People Business Partner

Imagine a role where you're not just an HR professional, but also a trusted advisor, an empathetic listener, and a catalyst for positive change. As a People Business Partner with us, you'll be at the forefront of shaping an extraordinary employee experience. From onboarding new talents with a warm smile to collaborating with teams and leaders to unleash their full potential, you'll be the driving force behind a happier, healthier, and more motivated workforce. This role is open to applicants from Cape Town and Johannesburg.

The main purpose of this role is to partner with leadership to develop and implement/execute on the HR value chain that enables business objectives and goals and operationally execute on identified transformational initiatives and to take primary responsibility for providing a comprehensive, pro-active, and integrated people advisory and generalist service to the business and serve as a business-people partner to leaders and as an employee champion and change agent.

Business Partnering

Duties and Responsibilities (Include but is not limited to):

• Engage and partner with business to understand their needs to develop and implement integrated tactical and operational people plans and HR solutions in response to business and people challenges.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders (broader HC team, Marketing, OHS, IT, etc) to develop and implement initiatives aimed at optimising people initiatives
• Partner across the HC teams to deliver effective, efficient, integrated, and value-added HC solutions to business in alignment with business needs.
• In partnership with the Organisational Effectiveness (OE) CoE, manage organisational design, organisational effectiveness, employee engagement and retention.
• Drive the implementation and adoption of various HC practices and processes using various tools such as facilitating sessions to educate employees and line managers on these practices
• Promote efforts to measure employee engagement and climate within supported client groups and facilitate action planning to improve employee engagement and overall workplace culture.
• Advise, coach and support managers on the wide range of staff leadership activities, ranging from the design, implementation, and leadership of change programmes
• Implement development initiatives in partnership with OE, and Learning Enablement (LE) CoEs, to empower and enable people across business and actively manage development programmes
• Partner with LE CoE to identify training and development initiatives to address any learning or development challenges in line with business needs.
• Influence key business decisions to ensure the effective management of employees through
• the fair, efficient and pragmatic application of best practice.
• Guide and provide input on business unit restructures, organisational design elements and
• effectively manage organisational change and transition, in close collaboration with the relevant CoE.
• Provide leadership, consultation, and advice to business in the areas of workforce planning, people management, succession planning, on and off-boarding and performance enablement, to align the workforce to the needs of the business.
• Support business in the implementation of people practices in line with our key people levers and the operational needs of the business.
• Utilise trends and metrics to develop, optimise and implement HC solutions that address key business challenges and drive business objectives.
• Keep abreast of industry trends and best practice to optimise service offering, ensure compliance, and mitigate risk
• Ensure the confidentiality of people information and data

Implement employee attraction, selection and acquisition policies, practices, and procedures:

• Compiling job profiles for new and refined roles and ensure correct grading and benchmarking
• Ensure updated profiles are saved on the role library
• Ensure that the recruitment process is followed
• Partner with the Talent Acquisition team, to ensure delivery on recruitment needs in area of responsibility
• Ensure selection for culture and right-fit to role in line with recruitment policies and procedures
• Ensure all organisation structures/organograms are up to date
• Ensure that every new employee is engaged with; and effectively on-boarded as per the onboarding process (including stay interviews that are centrally captured to determine trends)

Implement employee remuneration and benefit policies and procedures

• Facilitate conversations with employees and line managers with regards to remuneration principles and practices in the business (in alignment with remuneration philosophy/framework)
• Ensure awareness of company guidelines/policies and partner to ensure the use of fair and responsible performance information in the allocation of increases/incentives
• Ensure that all roles are benchmarked to allow for equitable market comparison, and business impact
• Partner to drive a culture of recognition across area of responsibility.
• Partner with managers to ensure participation in the recognition and reward programmes
• and advise on the fair and consistent application

Ensure effective employee relations and engagement

• Act as a trusted advisor for employee relations issues
• Advise and assist management on disciplinary issues as per the Code of Conduct and relevant policies and procedures.
• Handle all disciplinary matters within portfolio under the oversight of the relevant HR lead and ER CoE
• Hearings and/or inquiries are arranged, attended and/or coaching is provided to ensure procedural and substantive fairness.
• Facilitate progressive discipline
• Monitor outcome of hearings to determine trends, and alignment of outcomes to ensure procedural fairness.
• Where trends are identified, provide necessary corrective action/advice to management and where relevant initiate upskilling (to be facilitated by (Employee Relations (ER) CoE)
• Ensure organizational restructures/changes/re-alignments/mutual separations are done in alignment with line with legal and procedural requirements in conjunction with the ER CoE, relevant People Head and senior management team
• Arrange Disciplinary enquiries and facilitate the process in ensuring that all required documents are timeously and accurately prepared for Disciplinary enquiries and CCMA referrals.
• Partner with ER CoE to prepare for CCMA and related labour matters as and where required
• In partnership, with the ER CoE, advise staff and managers on grievance issues as per the policy and procedures in the Code of Conduct and facilitate alignment to the policy.
• Ensure that all ER matters (inter alia, disciplinary, non-performance, incapacity outcomes) are documented and saved on the relevant HRiS.
• Ensure accurate upkeep of employee records both electronically and in hard copy
• Submit correct HCRreports on time

Occupational Health And Injury

• Assist managers in the facilitation and application of correct measure in dealing with Occupational health and injury issues, in collaboration with the
• Health and Safety Committee and the ER CoE. Ensure that the necessary documents and processes are followed to facilitate the Workmans compensation application process.
• Ensure that the necessary information i.e., forms, doctors reports, acknowledgement letters and proof of costs are kept for each case reported.
• Work with OHS to raise employee awareness of risks and to reduce, avoid and protect employees from hazards in the workplace, including occupational illness or disease.
• Facilitate effective employee-employer relationships by investigating employee complaints and raising concerns on working conditions and working relationships. Partner when improvements need to be made.
• Ensure that employees and management are educated on and kept abreast with all organisational policies
• Ensure that you keep abreast of all policies and amendments thereto to ensure proper and efficient advising.

Facilitate performance management (enablement) and career development

• Ensure performance management and processes are implemented as per the performance management policy and guidelines.
• Provide coaching and support to line management in respect of managing employee performance and career development.
• Performance review data is compiled, interpreted, and presented to the management team on a bi-annual basis
• Performance review data recommendations and action plans are developed, implemented and progress is tracked
• Partner with line manager to facilitate a culture of performance by driving that all employees have performance agreements and goal reviews on a bi-annual basis
• Ensure succession planning is implemented within portfolio and is in line with the job architecture, employment equity targets and strategic direction of the organisation
• Ensure career development plan (IDP), discussions are in line with performance outcomes, capabilities required for role fulfilment and happen frequently.

Contribute to enabling a fun, connected work climate and culture with high employee engagement

• Constructively engage with staff and managers on a regular basis with the aim of understanding possible barriers to engagement (employee champion and leader enabler)
• Partner to overcome these barriers
• Liaise with relevant stakeholders (HC team, Marketing team, etc) with the aim of partnering
• towards initiatives for specific campaigns to improve culture and climate
• Partner in the roll out of the organisational climate and culture survey across the business to ensure high completion rate.
• Provide feedback to the business on their results and partner to drive organisational-wide initiatives, as well as within business initiatives/appropriate solutions.
• Understand, live and drive organisational business ethics and values across all levels within the organisation
• Identify and clarify areas of conflict within the business and drive change iro values and ethics
• Facilitate people care by driving the utilisation of our wellness solutions
• Ensure that all employees are kept abreast on engagement activities
• Drive change and transition management effectively across the area for any change initiatives.
• Identify and facilitate effective team development interventions

Advise on and drive effective off-boarding of employees (exits)

• Partner with and notify the relevant stakeholders of termination dates and withdrawal of benefits in respect of dismissals, resignations, retirements, disabilities, death, status changes and transfers etc.
• Ensure dismissals resulting from disciplinary hearings are affected through the appropriate channels and recorded for reporting purposes.
• Conduct exit interviews for every termination (apart from dismissals) and ensure that these are centrally captured to enable trend analysis for reporting purposes. When required, hold consultation/counselling sessions for retirees, bereaved families, disability, or life threatening disease cases. Ensure that relevant referrals for further assistance are made, as necessary.
• Provide line management with the necessary support to ensure that the relevant procedures are carried out during terminations as per the termination checklist e.g., accurate completion of documentation, return of Company property etc

