Divisional People Partner - 12 month FTC

Divisional People Partner – Retail

(12 month - Fixed term Contract)

Location – North of England, including Scotland and Ireland

The Works is a unique place to… well… work. We are a proactive and hardworking bunch. We’ve built an environment that’s busy, fast-moving and full of energy. Our atmosphere is welcoming, friendly and inclusive. If you are the kind of person who is as crafty, caring and can-do as we are, then this is the kind of culture for you.

An exciting opportunity has been created to join an excellent team and business bustling with nearly 4,000 colleagues in 528 locations across the UK, Isle of Man and Republic of Ireland.

As a 12 month fixed term contract, we’re looking for a strategic business partner with a strong commercial focus. Reporting to the Senior People Partner for Retail and Relations you will shape, deliver and measure all people related activities within the division by partnering closely with the Divisional Manager. Translating the national people strategy into effective people plans at divisional and area level, and creating a winning culture for our teams and customers. This role requires a full UK Driving Licence, with regular travel across the geographical area

You’ll influence the overall divisional strategy and create people-led solutions to drive performance; whilst proactively identifying areas where people can add value. Leading and embedding change through companywide people initiatives and projects. You’ll coach and guide the retail leadership teams by providing expert advice on people issues and organisational change, lead in complex ER cases and work closely with the wider people team (circa 20 colleagues) to offer a best in class service.

Being a Sunday Times Best Big Company to work for with outstanding levels of colleague engagement, our people are at the heart of our business. Whilst you’ll bringing a fountain of knowledge to the business and the team, the people team play a pivotal role in defining and delivering our culture. Therefore, we’re looking for someone who will put people at the heart of everything they do, someone who rebels against boring ‘HR’ norms and creates culture defining experiences; someone who doesn’t take themselves too seriously and knows how to have fun, because it’s more than just a job.

About the Role

Strategic People Partnering

• Work closely with the Senior People Partner and wider people team to define and deliver the national people plan that supports the overall business plan.
• Be a credible, strategic business partner, and trusted advisor to the Divisional Manager, influencing the retail agenda as part of the divisional senior leadership team.
• Build credible and influential relationships across the wider business functions (Retail, Support and Distribution Centre) to support the delivery of the national and divisional people plans.
• Lead the development and delivery of the Divisional People Plan, ensuring alignment to both the national people plan and wider retail plan, whilst supporting Area Managers to translate this into functional plans.
• Monitor progress of the plan against key milestones, presenting quarterly updates to (but not limited to) the Senior People Partner, People Director and Retail Director against the plan and taking action accordingly to address any areas of underperformance.
• Ensure all business activities are carried out in a manner which are responsible, legal and fair whilst in line with our culture and employer brand.
• Build and execute plans to address key issues impacting performance on the division, by anticipating, leading and facilitating the need for change across the division. Analyse and address the underlying issues and build strategies to overcome these.
• Keep up to date with external trends and best practice in all areas of HR and Employment Law and advise the divisional team on changes that impact them.

Delivering ‘People led’ Solutions

• Deliver across a range of HR practices, such as workforce planning, performance management, employee engagement, organisational design, talent & succession planning to meet both current and future divisional needs.
• Provide advice and guidance to the Divisional Manager, Area Managers, Store management and ER Partners on all complex employee relations activity. Escalating to the ER Manager and Senior People Partner as required.
• Identify people priorities from the Divisional Retail strategy, translating business requirements into effective people practices and delivering people solutions aligned to divisional objectives
• Liaise with the HR ‘centres of expertise’ to influence and build initiatives to help progress the division forward and improve the overall people processes and initiatives e.g. Attraction Strategy, L&D strategy, Reward Strategy.

Data Driven Decisions

• Analyse and interpret data from across the business to identify trends, opportunities and successes in the division that feed into the national people plan. Develop and implement divisional interventions to address areas of underperformance.
• Utilise people specific data (i.e. labour turnover, recruitment, health and safety, training, labour/payroll) to guide and influence leaders to make sound business decisions and prioritise actions and plans across the division to increase divisional performance.

Workforce Planning and high performing teams

• Working in partnership with managers on the division, and the central Recruitment team, to establish resourcing plans to support the successful delivery of the divisional strategy
• Work with the Divisional Manager and update succession plans for key talent and key job positions.
• Continually coach, challenge and influence the divisional team to improve business performance by create a high-performance culture, through appropriate performance management solutions and strategies for nurturing their talent.
• Work with central people team to manage reward and remuneration processes across the division including 1-to-1 discussions with senior management.
• Support the divisional performance review cycle, ensuring great conversations take place throughout the year and facilitate of calibration meetings as and when required.

Project Management

• Lead centrally driven people projects such as talent management, labour realignment, performance management, diversity and inclusion and engagement for the division.
• Lead on defined national projects and other divisional driven people initiatives as required, contributing to wider business projects when required representing the People Team at a senior level.
• Lead the division on the implementation a new performance and talent cycle; contributing to the ongoing development and improvement of our continuous performance review; and the development and implementation of our management framework and behaviours.

