Summary

The Human Resources (HR) Specialist - supports a broad range of human resources functions, including employee relations, recruiting, onboarding, benefits administration, payroll processing, performance management, policy administration, compliance, and employee engagement initiatives. This position serves as a resource for managers and employees on various human resource services, policies, and programs. The HR Specialist works collaboratively across the Bank to support business objectives while delivering a positive employee experience. Provides essential functions in areas of payroll, benefits, HRIS management, recruiting, onboarding, offboarding, employee relations and communications.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Core HR

• Provide exceptional internal support by fielding, tracking and responding to employee and manager inquiries regarding policies, procedures, and HR programs.
• Responsible for the administration of programs, procedures, and guidelines to help align the workforce with the strategic goals of Northwest Bank.
• Promote employee engagement and support Bank culture initiatives, including employee milestone recognitions.
• Responsible for updates to HR intranet sites.
• Assist in HR policy development, updates, and communication.
• Oversee the maintenance of HR-related records required by law or local governing bodies.
• Enforce and maintain appropriate internal controls to ensure safe and sound practices.
• Responsible for participating in projects that facilitate greater efficiency and customer service.

Payroll Administration

• In partnership with Senior Generalist, act as primary for semi-monthly hourly and salary payroll processing, final pay, and special payrolls.
• Review payroll reports to ensure accuracy of earnings, deductions, taxes, paid leave, garnishments, and benefit elections.
• Research and resolve payroll discrepancies and employee payroll inquiries.
• Coordinate payroll changes related to status changes, compensation adjustments, promotions and terminations.

HRIS Administration

• Maintain accurate employee data in the HRIS, including but not limited to initiating and finalizing new employee profiles, entering job and or pay changes, supervisory / manager changes.
• Build and manage workflows, troubleshoot, run ad hoc reports and understand system integrations.
• Provide assistance to bank employees with HRIS self-service functions: access, timekeeping, paid time off, benefit / personal / payroll information.
• Generate HR metrics reports related to headcount, turnover, recruiting, payroll, benefits, audit requests.
• Recommend process improvements and support HR system enhancements.

Benefits

• Provide support for benefit-related administration, assist employees with any benefit questions or issues, life-event changes, new enrollments and terminations.
• Assist with 401k administration, including post-payroll uploads, reconciliation, new hire and term entries.
• Support leave administration, including state leave programs, and ADA accommodations.

Recruitment & Onboarding

• Collaborate with the human resources team to assist in recruitment activities, including job postings, applicant tracking, interviewing and candidate communications.
• Facilitate new hire onboarding process, including but not limited to initiating new-hire onboarding workflows, conducting background checks and pre-employment screenings, calendaring pre-hire onboarding meetings with multiple team members, preparing orientation schedules, maintaining appropriate documentation and timely entry for I-9 work authorizations.

Offboarding

• Facilitate offboarding process including preparing exit documentation, scheduling exit interviews, and updating internal systems.
• Other
• Prepare periodic reports for management as necessary or requested.
• Develop trust and partnership with leaders, managers and associates while maintaining highest level of confidentiality and professionalism.

Required Qualifications

• 2 years of Human Resource administration support in two or more HR functional areas
• HRIS Experience
• 1 year payroll processing
• Highly proficient end-user technology skills with HR software and platforms, including HRIS
• Ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality and sensitivity
• Ability to interact professionally with all levels of staff
• Highly proficient utilizing Microsoft Office Suites, including Word, Excel, Outlook, OneNote, etc.
• Capacity to calculate, analyze and use data to work with important HR performance measures, such as employee headcount and retention rates
• Ability to analyze work processes and to make recommendations for process improvement
• Ability to analyze complex and sensitive issues and situations, identify alternative solutions, and implement effective course of actions
• Ability to adapt to changes in the work environment, manage multiple projects and perform efficiently in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to provide exceptional services in a high-volume work environment

Preferred Qualifications

• HR credentialing such as PHR, SHRM-CP
• Paylocity HRIS experience
• Banking experience
• Process documentation or SOP development
• Recruiting and Interviewing ATS