Partner and enable through development (Learning Enablement)

• Partner with L&D CoE, towards the development of annual training plan (ATR) reporting and the compilation of an aligned workplace skills plan (WSP) (business partnering)
• Ensure alignment of WSP to scarce and critical business skills, as well as strategic outcomes for the business.
• Facilitate, with L&D CoE, a needs analysis of training needs towards the enablement of business and performance outcomes
• Partner towards creating capability gaps and driving aligned development
• Manage the succession identification and development process
• Partner with L&D CoE, in the facilitation of overall developmental outcomes in the business (i.e., specialist development, upskilling via bursaries, Learnership etc.
• Partner to ensure effective reporting of training interventions for reporting purposes.
• Partner with L&D CoE in the review of learning feedback and outcomes to adjust the approach where applicable
• Implementation of HC Projects/Initiatives/Process/Procedures
• Effectively partner across the HC team to deliver on agreed people-projects/product offerings
• Execute on all HC projects/initiatives successfully, within the area of responsibility, within agreed timeframes
• Ensure appropriate levels of enthusiasm from business units around HC projects/initiatives by positioning and attaining buy-in
• Ensure that appropriate levels of communication have occurred so that all parties have been informed of purpose, processes, and deadlines for any projects

Effective teamwork and self-management

• Consistently manage own priorities, to achieve all deliverables
• Follow all lawful and reasonable instruction from your manager
• Act as part of the team and always assist other members of the team to achieve common goals
• Be an effective collaborator to leverage off the expertise within the HC team
• Consistently live and be an example of the organisational values

Key Requirements

• Bachelors degree in human resource management and/or industrial psychology
• 3-5 years in a generalist capacity (transaction & transformational HC)
• 3-5 years experience as HCBP in Financial services and/or Fintech business, in a medium to large organisation.
• Demonstrate a proven track record of HC business partnering, strong communication, influencing and stakeholder management skills and strong decision-making skills
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to influence different business areas and management levels
• Experience working with CoEs
• Demonstrate commerciality and a strong knowledge of current SA employment law, and some knowledge of employment law across EMEA
• Demonstrate the use of your analytical skills to solve problems and identify and implement solutions
• A motivated self-starter with the ability to adapt to different business needs

Additional Knowledge And Skills

• In-depth exposure, experience, and knowledge across the Human Capital value chain
• Bias for execution
• Strong relationship building and partnering skills
• Resilient and ability to adjust to changing conditions and demands
• Excellent interpersonal skills (rapport-building)
• Trusted people advisor
• Tactical thinking and execution
• Provides and adopts practical approaches to challenges
• Applies sound judgement and advises on decision making
• Problem Solving Skills (including examining information, providing insights, exploring opportunities, and developing plans)
• Conflict Management skills
• Report writing skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Strong planning and organisational skills
• Drive for results
• Strong collaborator
• High impact and strong influence
• High sense of urgency
• Ability to apply discretionary effort towards task completion
• High Organisational awareness
• Commercial thinking and business acumen
• Employee champion
• Leader enabler
• Sound Knowledge of relevant legislation and processes
• Resilient and stress tolerant
• Leads change and innovation (anticipate and manage)
• Analytical thinker
• Presentation and facilitation skills

I am sure you are reading this job description and meet majority of the criteria BUT you may also still not be 100% comfortable in applying. We believe that there is a place for everyone under the Mukuru sun and we want YOU to contribute to our diverse tapestry of talent. So come on, take a leap of faith, and send your application if you meet majority of our requirements. Remember to include a snippet of how you will bring value and help us build a future of success that will help us determine where and how you may best be suited Maybe you are just the future Mukurian we need!!

Should you be appointed in a remote/work from home role at Mukuru, it is your responsibility to ensure that you have uninterrupted internet connectivity and a work-like environment at your home location, in order to deliver your best in terms of performance, productivity and service to our customers.

If you do not receive any response after two weeks, please consider your application unsuccessful.

NB: ALL STAFF APPOINTMENTS WILL BE MADE WITH DUE CONSIDERATION OF THE COMPANYS DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION PLANS