Sophia Francis

Design and deliver training and development for managers, including hosting weekly employee relations sessions to build confidence, develop management capability and promote the consistent application of HR policies and employment legislation. Provide practical advice and coaching on disciplinary, grievance, absence, performance and conduct matters, supporting managers through formal processes from initial enquiry to case conclusion. Manage a high-volume employment relations caseload, prioritising workloads to meet service level agreements, while maintaining accurate and confidential records using the HR case management system. Work collaboratively with managers, HR Business Partners and employees to resolve queries, draft employment relations documentation and identify trends or recurring issues, escalating risks where appropriate.

Worked in a broad HR generalist role, supporting managers and employees across the UK and Ireland and acting as the first point of contact for HR advice and guidance. Managed all aspects of the employee lifecycle, delivering support across recruitment, onboarding, employee relations, performance management, development, payroll, benefits and offboarding to ensure a positive and consistent employee experience. Managed employee relations cases, providing practical advice to managers and ensuring fair, consistent and legally compliant outcomes. Delivered coaching and training to managers to build confidence in HR processes and partnered closely with the Learning and Development team to identify development needs and support learning initiatives. Analysed HR data and management information to identify trends, recommend process improvements and implement changes that enhanced the employee experience and improved ways of working. Produced monthly reports on absence, onboarding and exit data to support business decisions and continuous improvement initiatives.

Oversaw a team of coordinators in a fast-paced environment, managing day-to-day operations to ensure high-quality service delivery and achievement of service level agreements. Led the training, coaching and development of team members, identifying individual and team capability gaps, creating development plans and providing ongoing support to improve performance and confidence. Delivered onboarding and facilitated regular team huddles and knowledge-sharing sessions to embed learning and drive continuous improvement. Acted as the primary escalation point for complex queries, providing guidance and resolving cases in line with internal procedures. Worked closely with Business Partners and senior stakeholders to coordinate recruitment activity, improve processes and enhance both the candidate and stakeholder experience. Maintained accurate records, ensuring data integrity and confidentiality, and used operational data and team feedback to identify opportunities to improve efficiency and ways of working.

Provided HR administrative support in a fast-paced hospitality environment, supporting day-to-day People operations and ensuring the efficient delivery of HR services. Managed employee lifecycle activities, including onboarding, contract amendments, and offboarding, while maintaining accurate employee records in line with GDPR and data protection requirements. Responded to employee queries, providing first-line HR support and escalating complex matters where appropriate. Supported recruitment activities by coordinating interviews, liaising with candidates, and assisting with onboarding administration. Prepared and collated payroll data for submission, ensuring accuracy and adherence to deadlines, while contributing to the smooth running of HR processes and delivering a positive employee experience.

Managed the end-to-end recruitment process, from attraction and selection through to onboarding and induction, ensuring a positive candidate experience and timely hiring outcomes. Provided comprehensive HR administrative support across the employee lifecycle, maintaining accurate employee records and HR documentation while ensuring compliance with company policies and employment legislation. Supported HR Advisors and managers with a range of employee relations matters, including performance management, attendance, disciplinary and grievance cases, offering guidance in line with HR policies and procedures. Maintained and enhanced HR systems, ensuring data accuracy, producing reports, and supporting efficient case management. Worked collaboratively with managers and cross-functional teams to deliver a responsive, high-quality HR service that supported business objectives and continuous improvement.

Supported colleagues across the employee lifecycle, specialising in leave of absence processes, including maternity, paternity, adoption, and other statutory leave cases, ensuring complex requests were managed accurately and in line with policy and legislation. Acted as a subject matter expert, partnering with managers and the HR Advisory team to provide expert guidance on complex leave of absence cases. Identified knowledge gaps and designed and delivered coaching sessions, workshops, and guidance to managers and HR colleagues, improving confidence, capability, and consistency in the application of leave of absence policies and procedures. Developed and maintained guidance materials and process documentation to support best practice and continuous improvement. Ensured the accuracy of HR transactions impacting payroll, maintaining data integrity and supporting timely, accurate payroll processing.