HR Assistant - Early Careers Development

We are recruiting for a HR Assistant to join the Early Careers Development team.

To view the job description, click here.

Full job description (attached PDF)

Role overview

We are recruiting for a HR Assistant to join the Early Careers Development team.

The Early Careers Development Team is part of the HR Department and the wider Business Services function based at the firm's head office in London. The Early Careers Development Team supports Trainee Solicitors, future Trainees and Solicitor Apprentices through their early careers journey, including law school, onboarding, seat allocations, secondments and qualification. The HR Assistant role works alongside a team of HR Assistants and HR Administrators on a range of generalist HR support activities whilst specialising in Early Careers Development.

The Early Careers Development Team is made up of a Senior Early Careers Development Manager, two Early Careers Development Advisers, and an HR Assistant.

Key responsibilities

The key responsibilities of this role are set out below and there may be others which are not listed. You may be required on occasion to work outside our normal working hours of 9:30am to 5:30pm.

• Organise and help present at future joiner events.
• Organise and present at early careers induction and communicate starting details.
• Coordinate early careers onboarding, including pre-joining communications, inductions and right to work checks.
• Help coordinate SQE bookings and results and maintain the relevant records and trackers. Triage reimbursement and loan requests, escalating as required.
• Share information and collaborate with teams across the firm including the Early Careers Recruitment and Learning & Development teams.
• Liaise with BPP in relation to attendance, results, and some employee relations or wellbeing matters, and support the ongoing relationship with the provider.
• Support with the bi-annual qualification process, including producing qualification packs, ensuring meetings are scheduled, producing paperwork, processing leavers, and monitoring the receipt of practicing certificates.
• Support international and client trainee secondment processes including producing secondment paperwork, maintaining trackers, updating HR records and liaising with necessary teams regarding people moves.
• Own the Brussels secondment process, including managing applications, assessing suitability, liaising with Group Trainee Partners and managing outcomes.
• Coordinate cyclical seat rotation process including managing supervisor allocations,
• Oversee and deliver the Continuity Partner and buddy programmes.
• Maintain HR records to ensure LeaP (online learning and performance system) and People Portal records are accurate and reflective of changes.
• Assist with employee relations cases including but not limited to, health and well-being, absence and performance management.
• Oversee trainee performance review completion metrics, working with Group Trainee Partners to ensure reviews are completed in a timely manner.
• Provide ongoing support across trainee processes and other ad hoc tasks as required.
• Maintain all central Early Careers Development trackers and data. Keep accurate and up-to-date process notes for all processes.
• Be responsible for the Early Careers Development inbox, responding to queries such as holiday or reference requests and escalating as required.
• Review holiday usage metric and send holiday reminders at each seat rotation. Support holiday queries, calculations and annual carry forward processes.
• Review the trainee intranet and seat selection brochure every six months to keep information up to date. Work with the HR Advisory team to review and update employee handbook policies regularly.
• Process invoices and expenses.
• Maintain a good working knowledge of SRA requirements, particularly in early careers.
• Support the Early Careers Development team and HR Advisory team with projects.
• Seek ways to develop processes and efficiencies, including using AI effectively.

Candidate profile

Candidates for this position must have:

• Experience working within HR, ideally in Early Careers.
• Experience working in a corporate or professional services environment.
• Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills.
• A strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office (in particular Word, Excel and PowerPoint).
• A high level of attention to detail, strong numeracy, and good use of grammar.
• The ability to manage processes autonomously to ensure all requirements and deadlines are met.
• The ability to multi-task and prioritise as appropriate.
• The highest standards of professional ethics and confidentiality.
• Enthusiasm and a can-do attitude.
• Experience of working in a diverse team whilst fostering an inclusive team culture.

Our recruitment process

We anticipate this being a two-stage process:

1st interview - Senior Early Careers Manager and Early Careers Adviser

2nd interview - TBC

We are committed to ensuring that our recruitment processes are barrier-free and as inclusive as possible for everyone. This includes making adjustments for people who have a disability or long-term condition. If you have any questions or require any adjustments to be made to one or both of the application or interview processes, please contact the Recruitment Team.

We are a Disability Confident Committed employer and will offer an interview to applicants with a disability or long-term condition who best meet the minimum or essential criteria for our Business Services roles. If you would like to apply through the Disability Confident 'Offer An Interview' commitment, please apply via our online application form and not via LinkedIn. You are disabled under the Equality Act 2010 if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a 'substantial' and 'long-term' negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities. For more information about the Disability Confident scheme, please see the government website here.

We welcome applications irrespective of race, colour, ethnic or national origin, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, belief or marital status.

The purpose of this description is to provide guidance in relation to the general requirements of the position referred to. It is by no means an exhaustive list of the responsibilities that will be involved.

Any offer of employment with us is subject to the firm's receipt of a satisfactory report from its third party screening and vetting provider in respect of the successful candidate. Your adviser will be able to explain how this process works in practice in the event of any questions.

At Slaughter and May, we take the protection of your personal information seriously and we are committed to safeguarding the privacy of the personal information that you share with us, or is collected by us, during the course of our interactions with you. Our Recruitment Privacy Notice ("RP Notice") supplements, and should be read alongside, the firm's Privacy Notice.

These privacy notices are always available to view within the Legal and Regulatory section of our website.

Who we are

Slaughter and May is a leading international law firm, recognised throughout the business community for its exceptional legal service, commercial awareness, and commitment to clients. We advise across the spectrum of legal matters including high-profile, ground-breaking, and complex transactions, contentious matters and all aspects of risk. We deliver innovative and bespoke solutions to our clients, domestically and internationally. We provide clear legal advice that spans the globe whilst tackling the cultural nuances between jurisdictions. Our lawyers understand how to coordinate and manage matters in the jurisdictions most relevant to our clients.

Excellence is central to everything we do, and it remains one of the first words mentioned when others are asked about the firm. We are very proud of that reputation. One reason we are known for excellence is because we have always been guided by a set of values that have been an implicit part of who we are and how we operate.

Our four core values are:

1. The highest standards;

2. Independence of thought;

3. Collective endeavour;

4. Respect for all.

They are not simply a list of characteristics. They are part of a framework, as they demonstrate our commitment to our four stakeholder groups (Our clients; Our people; The firm; Society).

At Slaughter and May, with over 1,400 partners and staff worldwide, everyone's contribution is valued, and we all enjoy an open, friendly and supportive environment. We have an underlying sense of pride in who we are and what we do, and our inclusive culture gives rise to a unique diversity of thinking, which is critical to our success and helps maintain our position as a true market leader.

Business Services Development

We offer a variety of learning and development opportunities to members of our Business Services team, including sessions open to everyone on topics ranging from personal impact and resilience to written communication. We also run a series of development programmes for supervisors and managers, as well as various bespoke team and one-to-one sessions.

Our Network of Networks

The firm has eleven employee networks run by employees and supported by partners. Collectively, we form a Network of Networks, and our aim is to foster a spirit of inclusion, both amongst the networks and the firm more widely. We work collaboratively to create a more open minded and inclusive work environment.

We strive to make people feel comfortable about bringing their authentic selves to work.

Each network offers an informal support mechanism for employees with shared backgrounds, perspectives or interests and hosts a number of exciting formal and informal events throughout the year, which are open to everyone. They're a great way to meet new people in the firm, as well as to celebrate difference and learn about a variety of experiences and perspectives.