Employee Relations Manager Newcastle upon Tyne, England
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Location
About the job
Job summary
This is a fantastic opportunity to work in a Department that touches the lives of citizens the length and breadth of the UK. More than ever, DWP is playing a critical role in supporting citizens through the economic impact of covid-19 – both into work and progressing within work.
DWP has an ambitious programme of welfare reform, and the way in which we deliver our services to over 20 million customers a year. We aspire to be a truly inclusive employer and welcome applications to help us reflect the citizens we serve.
We promote “I can be me in DWP” to help us create a place to work where everyone feels they can be valued and respected while being themselves. We are guided by our departmental values: we care, we deliver, we work together, we adapt and we value everyone. They sit at the heart of everything we do and understanding how we live up to them helps us learn for the future. It is an incredibly exciting time to work in the Department for Work and Pensions.
Job description
As a member of the DWP Employee Relations DWP team you will play a key role and be involved in shaping the department’s approach to Departmental Trade Unions, working within the team to help deliver critical interventions. This is a high profile, demanding corporate role within a fast-paced environment .
The work will include development and maintenance of an Employee Relations Strategy & Framework, providing expert advice and supporting the careful handling of our Trade Union relationship. This will be within the context of DWP’s responsibilities as a major government employer, and wider workings across the Civil Service.
Decision making, leadership, excellent Employee Relations knowledge and experience, resilience, and excellent engagement building abilities with key stakeholders are critical skills required to be successful in the role. An understanding of the key challenges in the Employee Relations space is important as is detailed knowledge as you will be an Employee Relations specialist advising and supporting senior leaders.
The role is within the Employee Relations Team in HR People Services. The team supports senior managers, change programme and HR Business Partners in their engagement with the recognised trade unions in DWP. The team acts as the main conduit between DWP, the Departmental Trade Union Sides and the three recognised trade unions: Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), FDA, and Prospect.
The successful candidate will have responsibility for the following:
- Leading on all Employee Relations issues, primarily in the Work & Health Group, but also in the wider Service Delivery and Corporate Functions, involving:
- Meeting the Trade Union Sides and the three recognised trade unions, both formally as part of consultation, and informally to help maintain the overall relationship.
- Supporting high level consultation at departmental level.
- Acting as an employee relations policy expert, dealing with complex queries and providing advice and guidance to senior managers and HR Business Partners who need to engage with the trade unions.
- Supporting the Business through delivery of joint up-skilling sessions to increase local confidence and competence when dealing with trade union reps and queries.
- Supporting the management of trade union facility time within the guidelines set out in the Cabinet Office Facility Time Framework and DWP Employee Relations Framework. Helping to ensure that facility time returns are made to the Cabinet Office accurately and on time.
- Ensuring the DWP Employee Relations Framework, industrial action guidance and associated products are fully accurate and up to date.
- In the event of industrial action, taking action for the ER team, including liaison with Business Continuity, and drafting Ministerial Submissions.
- Drafting responses to PQs and FOIs relating to employee relations.
- Representing DWP in cross-government employee relations forums.
- Liaising with the trade unions over disciplinary cases involving trade union officials.
- Providing insight and intelligence to senior stakeholders on wider industrial relations developments which may impact DWP, such as industrial action or other union-related activities.
- Line management of an HEO
We will keep a reserve list of successful candidates for 6 months and if further similar roles become available, we may contact you.
Person specification
Essential criteria
The successful candidate will:
- Have good knowledge of Employee Relations good practices, the Industrial Relations climate and extensive experience of working with Trade Unions within a large, complex organisation. (Lead Criteria)
- Have the ability to work with ambiguity; drive solutions and outcomes, brokering priorities between unions and management at SCS level.
- Be comfortable dealing with multiple issues at once, keeping all plates spinning despite competing priorities; agile under pressure.
- Have the resilience to resolve constant conflict; engaging trade unions daily on topics where considerable opposition is likely to be commonplace. The ability to clearly stand up for the department on a broad variety of topics.
- Possess strong interpersonal, communication and influencing skills; able to build effective and trusting relationships at SCS level internally, and with senior trade union officials and diverse stakeholders.
- Understand the political context within which industrial relations takes place in the public sector and constantly strive to understand the broader political landscape and how this impacts at departmental level.
Desirable criteria
- You will be a Chartered member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) or willing to work towards this.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Communicating and Influencing
- Making Effective Decisions
- Working Together
Benefits
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
This job role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in their DWP office and part of the week from home. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your office will be your contractual place of work. The number of days that anyone will be able to work at home will be determined primarily by business need but personal circumstances and other relevant circumstances will also be taken into account. If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working, including whether a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for you, will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.
Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Assessment Process
Selection will be by a written sift, followed by an interview (video)
Written Sift
The written sift will be conducted using evidence from your CV and Personal Statement of 1250 words and will be assessed against the essential criteria within the advert.
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead criteria:
- Have good knowledge of Employee Relations good practices, the Industrial Relations climate and extensive experience of working with Trade Unions within a large, complex organisation.
Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
CV
The CV is an on-line tool accessed through the Civil Service Jobsite and there is no requirement to upload your personal CV. Our CV element is short, and allows an initial check of eligibility, so please put the main content of your evidence and skills in your Personal Statement.
Personal statement
When completing your personal statement, please read and understand the Essential Criteria thoroughly, as this is what your written evidence will assessed against. Your layout is entirely your preference; you may choose narrative, bullets, etc. You may choose to address each criteria separately, however, one narrative example may cover and evidence several key criteria. You may not be able to meet all the key criteria, but please ensure you evidence: the key personal requirements and what have you done that relates to the requirements. You don’t have to explain the whole process, just what you have done and the skills and experience you have used. Share with us what makes you suited to this role and why, what you can do and the skills you have that are transferable to the key requirements, and the life experience or passion you have that are linked to this role.
Online guidance is available through Civil Service Jobs which provides information on Success Profiles and the Behaviours Framework using the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles
The interview
This will consist of a video interview, which should take approximately between 40 - 50 minutes
Blended Interview
You will be asked a mixture of Behaviour and Strength questions and will be asked to prepare a 5 mins presentation on a pre advised topic. No visual aids will be required but you may use notes when presenting.
A blended interview aims to be more of a conversation at interview offering a more inclusive approach.
The Strength and Behaviour based questioning explores what the candidate can and has done, but also their potential.
Timeline
Sift W/C 3rd April
Interview W/C 24th April
Job Outcome W/C 1st May
Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, whilst exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process
The evidence you provide in your application must relate to your own experiences. If evidence of plagiarism is found your application will be withdrawn.
Further Information
Find out more about Working for DWP
A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.
Any move to DWP from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service/Disclosure Scotland on your behalf.
However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing [email protected] stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email [email protected]
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
Before applying for this vacancy, current employees of DWP should check whether a successful application would result in changes to their terms & conditions of employment, e.g. mobility, pay, allowances. Civil Servants that would transfer into DWP from other government organisations, following successful application, will assume DWP's terms & conditions of employment current on the day they are posted, unless DWP has stated otherwise in writing.
Reasonable Adjustment
At DWP we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.
We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:Contact Government Recruitment Service via [email protected] as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the “Reasonable Adjustments” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
- certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
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Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
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Further information
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission. Click here to visit the Civil Service Commission.