People Leadership

• Lead and champion employee engagement within your Division, to co-create engagement plans for both the Division and respective areas that support our culture – presenting on results, plans and progress when required.
• Support managers across the division to analyse their data and understand the motivational drivers of their people with actions implemented to drive improvement.
• Be a role model of, and partner with leaders and managers across the division to embed our values, behaviours and expectations of the way we work. Acting as an advocate and enabler of change across the division, influencing manager to understand the reasons for change support of positive organisational development and employee engagement.

About You

Above all….not be afraid to get your sleeves rolled up and get stuck in with the team – this is a great opportunity for a commercially focused and forward thinking HR professional, with a passion for driving a progressive workplace culture through effective colleague relations.

What we will give to you…!

• Flexibility in working hours (& a level of home working)
• 25% discount off our products in store
• 33 days holiday (inclusive of Bank Holidays)
• Holiday Purchase Scheme to increase your annual leave entitlement.
• Company contributory pension contribution.
• Cycle to Work Scheme.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Life Assurance.
• Healthcare Cash Plan.
• Free Car Parking.
• Charity Giving - Pennies from Heaven and Give as you Earn.

Finally, the bit "About The Works"

We are people who do!

Here at The Works, we are building a working environment that’s fun, friendly, and supportive - all at the same time. It’s somewhere that’s designed for people who love getting busy, whether that’s helping customers, meeting new challenges, or building a rewarding career.

It’s a place for people who know how to roll their sleeves up, get creative, and put their passion and imagination to work…People who do!

We are the UK’s leading family friendly retailer of value gifts, arts, crafts, toys, books and stationery. With over 528 stores nationwide together with a brilliant online store, we’re here to offer our customers a unique and enjoyable shopping experience, built on our core principles of value, variety and quality. You will find our stores in a huge and diverse range of locations; on high streets, in shopping centres, on retail parks, and as concessions (usually in garden centres). We are also one of the few value retailers with a full featured online store that helps our customers to shop how they want, when they want, 7 days a week.

Oh....and we are super proud to be a Sunday Times 2020 Top 25 “Best Big Companies” to work for. 

It all means that we have built the kind of working environment that is the perfect place for people who love our products to build a career. It is somewhere you can put your proud and passionate, inclusive and accessible, confident and honest, fun and creative, and nimble and driven approach to work.

Divisional People Partner – Retail

(12 month - Fixed term Contract)

Location – North of England, including Scotland and Ireland

The Works is a unique place to… well… work. We are a proactive and hardworking bunch. We’ve built an environment that’s busy, fast-moving and full of energy. Our atmosphere is welcoming, friendly and inclusive. If you are the kind of person who is as crafty, caring and can-do as we are, then this is the kind of culture for you.

An exciting opportunity has been created to join an excellent team and business bustling with nearly 4,000 colleagues in 528 locations across the UK, Isle of Man and Republic of Ireland.

As a 12 month fixed term contract, we’re looking for a strategic business partner with a strong commercial focus. Reporting to the Senior People Partner for Retail and Relations you will shape, deliver and measure all people related activities within the division by partnering closely with the Divisional Manager. Translating the national people strategy into effective people plans at divisional and area level, and creating a winning culture for our teams and customers. This role requires a full UK Driving Licence, with regular travel across the geographical area

You’ll influence the overall divisional strategy and create people-led solutions to drive performance; whilst proactively identifying areas where people can add value. Leading and embedding change through companywide people initiatives and projects. You’ll coach and guide the retail leadership teams by providing expert advice on people issues and organisational change, lead in complex ER cases and work closely with the wider people team (circa 20 colleagues) to offer a best in class service.

Being a Sunday Times Best Big Company to work for with outstanding levels of colleague engagement, our people are at the heart of our business. Whilst you’ll bringing a fountain of knowledge to the business and the team, the people team play a pivotal role in defining and delivering our culture. Therefore, we’re looking for someone who will put people at the heart of everything they do, someone who rebels against boring ‘HR’ norms and creates culture defining experiences; someone who doesn’t take themselves too seriously and knows how to have fun, because it’s more than just a job.

About the Role

Strategic People Partnering

• Work closely with the Senior People Partner and wider people team to define and deliver the national people plan that supports the overall business plan.
• Be a credible, strategic business partner, and trusted advisor to the Divisional Manager, influencing the retail agenda as part of the divisional senior leadership team.
• Build credible and influential relationships across the wider business functions (Retail, Support and Distribution Centre) to support the delivery of the national and divisional people plans.
• Lead the development and delivery of the Divisional People Plan, ensuring alignment to both the national people plan and wider retail plan, whilst supporting Area Managers to translate this into functional plans.
• Monitor progress of the plan against key milestones, presenting quarterly updates to (but not limited to) the Senior People Partner, People Director and Retail Director against the plan and taking action accordingly to address any areas of underperformance.
• Ensure all business activities are carried out in a manner which are responsible, legal and fair whilst in line with our culture and employer brand.
• Build and execute plans to address key issues impacting performance on the division, by anticipating, leading and facilitating the need for change across the division. Analyse and address the underlying issues and build strategies to overcome these.
• Keep up to date with external trends and best practice in all areas of HR and Employment Law and advise the divisional team on changes that impact them.

