Employee Relations Specialist - Chicago or Decatur, IL

Employee Relations Specialist - Chicago or Decatur, IL.

Job Overview
The Employee Relations Specialist will be an integral part of the North America Employee Relations team at ADM.   This position is responsible for addressing employee relations matters ranging from performance management issues, policy violations, and interpretation to investigating and resolving employee complaints related to Title VII and other workplace issues. This role requires the ability to analyze basic to sophisticated information, develop valued fact-based conclusions using a variety of resources and techniques, and present findings to all levels of management and leadership.

Key Responsibilities:

• Serves as team case administrator by triaging all matters submitted to the team through ADM’s HelpLine or mailbox and delegating to stakeholders or assigning an ER investigator.
• Serves as the first point of contact for employee relations questions and provides relevant and effective advice and guidance to HR partners and business leaders on employee relations matters such as employee behavior and performance concerns, termination requests, policy violations and other related areas.
• Independently conduct workplace investigations and independently manage caseload start to closure effectively and efficiently with discretion, impartiality, and confidentiality.
• Aid in developing and conducting employee relations training programs for managers and employees, ensuring alignment with ADM’ values and compliance with legal standards
• Recognize potential employee experience/relations issues in a proactive manner and resolve/raise the concern to the appropriate center of excellence.
• Communicate with colleagues regarding employee relations concerns; provide guidance and recommendations for resolution of issues.
• Assist managers and supervisors in understanding and implementing company policies related to performance, discipline and related topics.
• Apply a solid understanding of company policy, culture, and core values to provide recommendations in partnership with ER Manager, HR Business partners, and legal counsel.
• Provide support to the HR team related worker’s compensation, wage and hour, and or unlawful or inappropriate conduct or other legal issues.
• Other duties as assigned.

Key skills required:

• Communication and Influence:  Excellent written and verbal communication skills (including presentation skills) with the ability to engage and influence diverse audiences
• Critical thinking: Advanced problem solving skills to handling complex, sensitive matters and diver effective solutions
• HR acumen:  Proficient knowledge and understanding of U.S. employment policies/procedures and related federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations, including but not limited to Title VII, ADA, FMLA, FLSA, and EEOC guidelines
• Relationship Building:  Strong ability to build trusted relationship across various business units

Education/Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resource preferred
• Professional certification (e.g., PHR, SHRM-CP, AWI) is a plus
• Minimum 2 years of employee relations, human resources generalist, investigation or legal experience, and demonstrated passion for employee relations, labor relations, investigations, or labor/employment law with an emphasis on labor and employee relations work
• Respond effectively to – and interact with – all levels of organization staff, including executives
• Unbiased, empathic and analytical/fact based decision making approach
• Proficiency in using HRIS systems, case management software, and Microsoft Office Suite
• (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Effective communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to communicate complex information clearly and persuasively to diverse audiences and varying levels of leadership.
• Unquestionable integrity, confidentially and professionalism in a wide variety of situations
• Dispute resolution and negotiation experience
• Flexible, innovative and composed in a fast paced, growth-oriented and time-critical environment