Employee Relations Consultant

Job Description:

At Bank of America, we are guided by a common purpose to help make financial lives better through the power of every connection. Responsible Growth is how we run our company and how we deliver for our clients, teammates, communities, and shareholders every day.

One of the keys to driving Responsible Growth is being a great place to work for our teammates around the world. We’re devoted to being a diverse and inclusive workplace for everyone. We hire individuals with a broad range of backgrounds and experiences and invest heavily in our teammates and their families by offering competitive benefits to support their physical, emotional, and financial well-being.

Bank of America believes both in the importance of working together and offering flexibility to our employees. We use a multi-faceted approach for flexibility, depending on the various roles in our organization.

Working at Bank of America will give you a great career with opportunities to learn, grow and make an impact, along with the power to make a difference. Join us!

Job Description:
This job is responsible for researching employment-related issues raised by managers or employees and providing sound guidance to address the issues and mitigate risks. Key responsibilities include managing cases with moderate to high risk, including but not limited to misconduct, declining performance, policy violations, attendance, and workplace disputes in a variety of business units. Job expectations include conducting thorough research and documentation, collaborating with internal partners, resolving conflicts, and managing multiple cases with competing priorities.

The Employee Relations (ER) Consultant is responsible for delivering employee relations counseling and support to managers and employees of Bank of America/Merrill Lynch via a heavy telephone queue environment. The ER Consultant self manages moderate to high-risk cases on a variety of ER topics including but not limited to global bank policy, attendance, performance, behavior, and conflict resolution, across multiple lines of business.  The role requires consultants to:

• Thoroughly research all claims to identify root cause of issues and document calls including all relevant, factual narrative of details and rationale for recommendation in case management tool

• Independently use sound judgment to mitigate risk, weigh the importance and validity of information to form fact-based opinions, solve problems and make formal recommendations

• Ability to remain neutral without inserting personal opinions

• Provide exceptional client care; conveying empathy, patience and utilizing listening skills

• Ability to multi-task with ease while prioritizing the most urgent needs

• Ability to navigate multiple systems or tools simultaneously while accurately documenting conversations

• Effectively influence key stakeholders including managers, employees, HR partners, and other business partners as appropriate

• Identify opportunities to improve client experience and GHR/ER processes

• Exemplify the Bank of America Core Values in each and every interaction with team, clients and stakeholders

Responsibilities:

• Conducts in-take of initial concerns, researches, and thoroughly documents information gathered for assigned cases

• Performs investigation of employee-related issues, identifying root causes and associated risks and subsequently, developing a plan to mitigate these risks

• Conducts interviews and leverages information sources to gather and simultaneously document evidence and insights necessary for a thorough investigation

• Escalates to and collaborates with Employee Relations (ER) leaders and key partners (e.g. Human Resources (HR), Legal, Protective Services) for complex cases with higher risks

• Demonstrates sound judgment and objectivity while weighing the importance and validity of information to form fact-based conclusions, make formal recommendations, and influence stakeholders and outcomes

• Builds trust and rapport and demonstrates empathy with employees during interviews in order to obtain the most candid and comprehensive information throughout the course of an investigation

Required Qualifications:

• MUST have three or more years of experience as an HR Generalist / Employee Relations Specialist, OR MUST have three or more years of leadership experience directly managing others and considerable exposure handling employee relations concerns

• Experience managing multiple cases and/or priorities concurrently while mitigating risk and ensuring optimal value and outcomes are achieved

• Communicate effectively (both verbal and written) and confidently, and is comfortable engaging all clients

• Demonstrates a sense of commitment to work and willingly assumes responsibility for accomplishing objectives; is dependable, and conscientiously follows through on commitments

• Demonstrates the ability to concentrate on a task, despite distractions and competing demands

• Successful candidates will manage varying caseloads while consistently meeting quality assurance and schedule adherence standards

• Successful candidates must pass knowledge check upon completion of training segments to remain in role

• Proficiency with computers, including MS Office and Internet applications

Desired Qualifications:

• Preferred experience in fast-paced call center environment with ability to effectively communicate with clients, document concerns and utilize multiple systems simultaneously

• Bachelor’s Degree in HR Management or a related field or equivalent years of professional experience

• PHR/SPHR Certification(s)

Skills:

• Active Listening

• Advisory

• Critical Thinking

• Due Diligence

• Employee Counseling

• Executive Presence

• Policies, Procedures, and Guidelines

• Prioritization

• Recording/Organizing Information

• Research

• Attention to Detail

• Influence

• Interpret Relevant Laws, Rules, and Regulations

• Issue Management

• Oral Communications

Shift:

Hours Per Week: