Director, People

Who is Weber Shandwick? 

We create cultural value and help brands navigate the ever-changing age of earned: an age where consumers actively say no to advertising; an age where everyone is an influencer that can make or break your brand; an age where content can be turned into commercial opportunity. 

Our talented team builds brands by finding connection points in the real world. We energise the right mix of talent, using the right platforms and latest technology to choreograph stories that make a real and meaningful impact for some of the world’s leading brands and businesses eg HSBC, Unilever, Ebay and IBM to name a few. 

We earn affection, attention, affinity and purchase by delivering value to people around the world, with deep specialisms across food & drink, travel & tourism, consumer tech, consumer health, automotive, sports sponsorship, entertainment & lifestyle and energy. We are known for: 

• Developing data driven insights and strategy to drive measurable impact 
• Creating impactful campaigns that tap into culture 
• Creating channel and platform agnostic campaigns that grow organically 
• Delivering integrated campaigns that are earned-first but deliver for paid and owned 

The Role 

We are an award winning and forward-thinking People team looking to recruit a People Partner to join us.  Our People Partner will act as a trusted advisor and strategic partner, supporting their designated client groups with guidance on people-related matters as well as key initiatives that promote a positive, inclusive, and high-performing culture. You may already be a People / HR Business Partner in a smaller organisation seeking a new challenge, or a Senior Advisor looking to take a step up. 

What will you be doing? 

Working with the People Leads, Advisors and Apprentice within the wider Weber Shandwick People team, you will provide support in a range of areas including: 

• Partner with senior leaders in your client groups to proactively understand their goals and needs. Supporting teams with day-to-day people challenges, offering practical and timely solutions that keep things moving. Work closely with the broader people team to deliver consistent, responsive, and forward-looking HR guidance and messaging that drives real impact. 
• Leading on general queries for your Client Groups and providing HR support and advice across the full employee lifecycle including recruitment, onboarding, probation, employee relations, appraisals, training, employee queries, and exit procedures. 
• Provide best practice guidance and support managers on a variety of employee relations cases to maintain a high standard of employee experience and organizational integrity. Escalate complex cases as needed to maintain a high standard of employee experience and organizational integrity. 
• Lead on the advancing our People data and analysis offerings. Collaborate with our People Advisors to uncover trends, transforming insights into actionable recommendations that drive continuous improvement across Weber Shandwick. 
• Collaborate with Finance and our TA team for recruitment within your client group, utilising Greenhouse our internal ATS. 
• Oversee the management of the probation process, including taking People Managers through the process and keeping up to date on employee progress, ensuring all probation meetings and corresponding paperwork is done in a timely manner. 
• Coach People Managers through effective appraisal reviews, and training on the system used. 
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of the HR team, acting as a mentor to the People Advisors and making improvements to our processes to ensure they are efficient and ensure we are providing excellent client service. 

You will also support with various responsibilities including: 
 

• Working alongside the DEI People Lead in the delivery of the UK DEI plan supporting the delivery of projects and initiatives alongside our key partners, sponsors and internal stakeholders within this space. 
• Review and ensure employee information remains up to date with best practices and employment legislation updates, proposing changes or improvements in a timely fashion. 
• Working closely with the EMEA L&D team in the management of our external Inclusive partnerships and memberships. 

Who are you? 

The successful candidate will demonstrate the following key attributes: 

• Trusted Advisor  
  Gains trust and respect at all levels within your stakeholder group. You will be a trusted partner who has emotional intelligence, understanding of how to treat and manage information in confidence and who lives and breathes the Weber Shandwick values. 

• Inclusive 
  Champions the value of working with diverse groups of people and sees how different perspectives enrich the work we do. Encourages a collaborative and inclusive attitude. Promotes confidence in the team to ensure they always have a voice and seat at the table.  Keen interest in and knowledge around DEI, mental health, wellbeing, culture, and ways of working 

• Strong Generalist 
  An experienced generalist with strong exposure to the full employee journey – under our People pillars of ‘Find Me, Grow Me, Know Me, Keep Me’.  

• Commercial Acumen 
  Starts to demonstrate sound commercial acumen and an understanding of how business priorities impact People decisions and changes. 

