desire to be an employer of choice, current employment legislation and
best practice.

DIMENSIONS
Working with approximately 125 staff, the jobholder will help direct a training budget of 75k and a
recruitment budget of 35k, and will be expected to provide guidance and support to all staff on the full
range of HR activities including policies and procedures, terms and conditions of employment, absence
management, restructuring of services, recruitment, retention, performance management, employee
relations, employee reward, learning and development and internal communications.
ORGANIZATION
Chief Executive
Executive Director: Finance &
Administration
Assistant Director
Finance &
Administration
Human Resources
Manager
IT Director UK Operations
Director
Office Services
Manager 2
PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Strategic HR Management
1.1. In consultation with the Executive Director: Finance and Administration, prepare and implement
the annual HR Plan to support the overall strategic aims and objectives of the Board.
1.2. Identify, design and implement strategic HR projects, as and when required.

2. Resourcing
2.1. Provide support to managers in the recruitment of all staff.
2.2. Participate in the selection of staff, as appropriate.
3. Employee Relations
3.1. Work closely with senior and line managers, providing them with expert guidance, coaching and
support on the full range of HR activities (including policies and procedures, terms and conditions
of employment, absence management, restructuring of services, performance management,
redundancy planning etc.), in order to ensure a consistent and fair approach to people
management throughout the Board.
3.2. Keep up to date with legal developments and advise management on compliance and risk
factors.
3.3. Manage investigations, disciplinary and grievance matters in conjunction with the Executive
Director: Finance and Administration.
3.4. Provide advice and guidance on individual employee relations cases, ensuring that these are well
managed and meet the requirements of the Boards policies, best practice and employment
legislation.
3.5. Develop, implement and maintain HR policies and procedures to ensure effective, fair and
consistent management of staff throughout the organisation, and ensure that the staff handbook
is comprehensive and up-to-date.
3.6. Ensure that managers and staff are aware of the policies and procedures and able to operate
them effectively.
3.7. Provide support to staff on HR issues, as and when required.
3.8. Monitor and review the system of performance appraisal and continually develop as necessary,
ensuring that annual appraisals are carried out in a timely manner and followed up.
3.9. Develop and maintain an effective partnership with the Staff Forum ensuring consultation and
communication practices are routinely adopted to enable management to make effective
decisions and successfully implement proposals.
3.10. Ensure that staff are informed and updated on key business and organisational issues.
4. Learning and Development
4.1. In consultation with line managers, follow up individual development needs and source external
training provision as and when required, monitoring training costs against budget.
4.2. Administer the evaluation of all learning and development activities.
4.3. Make recommendations on a cost-effective management development programme to support the
Boards people management strategies. 3
4.4. Maintain training records for all staff and assist with any training initiatives, as required.
5. Compensation and Benefits
5.1. Gather and analyse market data to measure the competitiveness of the Boards compensation
and benefits package, and make recommendations as appropriate.
5.2. Assist with the annual salary review process, as and when required.
6. Other
6.1. Monitor sickness and absence levels and provide monthly management reports to the
Directorate.
6.2. Chair the Human Resources Committee.
6.3. Represent HR and participate in various internal groups and committees across the organisation.
6.4. Review and manage new starter and leaver processes, including conducting exit interviews for all
staff.
6.5. Manage maternity leave administration and flexible working requests.
6.6. Monitor HR trends throughout the organisation and provide management information on Key
Performance Indicators to the Directorate as appropriate.
6.7. Plan, co-ordinate and evaluate bi-annual work experience placements, ensuring that these meet
the needs of the Board as well as those of the student.
6.8. In consultation with the Executive Director: Finance and Administration, manage the
implementation of HR systems and develop where necessary.
6.9. Manage health issues and medical referrals.
6.10. Manage the information held on the HR database and personnel files to ensure it is updated in a
timely and accurate manner and complies with any legal or data protection policies.
6.11. Advise on matters relating to the engagement of the Boards examiners and Representatives.
6.12. Act as one of the Boards Designated Child Protection Officers.
6.13. To undertake other tasks as agreed with the Executive Director: Finance and Administration
This is not a complete statement of all duties and responsibilities of this post. The jobholder may be
required to carry out other duties as directed by the Executive Director: Finance and Administration, the
responsibility level of which should not exceed those outlined above.
NATURE AND PURPOSE OF INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL CONTACTS
Internal
The jobholder will be expected to maintain close and effective personal working relationships at all
levels of the organisation. The communication skills required include the ability to communicate
complex, sensitive and contentious information.
External
External agencies, including recruitment agencies, recruitment advertising agencies, trainers and
suppliers of other HR products and services. 4
Employment lawyers, occupational health professionals and medical practitioners, Criminal Records
Bureau.
Advisory organisations and Public Bodies such as ACAS, CIPD, NCVO, Business Link etc.
Associated Board Representatives and Examiners.
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS REQUIRED
Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development together with evidence
of continuing professional development
Degree (or equivalent)
Proven generalist experience including the ability to work at both strategic and operational levels
Fully conversant and up-to-date with all aspects of employment law and HR best practice
