People Experience Specialist

The People Experience Specialist plays an essential role in guiding and advising our Lush staff, listening to employee concerns, offering objective resolutions, and ensuring fair and consistent application of employment policies. In this role, you will bring a people led approach to challenges, be comfortable managing difficult conversations, and have the ability to build trust through thoughtful interactions. If you excel at time management, take pride in owning your work from start to finish, and enjoy solving problems as part of a supportive team, this role is for you!

You hold sacred our Lush culture and values through fearless leadership and owning the experience of every employee. You grow talent by motivating, encouraging and coaching the manufacturing and distribution business in people best practices as relates to safety, well-being, compliance, and integrity between our business and people; you know how to be curious about their opportunities and how to be real with feedback and support.  Lush values people that can adapt and evolve to the needs of our business, analyze and interpret metrics and translate strategy into behaviors which drive sales and improve profit. Our Lush employees live with purpose, finding their personal value connection with the values of our business, bringing their work and life paths into one holistic journey. 

The People and Culture Team is founded on these principles: Cultivate a sense of BELONGING and create aligned experiences for people | LOOK AFTER the health of the business and of people | Every interaction builds TRUST | Treat people as INDIVIDUALS and adults | Lush is a LEARNING organization 

As a member of the P&C Team you: 

• Provide care, support and advice for everyone 
• Create conditions conducive to great work 
• Demonstrate inclusive, resilient leadership 
• Support empowered staff to own their journey 

Reporting to the People Experience Manager, the People Experience Specialist undertakes the following RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Manage and resolve performance and employee relations challenges, separations, terminations and leaves 
• Support the hiring process and ensure your internal customers are knowledgeable in the tools and resources for hiring, onboarding and training staff
• Navigate, guide, and advise Lush employees on any question or topic, sharing the right information and directing them to the right place and people to resolve their issue 
• Lift up employee feedback or complaints to the appropriate teams and facilitate dialogue to resolve conflicts
• Objectively assess complaints and determine the proper protocol. Involve the right people and report back on results
• Promote well-being resources provided through our third-party vendors, ensure staff are taking advantage of available programs and work with the benefits team to improve metrics
• Maintain expert knowledge of emergency protocol, safety procedures, and incident response; responsible for coordination of efforts and involvement of the right teams at the right times
• Support the return-to-work process for employees who’ve taken leave, and act as a liaison between the benefits team, employee and manager to ensure a smooth transition
• Support staff and managers in time and attendance best practices, including following break and meal rules, availability and scheduling agreements, and time off, accommodation and leave requests
• Maintain expert knowledge of policies and procedures and consistently reference them in your work with employees
• Maintain expert knowledge of current Lush events and changes that may impact staff, interpret company information and share the correct resources
• Maintain expert knowledge in policies, operations, benefits, time and attendance, compensation, leaves, accommodations and people practices
• Collect relevant and accurate data and report on trends, including escalation of more serious issues
  
  

You bring the following QUALIFICATIONS:  

Required:  

• 1-2 years of direct employee relations experience, including handling employee complaints, managing time and attendance issues, leaves, and applying workplace policy
• 1-2 years of experience providing people support within a retail or manufacturing environment
• Knowledge of Ontario employment law and/or HR best practices 
• Knowledge of and experience with utilizing Lush employment policies and practices
• Proven ability to conduct unbiased investigations, identify root challenges, and recommend solutions considering legal, business, and personal implications
• Ability to maintain confidentiality, take thorough notes, and follow through on outcomes
• Strong investigation skills, including objective note-taking and labour law-compliant questioning techniques
• Strong conflict resolution skills
• Excellent listening and communication skills
• Strong analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills
• Excellent organization and time management skills
• Proficiency in Excel, Microsoft Suite, G-Suite, and adaptability to other systems as required
• Ability to travel to local shops or the Vancouver office approximately 2-4 times a year.

Preferred:  

• HR coursework, degree or certification a plus
• Experience in cross-cultural collaboration and DEIB or social justice training
• Fluency in Spanish, French or other languages 

Job Type: Regular, Full Time

Location: This role requires on-site support 3 days per week at our Toronto office and will require the successful candidate to reside in Toronto, Ontario, or the surrounding area.

Application Deadline: Friday, November 22nd at 5:00 pm PST

Recruitment Process Overview: