Contents Location About the job Benefits Things you need to know Apply and further information Location Bristol, South West England, BS1 6PN About the job Job summary We are looking for a People Services Associate to join our busy People Services Team in delivering a great service to our organisation. The People Services Team supports everyone in the organisation, dealing with general employment queries and processing change of contracts to actioning our payroll, benefits and pension requirements. The team is key in collating and maintaining our people data, ensuring compliance with legislation, providing advice and support to people in using our self-service systems and processing a wide range of HR administrative activities. The Planning Inspectorate has a long and proud history in ensuring a fair planning system for England. The work we do has a significant impact on peoples lives, the communities where they live and the economy. We want our colleagues to be able to work more flexibly and more collaboratively, exploring new and innovative ways to improve the way we provide services. For further information on the Planning Inspectorate, please see the information pack attached. You can also view our careers page at Civil Service Careers Job description We are looking for someone with an understanding of the importance of the transactional side of HR and compliance with employment legislation. You will need to be a clear communicator who can work collaboratively with people across the organisation to resolve problems and support our People Services Coordinators to provide a quality service. You will need to be methodical in how you work helping to ensure work is allocated and prioritised appropriately and completed to a high standard and be proactive in finding solutions to improve efficiency. A typical week will involve reviewing requests and enquiries and distributing across the team, investigating and processing requests and enquiries via our People Service Desk relating to contracts of employment, policies and processes. A key part is reviewing feedback on our performance and processes and looking to continuously improve how we work to be efficient and effective. You will work with the People Services Team Leader to ensure we maintain compliance with employment legislation and organisational policies on standards and ensuring all the necessary records and data are processed to send to our payroll provider. For full information on the role and assessment process please refer to the candidate pack attached. Office Attendance This role is contractually based at Temple Quay House, Bristol which is currently out of use due to undergoing refurbishment work. In the interim, we have the use of alternative office space in very close proximity to Bristol Temple Meads railway station. We recognise and value the mutual benefits of hybrid working and have a flexible approach to in person attendance, which can vary dependent on the requirements of individual business units - the details of which can be discussed with candidates if invited to attend an interview. Person specification Essential Criteria Knowledge of current and up and coming employment law and the practical application of that law in a People Services environment. Experience of dealing with People Administration relating to employment contracts, pay, reward and benefits. Broad knowledge of People best practice. Experience of using People databases. Experience of giving advice to stakeholders. Excellent organisational skills. Robust IT skills including a good level in excel Ability to produce in depth reports Analytical and research skills and ability to apply these skills to provide effective solutions to HR issues. Desirable Criteria CIPD level 3 qualified or a willingness to study towards this qualification. Experience of using People Service Desk technologies Experience of working in a unionised environment Experience of supporting change initiatives Behaviours We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: Changing and Improving Communicating and Influencing Delivering at Pace Managing a Quality Service Benefits Alongside your salary of £28,927, Planning Inspectorate contributes £8,380 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides. Flexible working options, including flexi-time, part-time, compressed hours and home working if suitable for the role. A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity. 25 days annual leave increasing by 1 day per year up to 30 days after 5 years, plus 1 privilege day to mark the Kings birthday. In addition to the normal bank holidays. Generous family friendly policies. Fast and modern IT kit which utilises Windows 10 and Microsoft 365, enabling seamless working from home and collaboration across teams. For full information see our Benefits information pack. Things you need to know Selection process details This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience. Application Complete the online application form on Civil Service Jobs which requires the following information: A CV : The CV section is an opportunity for you to detail your career history. It should outline the jobs you have done, the length of time you were employed within each role and a brief description of your role, responsibilities and duties which demonstrate relevance to the role you are applying for against the essential criteria. You must type, or copy and paste into the text box called Employment History within the online application. You cannot attach a copy of your CV. A Personal Statement (750 words max) : The personal statement allows you to outline your suitability for the role in more depth, expanding on your CV evidence. It is an opportunity for you to provide evidence against the essential criteria listed within the candidate pack on the Person Specification page. We will assess your application on the evidence you have provided against the Essential Criteria detailed in the Person Specification in the candidate pack. All shortlisted candidates will be advised of the outcome shortly afterwards. Interview If you are shortlisted, you will: Be asked to attend an interview to have a more in-depth discussion about your experience and suitability for the role Interviews will be a blend of behaviour and experience questions Candidates who are successful at shortlist stage will be sent full assessment requirements with their interview invitations. Other Information Shortlist Date: w/c 30 December 2024 Interview Date: w/c 20 January 2025 Interviews are currently being completed remotely using Microsoft Teams. We would like to reassure candidates that the virtual interview will not be recorded (or retained) within the Planning Inspectorate, other than usual interview protocol and in line with the Civil Service jobs Privacy notice. We encourage all candidates to make themselves familiar with the role and what we will be assessing you against which is detailed in the Person Specification. The Planning Inspectorate is committed to finding the right person for the job. We recruit using Success Profiles and consider the criteria you will need to demonstrate to be successful for the role. ID and Documents If specific qualifications/memberships are essential for the role and you are successful, you will be asked to provide accurate scanned or photographed images of the qualifications/memberships that you listed on your application prior to your start date. We must check that any successful candidates are allowed to work for the Civil Service before we employ them. If successful, you will be asked to do a right to work check using identity document validation technology (IDVT) through the services of an Identity Service Provider (IDSP), Civil Service Jobs. If we are unable to confirm your right to work and through the IDVT we will need to do a manual right to work check using original documents with you in person. Visa Sponsorship The Planning Inspectorate cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates, we do not hold a Visa sponsorship licence. Disability Confident Interview scheme The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. We run a Disability Confident Interview scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria for the job. To be considered for an interview under the scheme you must: have a disability defined by the Equality Act 2010 provide evidence in your application that you meet the minimum criteria in the job description meet all of the qualifications, skills or experience defined as essential While we will endeavour to provide you with all the appropriate information, you are the expert on your specific requirements so if you require any adjustments, you should consider the information provided about the assessment process in the candidate pack and then: Complete the Assistance required section in the Additional requirements page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. The earlier and more clearly you tell us what you need and why you need it, the more likely we are to be able to accommodate you in a timely fashion. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. Security Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks. Nationality requirements This job is broadly open to the following groups: UK nationals nationals of the Republic of Ireland nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window) nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020 Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window) Working for the Civil Service The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy. Diversity and Inclusion The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window). Apply and further information This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative. The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window). Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records. Contact point for applicants Job contact : Name : Jordan Bishop Email : PINS.Recruitmentplanninginspectorate.gov.uk Recruitment team Email : PINS.Recruitmentplanninginspectorate.gov.uk Further information If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact in the first instance: The Vacancy Manager via the Recruitment Team (PINS.Recruitmentplanninginspectorate.gov.uk). If you are not satisfied with the response, you receive you should then contact, Chief People Officer, via the Recruitment Team (PINS.Recruitmentplanninginspectorate.gov.uk). If you are still not satisfied with the response you receive from the Planning Inspectorate, you can contact the Office of the Civil Service Commission. https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/recruitment-complaints/ Attachments Candidate_Pack_2024_People_Services_Associate Opens in new window (pdf, 435kB) Guidance on how to structure your application_CV and Personal Statement Opens in new window (pdf, 509kB) Benefits 2022 Version 3 (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 342kB) The Planning Inspectorate Information Opens in new window (pdf, 1265kB) Share this page Print Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn GMail