Employee Relations Manager

IDEX•Northbrook, IL

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

This role offers the opportunity to meaningfully impact the employee relations experience for employees at a global, publicly-traded company whose products make a meaningful difference around the world. You'll work closely with partners in the Legal and Compliance team and Human Resources function, gain exposure to diverse businesses and industries, investigate and resolve employee relations concerns, support enterprise-wide Human Resources policy development and evolution, and assist with developing trainings designed to strengthen the employee experience across the organization. The Employee Relations Manager supports the Labor & Employment and Human Resources teams to investigate and resolve employee relations concerns and allegations of misconduct and policy violation. This role will effectively identify issues, develop investigation strategies, conduct witness interviews, and propose and implement practical and effective resolutions. This role will partner effectively with multiple stakeholders at various levels of the organization to improve the employee experience and mitigate risk to the business. This role will also assist in enterprise-wide Human Resources policy development and updates and developing engaging and effective trainings on a number of Human Resources topics.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources or a related field.
4+ years of Employee Relations, Human Resources, Labor Relations, corporate law, or investigative experience.
Demonstrated ability to effectively manage and resolve complex workplace conflicts through sound judgment and problem-solving techniques.
Effective collaborator with developed interpersonal skills and ability to build relationships and influence across all levels of an organization and work effectively with cross-functional stakeholders.
Proven decision-making capabilities, including strong ability to understand and assess risk, evaluate competing interests, and make timely, well-reasoned recommendations balancing business objectives and HR/legal risk.
Excellent issue-spotting skills with a keen ability to identify employee relations, human resources, and/or legal risk.
Exceptional organizational skills with strong attention to detail.
Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
Highly developed analytical thinking skills with ability to assess facts and evidence, weigh credibility, interpret data, and develop practical solutions.
Sound professional judgment and demonstrated ability to handle sensitive, confidential information with discretion.
Effective and articulate written and verbal communication skills including experience drafting investigation reports, recommendations, policies, correspondence, and presenting information to relevant stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated experience supporting employee relations matters in a large, matrixed, or multi-location global organization.
Familiarity with case management systems, HRIS platforms, and data analysis tools used to track investigations, identify trends, and support reporting.
Experience identifying systemic issues, root causes, and organizational trends and recommending practical solutions to mitigate risk and improve employee experience.
Experience developing, revising, and implementing workplace policies, procedures, toolkits, and employee relations resources.
Proven ability to design and facilitate training programs related to employee relations and human resources issues.
Experience supporting labor relations matters, including working in unionized environments, interpreting collective bargaining agreements, or responding to employee grievances.
Professional certification such as SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR.

Responsibilities

Conduct prompt, thorough, and objective investigations into employee relations complaints, allegations of misconduct, and suspected policy violations from intake to completion, both directly and in partnership with Legal and/or Human Resources partners, including: Developing investigation plans for concerns raised through a variety of channels; Independently conducting witness interviews; Partnering with various business units and departments and efficiently navigating HRIS and IT systems to gather and review relevant facts and evidence; Preparing comprehensive investigative reports for internal stakeholders; and Performing investigative responsibilities in accordance with applicable Company investigation procedures.
Identify patterns and root causes contributing to concerns or serving as obstacles to positive employee experience.
Collaborate closely with Legal and Human Resources stakeholders to proactively respond to legal and employee relations developments and issues and implement proactive solutions.
Develop and maintain, in coordination with Legal and Human Resources stakeholders, effective case management resources and processes to identify and report on internal trends.
Advise key stakeholders and leaders about complex scenarios involving policy and misconduct violations and partner with Human Resources and business leaders on recommended outcomes and resolutions.
Build productive working relationships across functions, levels, and teams to achieve shared objectives and effectively partner with stakeholders to solve problems and drive results.
Ensure policies and programs are consistently administered in compliance with Company policies and applicable laws and regulations.
Partner with Labor & Employment team to track and understand legal and human resources developments, emerging risk, and identify best practices.
Develop templates, resources, and toolkits to assist Human Resources in managing legal developments.
Partner with Labor & Employment and Human Resources to develop and facilitate relevant training and related resources.
Collaborate with Labor & Employment Team and Human Resources to implement and modify applicable policies.