• Curious Mind 
  Solid business partner who takes time to truly understand the business, strategy and can see where people agenda fits whilst understanding their own developmental needs. 

• Critical Thinking 
  Experienced in supporting projects particularly around enhancing the employee experience; Drives the use of data and metrics in analysing trends and gaps and making decisions. 

Core Benefits: 

• Private medical insurance 
• Group life assurance 
• Group income protection 
• Personal pension plan 
• Employee Assistance Programme 

Flexible Benefits: 

• Buy or sell holiday 
• Additional life assurance cover 
• Critical Illness Insurance 
• Personal Accident Insurance 
• Dental insurance 
• Travel insurance 
• Health screening 
• Gym discounts 
• Cycle to work scheme 
• Health cash plan 
• Flexible working with our 3:2 hybrid work model 
• 4pm Friday finish 
• Equivalent of $250 USD for new joiners on 6-month+ contracts to support home working setup 
• 25 days’ annual leave (in addition to public holidays) plus 2 volunteering days, birthday day off and discretionary festive closure 
• Flexible public holidays 
• Exclusive shopping discounts and perks 
• Headspace membership 
• Annual eyecare voucher 
• Season ticket loan 
• Referral bonus scheme 
• Long service bonus 
• Enhanced family leave 
• Inclusive and invisible health policies 

Note from the talent team: 

We appreciate the time taken to apply for the role and your recent interest in Weber Shandwick. We will review all applications within five working days and be in touch with those who have been shortlisted to the next stage. Unfortunately, due to volume we are not able to get back to everyone individually so if you have not heard back from us unfortunately you have not been successful on this occasion and wish you all the best in your search. 

At IPG DXTRA we are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. We are committed to equality of opportunity for all staff and applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships. 

#LI-LW1

About the opportunity:

We are seeking a dynamic and proactive People professional to lead our employee engagement initiatives as well taking the lead on all HR generalist responsibilities for Hong Kong. The ideal candidate will be passionate about fostering a positive work environment, enhancing employee satisfaction, and driving organisational culture. This role requires a strategic thinker with strong interpersonal skills to build and maintain relationships across all levels of the organisation. We’re open to both Manager and Senior Manager level candidates for this position. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement programs that promote employee engagement, satisfaction, and retention. Analyse engagement survey results and recommend actionable improvements.
• Serve as a point of contact for employee concerns and conflicts. Facilitate open communication between employees and management to resolve issues and improve workplace dynamics.
• Champion initiatives that strengthen company culture and align with organisational values. Lead activities that promote teamwork, recognition, and community involvement.
• Collaborate with management to identify training needs and develop programs that enhance employee skills and career growth.
• Oversee the performance management process, providing guidance to managers on conducting effective reviews and setting performance objectives.
• Review and update HR policies to ensure they reflect best practices in employee engagement and relations. Communicate policies clearly to all staff.
• Promote diversity and inclusion initiatives to create a welcoming environment for all employees. Monitor progress and report on outcomes
• Ensure compliance with HK labour laws and regulations. Stay updated on HR trends and best practices related to employee engagement.
• Partner with agency MD and their leadership teams to Identify learning needs and support
• Based on agency’s needs, compile HR management related reports and analysis to support business decisions.
• Provide HR advice and support to managers in respect of employment relation matters to ensure those are handled effectively and professionally, including absences, capability, performance, disciplinary and grievance processes, restructuring and redundancy.

Skills Required:

• Min 5+  years of HR experience, with at least 2 years as generalist HR in multi-national (MNC) working environments.
• General knowledge of the full range of HR responsibilities, including Employee engagement and relations, Talent Development, Compensation and Benefits, Succession Planning, Leadership Review and Organisational Development.
• Experience of working in PR / Marketing / Digital / Creative agencies would be advantageous
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build relationships and rapport across diverse teams
• You’ll be a natural people person who engages with employees and is passionate about building a positive and inclusive culture
• Fluency in both Cantonese and English is required
• Commercial and business acumen, including an understanding of agency work nature.
• Proficiency in HR software and tools
• Degree in Human Resources, Business, or Business Administration is preferred.

