Talent Operations Assistant / Apprentice

About Us

IPG Mediabrands is the media and marketing solutions division of Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG). Mediabrands manages approximately $40 billion in marketing investment globally on behalf of its clients and provides strategic services and solutions across its award-winning, full-service agency networks UM and Initiative and through its innovative marketing specialist companies Kinesso, Magna, Orion, Rapport, Healix, Mediabrands Content Studio and the IPG Media Lab. Mediabrands clients include many of the world’s most recognizable and iconic brands from a broad portfolio of industry sectors. The company employs more than 13,000 marketing experts in more than 130 countries representing the full diversity of humanity. For more information, please visit our website: www.ipgmediabrands.com.

Role Description 

We are looking for a Talent Operations Assistant or Apprentice with superb administrative skills and a passion for HR to join our Talent Operations team.The wider Talent Operations team has two sub-teams; Payroll and Operations, which is made up of a Junior Talent Operations Advisor, Talent Operations Assistants, Talent Operations Administrator, Reward Manager, reporting into the Talent Operations Director.

The Talent Operations team are responsible for all Talent operations and are critical to the evolution of our Talent model, as we look to streamline and automate the way we work. The focus of the team is to create a great people experience for employees as well as support the generalist team. 

About You

You will understand the importance of confidentiality and discretion, have a service-minded approach and be happy working in a matrix structure as you will be providing administrative support for several different agencies.  

We work in an industry where things are continually changing and evolving so you will need to be flexible and adaptable. Working in a team where Business Partners, Talent Development, Payroll and Reward, Talent Acquisition and DEI all sit and work closely together, this is a fantastic opportunity for someone interested in refining their administration skills in the Talent space.  

Key Responsibilities

Starter & Leaver Administration

• Facilitate creation of offers letters of employment and contract paperwork for Talent Business Partners

• Check employees’ right to work before first day and save relevant documentation

• Administer employee references via HireRight, check and report irregularities, download and save report to relevant file

• Draft and send probation confirmation emails/letters

• Draft relevant letters confirming leaver details

• Liaise with IT and Facilities to ensure starters and leavers equipment is issued and returned

• Manage personnel files, taking note of retention periods

Onboarding

• Collate new starter onboarding forms verifying accurate completion

• Maintain the Talent Starters and Leavers spreadsheet, ensuring it is always up to date (starters, leavers, fixed term contractors, maternity/paternity, etc). Send weekly Starters and Leavers to relevant groups

• Coordinate new starter inductions with Finance and Legal

HR Systems Administration & Reporting

• Main contact for employee Workday queries 

• Carry out all HR Partner actions in Workday such as position management, pay and reporting line changes  

• Reporting from Workday to collate and provide employee data for census and diversity surveys 

• Support administration of performance management system, runs reports when needed 

• Assist with the preparation of data for IPG and external HR Audits 

Immigration Administration

• Keep accurate records on employees’ right to work for immigration purposes, including keeping the HR Immigration spreadsheet up to date

• Assist Talent Advisors with checking and monitoring visas during the annual immigration audit

Payroll & Benefits

• Monthly payroll processing; submitting payroll changes in Workday and via ADP spreadsheet, raising tickets with IPG Shared Services Payroll team, ensuring approvals are received by the payroll trial deadlines and working closely with IPG Shared Services and Talent Partners to ensure issues and corrections are resolved

• Good knowledge of our company benefits to advise employees. Working with Benefits Helpdesk and Reward Manager to resolve queries

• Running payroll variance reports and updating to capture reasons for the variances, escalating any errors to Reward Manager 

General Administration

• Manage the AskTalent mailbox, responding to general HR queries within the designated timeframe, including reference requests (employment references, letting agent and bank references), letters for visa applications and business invitation letters for foreign travel

• Update Employee Handbooks, including part time employee bank holiday entitlements and Christmas shutdown adjustments

• Administer pay review and bonus letters  

Desired Skills & Experience

• Well-organised and looking to start your career within HR.

• Excellent attention to detail and methodical approach to problem solving. 

• Understand how the work you produce adds value to the HR Department and the whole Company.

• You may have completed or are in the process of studying towards your CIPD level 3 or equivalent. Experience working in HR is also applicable. 

Experience:

• Office/admin experience, ideally within HR

• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office, especially Excel

• Some knowledge of Office 365 applications

• Delivering against SLAs or KPIs

• Working with databases and systems

Competencies:

• Passionate about a career in HR and can articulate the role of HR and how it adds value to the business

• Strong aptitude for IT systems

• Confident interacting with people at all levels of seniority

• Exceptional attention to detail, rigour and process

• Good numeracy skills

• High regard for confidentiality

• Flexible, can adapt to manage new priorities as they arise and willing to roll sleeves up and get stuck in

• Pro-active, a self-starter who works well on their own initiative

• Solutions orientated with natural problem-solving skills

• Highly organised, efficient, and able to multi-task and remain calm under pressure

• Honest and open

• Good relationship-building skills