Careers
HR Assistant
About the Role
Location: Basildon or Egham
Reports to: HR Manager
Working Hours: 25 hours per week
About XPand:
Established in 2000, we are a privately-owned UK company with six working sites in the UK, backed up with a truly global reach. We are a young dynamic forward thinking business who really value our people, we offer a modern safe working environment that allows our team to thrive and succeed.
Our Core Values:
Empathy “We have each other’s backs. No role divides when help is needed”
Passion & Drive “We take pride in the job we do from start to finish and go that extra mile. We have unwavering determination to deliver”
Integrity “We talk to and treat others how we would expect to be treated, no matter the position within the company”
Customer Focussed “We create real value for our clients. Delighting and exceeding customer expectations”
Team “One Team, one goal”
Job Summary
We are looking for a proactive and organised HR Assistant to support the daily operations of our HR department. This is a hands-on role that provides essential administrative and first-line advisory support across the full employee lifecycle. You’ll work closely with the HR Manager, line managers, and employees to ensure a smooth and professional HR service is delivered across the business.
This role is ideal for someone with solid administrative skills who wants to gain exposure to a wide variety of generalist HR activities.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
1. Employee Lifecycle Support
- Prepare employment contracts, offer letters, and onboarding documentation.
- Process new starters and leavers in line with HR procedures.
- Maintain accurate employee records and ensure compliance with data protection requirements.
- Coordinate probation reviews and ensure timely follow-ups.
2. Recruitment & Selection
- Advertise vacancies and manage applicant tracking.
- Screen CVs, shortlist candidates, and conduct telephone interviews.
- Schedule and coordinate interviews with hiring managers.
- Carry out right-to-work checks and prepare onboarding documentation.
- Support the delivery of inductions for new starters.
3. Employee Relations Support
- Provide first-line advice on HR policies and procedures, with support from HR Manager
- Support disciplinary, grievance, and absence management processes (e.g., note-taking, paperwork preparation).
- Monitor attendance records and coordinate return-to-work interviews.
- Liaise with Occupational Health as required.
4. Training & Development
- Schedule mandatory and optional training sessions.
- Maintain accurate training records and update the HR system accordingly.
- Liaise with external training providers and coordinate bookings.
- Support the performance review process through scheduling and documentation support.
5. Payroll & Benefits
- Prepare and submit payroll changes to the finance team.
- Respond to employee queries regarding benefits and assist with enrolments or updates.
6. HR Systems & Compliance
- Maintain data accuracy in HR systems (e.g., PeopleHR).
- Track and generate HR reports including sickness and holiday usage.
- Conduct periodic audits of employee files to ensure GDPR and internal policy compliance.
7. Engagement & Communication
- Assist with internal HR communications, newsletters, and announcements.
- Support the coordination of employee engagement events and activities.
- Track and monitor probation periods and ensure timely completion of related processes.
Additional Responsibilities
- Maintain and update organisational charts.
- Coordinate uniform orders across all sites.
- Conduct quarterly driving licence checks for all drivers.
- Manage flexible working requests in coordination with line managers.
- Ensure that forklift, first aid, and fire marshal certifications are renewed before expiry.
What We’re Looking For
- Experience in an administrative or HR support role (ideally 1+ year).
- Strong attention to detail and organisational skills.
- Confident communicator with a proactive, can-do attitude.
- Comfortable handling sensitive and confidential information.
- Familiarity with HR systems (e.g., PeopleHR) is desirable.
- CIPD Level 3 (or working towards it) would be a plus.
What We Offer
- A friendly and supportive team environment.
- Exposure to the full employee lifecycle in a busy, fast-paced sector.
- Opportunities to grow your HR knowledge and responsibilities over time.
- Access to company benefits, training, and development resources.
This job description is not exhaustive; it will be subject to periodic review and may be amended to meet the changing needs of the business.