HR Generalist

Are you a detail-oriented HR professional with a passion for operational excellence and employee experience? Do you thrive in a fast-paced, multicultural environment where your contributions can truly make a difference? If so, we’d love to hear from you.

We are in search of an experienced HR Generalist with profound knowledge of German labour laws and solid experience with workday for HRIS. As the ideal HR Generalist, you will possess a strong track record of successfully managing HR operations within Germany, ensuring compliance with local labour regulations. You’ll play a key role in enabling our success through outstanding HR service delivery. This is an exciting time to join us as we continue to evolve and strengthen our HR operations in support of a truly global business.

This is a hybrid role, requiring at least three days per week in the Cologne office. We support your work-life balance with a mix of in-office collaboration and home-based productivity.

Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll do (not all of it, just the important stuff):

• you will provide end-to-end HR operational support to employees and managers, ensuring compliance with local labour laws and collective bargaining agreements (CBA).
• As the ideal HR Generalist, you will possess a track record of successfully and delivering employee life cycle activities across multiple European countries ensuring compliance with local labour regulations.
• As a key member of the HR Operations team, you will be a key point of contact for employees and line managers in assigned European countries, supporting them throughout the entire employee lifecycle.
• Your responsibilities will include onboarding new starters, managing all employee-related changes (such as annual pay reviews, role modifications, and transfers), providing advice and administering family leave policies, and overseeing the termination process.

HR Operations Delivery and Compliance:

• Be the first point of contact for employees’ queries across the assigned European countries regarding policies, procedures and benefits responding or escalating them as when required and keeping the employee informed
• Support the end-to-end employee life cycle management processes such as:
  - Onboarding and new hires local HR orientation, Supporting the monthly payroll administration, working closely with Finance and payroll vendors to ensure the accurate and timely processing of essential employee data such as new hires, terminations, and employee changes
• Benefit administration including relevant documentation and employee file management in accordance with local legislation
• Processing termination cases, both voluntary and involuntary, creating leaver documentation, updating the HRI system all in compliance with HR policies and local employment regulations
• Leave management and preparation of reports for external agencies and authorities
• Producing standard and non-standard offer letters / employment contracts and employment change letters compliant with relevant local employment procedures and regulations.
• Supporting the annual promotion and pay review processes
• Ensure HR Operations processes and procedures are up to date and compliant with all relevant local employment procedures and regulations

Workday System Management:

• Utilize Workday as the HRIS for employee data management, payroll reporting and generate reports. Continuously ensure data accuracy and integrity by conducting your own regular audits

Team Collaboration and Process Improvement:

• Work closely with the broader global HR Operations team, HR Business Partners, Talent Acquisition, Reward, and DEI teams to deliver a cohesive employee experience.
• Involvement in ad hoc HR Operations projects
• Review existing processes/procedures and suggest improvement for operational efficiency
  Provide support to the HR Operations team during period of absence
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives and HR process optimization

These are the essentials you’ll need to get an interview

• At least 3 years of proven experience in HR operations in Germany
• Fluent German language skills (C1 / C2 Level) & English language skills (C1/C2 level) 
• Strong knowledge of your local labor laws
• Demonstrable experience using Workday as an HRIS

Behavioural competencies

• Ability to multitask, prioritise and perform well under pressure to meet deadlines
• Agile and adaptable, able to work accurately and independently in a fast-paced global environment.
• Be customer-focused and understand what a positive customer experience looks like
• Must be hands on with great stakeholder management skills
• Personable with great communication skills.

It would be great if you had these to, but we’ll support you if you don’t:

• Degree in HR or similar qualification 
• CBA or Union environment experience: Awareness of the reports requirements will be ideal
• Experience working with Works Councils, including preparing and providing reports while ensuring compliance with requirements 
• Proficiency in other European languages (e.g. French, Spanish) and previous experience working across multiple European countries would be considered an advantage
  Experience of working with Jira

What can you expect when you become a YouGover?

• You get 27 days of annual leave per year to begin with (will increase with service up to 36 days per year). In addition to this YouGov offers a designated day off that you can use to rest and recharge as we understand the importance of health and wellbeing
• The Deutschland Ticket scheme allows you to use public transport all over Germany (usually €58 per month however through YG it is €9 monthly).
• You will also have the option to work abroad for up to 30 days in a calendar year
• We’re big on learning, so all YouGovers have first-hand access to the vast number of courses available to help you develop your career.  
• Employer contribution of 15% towards private pension or direct insurance (BAV).
• A collaborative, diverse, and inclusive team culture

Make an impact. Shape the employee experience. Be part of something global. Apply now and let’s build the future of HR together.

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Company Description and Culture 

YouGov is a global online research company, offering insight into what the world thinks.    

We speak daily to our panel of over 27 million registered members to understand opinion and behaviors around the world. We have a strong reputation as a source of accurate data and we’re trusted by the world’s biggest brands to get it right, making us the most quoted market research source in the world.  

Why join YouGov? 

Join our global team to help us achieve our social mission: to make millions of people’s opinions heard for the benefit of our local, national, and international communities. 

Understanding diversity of opinion requires diversity of background. Although our global panel of millions of people worldwide powers our research, our biggest asset is our people. If our research is to be truly representative of what the world thinks, we need people from all walks of life to be part of the team to bring their perspective to the work we do.  

Life at YouGov 

We are driven by a set of shared values. We are fast, fearless, and innovative. We work diligently to get it right. We are guided by accuracy, ethics, and proven methodologies. We respect and trust each other, bringing these values into everything that we do. 

We strive to provide YouGovers with best-in-class benefits to support their physical, financial, and emotional wellbeing. We want our employees to have a sense of belonging and uniqueness in a supportive workplace, so they can bring their full selves to work.  

Equal Opportunity Employer 

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity or expression, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, marital status, age, disability, genetic information, HIV status, political affiliation, socioeconomic background, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law or in line with our responsibilities as a fair and ethic employer. All employment decisions are made based on occupational qualifications, merit, and business need. 

Data Privacy

To find out how we collect and use your personal data when you apply for a role at YouGov, please read our privacy notice at https://jobs.yougov.com/privacy