Experience in the development and implementation of employment policies and procedures
Experience at recruitment interviewing and assessment at a senior level
Ability to work autonomously and flexibly
Influencing, persuading, coaching and negotiating skills
Excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills
Ability to prepare and present reports to director level
Pro-active and self-motivated
Excellent planning and organisation skills to meet deadlines
Proficient in the use of MS Office applications, email and the Internet
Excellent attention to detail
Co-operative and supportive team player
A good working knowledge of HR systems
Ability to create HR communications appropriate for the audience
JOB CONTEXT
The jobholder reports to the Executive Director: Finance and Administration who has overall
responsibility for Human Resources matters within the Board.
An additional organisation-wide perspective will be provided in the jobholders work as Chair of the
Human Resources Committee, which meets monthly and its membership drawn from across all
operational areas of the Board, as well as attending fortnightly Directors Committee meetings.
LIMITS OF AUTHORITY
The jobholders day-to-day delivery of HR services will be autonomous, within the context of the
priorities agreed with the Executive Director: Finance and Administration and Human Resources
Committee and as set out in the Corporate Plan.
TYPICAL PROBLEMS REFERRED TO SUPERIOR
Complex disciplinary, grievance and long-term sickness absence cases and changes to staff
remuneration are examples of issues which would normally be discussed with the Executive Director:
Finance and Administration. 5
NATURE AND RANGE OF IMPACT
The job impacts on all areas of the Board.
ALLOCATION, REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF WORK
The jobholder will determine the day to day activities to be undertaken in regular consultation with the
Executive Director: Finance and Administration. The priorities for the work will be determined in
agreement with the Executive Director: Finance and Administration and in consultation with the Human
Resources Committee.
EQUIPMENT OPERATION
Windows based PC and printer including the use of Microsoft Office applications, HR database,
email and the Internet
Photocopier
Telephone/voicemail/fax machine
CONDITIONS OF SERVICE
Salary:
Starting salary circa 35,000 dependent on the knowledge and skills of the successful candidate.
Salaries are reviewed annually.
Contract period:
This is a fixed term contract for up to twelve months to cover maternity leave. The contract will
commence in mid-May 2008.
Place of work:
Portland Place, London, W1B
Payment of salary:
Payment is made by the 23rd day of the month to a nominated bank or building society account.
Probationary period:
If you have not been employed by the Associated Board in a similar capacity previously, your
employment shall be subject to a probationary period of three months. The completion of your
probationary period will, however, be subject to a formal review and you will not have completed your
probationary period until that review has taken place.
Termination of employment: 6
This is a fixed term contract for a period of up to twelve months. The contract will automatically
terminate on the completion of the current jobholders maternity leave. The period of notice to
terminate
the appointment (other than by completion) will be three calendar months by either party (one week
during the probationary period).
Pension provision:
The Associated Board operates an Occupational Pension Scheme, whereby the employee and
employer pay contributions to the scheme based on the employees pensionable salary. Unless
otherwise stated in your letter of appointment, membership begins on attaining 18 years of age, subject
to completion of a satisfactory probationary period.
Interest free season ticket loan:
Interest free season tickets loans are available on request after three months service.
Hours of work:
Using a flexible working system, full-time staff work thirty-five hours per week (seven hours per day
excluding a lunch break). This allows some choice over starting and finishing times of work and also
when lunch breaks are taken. Core hours, when employees must be at work, are in operation between
10.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m. (excluding a lunch break). Lunch-breaks must be taken between 12.30 and
2.30 p.m. and employees are required to take a break of one hour for lunch. Flexitime should,
however, be operated in such a way that departments are adequately staffed throughout normal office
hours (8.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. Monday to Friday).
Annual Leave:
The annual leave entitlement is 25 days plus all statutory bank holidays. In addition, the Board normally
has a winter closure between the 27 and 31 December each year.
Appointment:
The Human Resources Manager will request references following the interview for the successful
candidate only. Offers will be made subject to satisfactory references, proof of eligibility to work in the
UK and completion of a satisfactory probationary period.


Check
Checks are commonly used for payroll because they are traceable and eliminate the need for cash transactions
between you and your employees. To use checks for your company, you must operate on an accrual accounting
basis, not a cash basis. Accrual accounting notes income and expenses at the time they occur, regardless of whether
the money is in your account or not. If your company uses a cash-based system, it could spend money it does not
have because employee checks were not debited at the time they were written.
Related Reading: Types of Payroll Systems
Direct Deposit
Direct deposit payroll systems deposit cash into employee accounts at set dates every month. Direct deposit systems
are typically used when a company has a low employee turnover rate because of the setup. Employees give payroll
managers their banking information and the company creates a direct deposit link to each employee's bank. Though
this payroll method is efficient, some banks might charge a monthly fee to the employee for the service.
Pay Card
Company pay cards act like debit cards attached to bank accounts. The company for which the employee works
loads the pay card with the employee's pay for the period. The employee can then use the card like a standard debit
card at retail stores and take money from ATMs. This payroll method benefits employees who do not have bank
accounts but still want the convenience of a debit card.