Employee Relations Specialist

Onsite – Portland, Oregon Salary -$85,000 Our client is a nonprofit organization focusing on providing career opportunities for individuals reentering society after incarceration, with a particular emphasis on those who have served long-term sentences. By offering resources, training, and support, the nonprofit helps these individuals rebuild their lives, gain meaningful employment, and successfully reintegrate into their communities.

Position Summary:

The Employee Relations Specialist, in partnership with the Employee Relations Manager, will play a crucial role in enhancing relationships between employees, their teammates, and supervisors. Their primary focus will be addressing and resolving workplace issues that follow the adherence to the organization’s policies and applicable employment laws. This includes but is not limited to, responding to employee concerns, conducting workplace investigations, and the preparation and delivery of related summary reports, which will need to include disciplinary recommendations to the Human Resources (HR) leadership team and other stakeholders, such as the Operations leadership team. This position will handle a wide range of employment situations for multiple regions.

The Employee Relations Specialist must be able to maintain themselves to the strictest level of confidentiality and be able to be poised in when faced with difficult situations and cases. They will need to be highly organized in keeping their day-to-day routines related to investigations and be able to absorb surprises. In partnership with other HR team members and business unit leaders, they are essential to nurturing a positive, inclusive work environment.

Position Duties and Responsibilities:

• First point of contact for receiving incoming employee relations calls, complaints, and grievances
• Conduct prompt, equitable, and impartial investigations into complaints involving interpersonal conflict and allegations of policy violations, such as harassment, retaliation, discrimination, etc. by conducting thorough interviews, evaluating the scope of allegations, researching the veracity of findings, gathering documentation, analyzing data, summarizing findings, and escalating to the Employee Relations Manager as needed
• Document cases by drafting comprehensive yet concise reports summarizing evidence gathered, findings, and conclusions
• Ensure that investigations are handled effectively and in compliance with the organization’s policies, practices, and applicable employment laws
• Communicate effectively and sensitively with all parties involved in the investigation, helping to build understanding, transparency and trust around the company’s investigation process
• Maintain positive relationships with leaders and employees to promote a culture of open communication
• Collaborate with stakeholders, including HR Operations team, Operations, and Legal to update, and provide findings and potential follow-up recommendations on investigation cases as appropriate
• Develop, review, and update employee relations policies and procedures
• Maintain confidential records within a shared case management tool, including intake, investigation notes, supporting documents and final reports
• Align and communicate with various departments, including Operations, Training, Payroll and Legal
• Acts as a champion of the HR department’s mission, vision, and values

Position Requirements:

• 3+ years of HR experience, which includes proven experience in employee relations and workplace investigations
• AWI certification preferred
• Has broad knowledge of HR principles and best practices
• Has working knowledge of how HR workflows and systems work
• Has exceptional people skills and excellent judgment that allows you to remain neutral in the face of confidential, challenging, and sensitive information
• Has the ability to juggle multiple demands throughout the day and manage competing priorities
• Has excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills
• Has experience writing investigative reports
• Has outstanding follow-through skills, is self-directed and highly motivated with a strong sense of urgency
• Has in-depth knowledge of employment laws, regulations, and HR best practices
• Has excellent computer skills and knowledge of how to use office software programs, including HRIS systems and Google Suite
• Enjoys paying attention to detail and being meticulous
• Ability to be resourceful with strong analytical skills with the ability to think creatively to solve problems
• Ability to be a genuine team player with an interest in building community and authentic relationships
• Ability to be comfortable in a startup environment with high ambiguity
• Ability to demonstrate personal attributes of being empathetic, approachable, objective, fair-minded, and ethical
• Values being kind to teammates, employees, guests, and others
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent preferred

General:

• Will treat guests, staff and stakeholders with compassion and respect
• Work actively to help positively influence the organization’s culture
• Use emotional intelligence to effectively engage and connect with others
• Adhere to established procedures to provide a safe working environment including complying with OSHA, state, and local regulations as well as organizations policies
• Attend orientation and any additional training required
• Must be a team player
• Must be able to work in a dynamic environment and can adapt easily to change
• Must be able to work compassionately and respectfully with people from all backgrounds
• Must be prepared to deal with challenging circumstances related to serving people struggling with poverty, mental health, addiction, and/or homelessness