Delivering ‘People led’ Solutions

• Deliver across a range of HR practices, such as workforce planning, performance management, employee engagement, organisational design, talent & succession planning to meet both current and future divisional needs.
• Provide advice and guidance to the Divisional Manager, Area Managers, Store management and ER Partners on all complex employee relations activity. Escalating to the ER Manager and Senior People Partner as required.
• Identify people priorities from the Divisional Retail strategy, translating business requirements into effective people practices and delivering people solutions aligned to divisional objectives
• Liaise with the HR ‘centres of expertise’ to influence and build initiatives to help progress the division forward and improve the overall people processes and initiatives e.g. Attraction Strategy, L&D strategy, Reward Strategy.

Data Driven Decisions

• Analyse and interpret data from across the business to identify trends, opportunities and successes in the division that feed into the national people plan. Develop and implement divisional interventions to address areas of underperformance.
• Utilise people specific data (i.e. labour turnover, recruitment, health and safety, training, labour/payroll) to guide and influence leaders to make sound business decisions and prioritise actions and plans across the division to increase divisional performance.

Workforce Planning and high performing teams

• Working in partnership with managers on the division, and the central Recruitment team, to establish resourcing plans to support the successful delivery of the divisional strategy
• Work with the Divisional Manager and update succession plans for key talent and key job positions.
• Continually coach, challenge and influence the divisional team to improve business performance by create a high-performance culture, through appropriate performance management solutions and strategies for nurturing their talent.
• Work with central people team to manage reward and remuneration processes across the division including 1-to-1 discussions with senior management.
• Support the divisional performance review cycle, ensuring great conversations take place throughout the year and facilitate of calibration meetings as and when required.

Project Management

• Lead centrally driven people projects such as talent management, labour realignment, performance management, diversity and inclusion and engagement for the division.
• Lead on defined national projects and other divisional driven people initiatives as required, contributing to wider business projects when required representing the People Team at a senior level.
• Lead the division on the implementation a new performance and talent cycle; contributing to the ongoing development and improvement of our continuous performance review; and the development and implementation of our management framework and behaviours.

People Leadership

• Lead and champion employee engagement within your Division, to co-create engagement plans for both the Division and respective areas that support our culture – presenting on results, plans and progress when required.
• Support managers across the division to analyse their data and understand the motivational drivers of their people with actions implemented to drive improvement.
• Be a role model of, and partner with leaders and managers across the division to embed our values, behaviours and expectations of the way we work. Acting as an advocate and enabler of change across the division, influencing manager to understand the reasons for change support of positive organisational development and employee engagement.

About You

Above all….not be afraid to get your sleeves rolled up and get stuck in with the team – this is a great opportunity for a commercially focused and forward thinking HR professional, with a passion for driving a progressive workplace culture through effective colleague relations.

What we will give to you…!

• Flexibility in working hours (& a level of home working)
• 25% discount off our products in store
• 33 days holiday (inclusive of Bank Holidays)
• Holiday Purchase Scheme to increase your annual leave entitlement.
• Company contributory pension contribution.
• Cycle to Work Scheme.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Life Assurance.
• Healthcare Cash Plan.
• Free Car Parking.
• Charity Giving - Pennies from Heaven and Give as you Earn.

Finally, the bit "About The Works"

We are people who do!

Here at The Works, we are building a working environment that’s fun, friendly, and supportive - all at the same time. It’s somewhere that’s designed for people who love getting busy, whether that’s helping customers, meeting new challenges, or building a rewarding career.

It’s a place for people who know how to roll their sleeves up, get creative, and put their passion and imagination to work…People who do!

We are the UK’s leading family friendly retailer of value gifts, arts, crafts, toys, books and stationery. With over 528 stores nationwide together with a brilliant online store, we’re here to offer our customers a unique and enjoyable shopping experience, built on our core principles of value, variety and quality. You will find our stores in a huge and diverse range of locations; on high streets, in shopping centres, on retail parks, and as concessions (usually in garden centres). We are also one of the few value retailers with a full featured online store that helps our customers to shop how they want, when they want, 7 days a week.

Oh....and we are super proud to be a Sunday Times 2020 Top 25 “Best Big Companies” to work for. 

It all means that we have built the kind of working environment that is the perfect place for people who love our products to build a career. It is somewhere you can put your proud and passionate, inclusive and accessible, confident and honest, fun and creative, and nimble and driven approach to work.