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Part of The Weber Shandwick Collective, we’re the earned-first global communications agency, led by world-class strategic thinkers and creative activators. We create shared and sustainable value for businesses, people, and society. We energise the right mix of talent, using the right platforms and latest technology to choreograph stories that make a real and meaningful impact for some of the world’s leading brands and businesses.

Our game-changing work is recognised by some of the most prestigious industry awards bodies, and we have won more than 135 Lions at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. We’re also PRWeek’s 2024 Global Agency of the Year and PRovoke Global SABRES’ 2024 Global Healthcare Agency of the Year, as well as being listed on the Ad Age A-List 2024 and Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies 2024.

TWSC VALUES 

Everything we do at TWSC is rooted in our core values of CURIOSITY, INCLUSION, COURAGE and IMPACT. We believe that the world of work has changed, which is why we have developed a unique employee experience that reflects the world we’re living in. Here’s what we offer:

Flexible Working – We understand the need for flexible working and empower our employees to deliver impactful work wherever they are based.

Global Mobility –We unlock opportunities for our employees by utilising our powerful network, and through our mobility initiative Access All Areas, which includes policies on ‘Work from Anywhere’, ‘International Relocation’ and our global ‘Explorer Program’

Inclusive Culture – We look for qualified people from all backgrounds who are restless, curious and want to deliver impactful work in an environment where everyone can be their authentic selves. We strive every day to foster as inclusive a culture as possible.

Mental Health and Wellbeing – Helping our people stay happy, healthy, and productive is our number one priority, so we’ll support your day-to-day life with our bespoke Intellect wellbeing offering.

A note on inclusion

Weber Shandwick is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Weber Shandwick is committed to building a culture where all employees are seen as equal, are respected and where all opinions are heard. We take pride in our inclusive hiring, as well as our diverse workforce and we welcome applications from all qualified candidates.

#LI-LW1

About the opportunity: 

Weber Shandwick is currently seeking an ambitious Consumer PR professional for our Tokyo office to oversee key international accounts. Employees belong to one of four Communities – Insights, Content, Integrated Media and Client Experience (CX). As a CX Vice President, the ideal candidate will enjoy managing complex projects and implementing on strategy with a high degree of autonomy.

Working in close partnership with highly sophisticated clients, you will have the opportunity to lead digital and integrated programs and to deliver potentially award-winning work.

Reporting to the head of the Consumer team, you will be responsible for the continued education and growth of your team members, and helping to drive new business for the Consumer team.

Responsibilities:

• Planning and execution of communication strategies and tactics, including integrated communication solutions, both domestically and abroad
• Strategic counsel for clients on communication solutions
• Project management and oversight
• Leading the ideation and creative process of your team
• Development of digital and social strategies, working together with internal digital team
• Oversee your teams’ content creation for print, digital and social
• Arrangement and coordination of interviews and meetings with key journalists for senior client spokespeople
• Managing existing clients and developing new clients, to grow the Consumer business

Requirements:

• Strong background in consumer PR
• Prior experience working in a PR or marketing agency preferable
• Proven ability to successfully manage teams
• Skilled in traditional media relations with print and broadcast journalists
• Experience in planning and execution of multi-channel communications strategies and tactics
• Social media savvy
• Fluent in both Japanese and English, and a native speaker of either one
• Strong writing skills in native language
• Project management experience and skills

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Part of The Weber Shandwick Collective, we’re the earned-first global communications agency, led by world-class strategic thinkers and creative activators. We create shared and sustainable value for businesses, people, and society. We energise the right mix of talent, using the right platforms and latest technology to choreograph stories that make a real and meaningful impact for some of the world’s leading brands and businesses.  

Our game-changing work is recognised by some of the most prestigious industry awards bodies, and we have won more than 135 Lions at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. We’re also PRWeek’s 2024 Global Agency of the Year and PRovoke Global SABRES’ 2024 Global Healthcare Agency of the Year, as well as being listed on the Ad Age A-List 2024 and Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies 2024.  

TWSC VALUES  

Everything we do at TWSC is rooted in our core values of CURIOSITY, INCLUSION, COURAGE and IMPACT. 

We believe that the world of work has changed, which is why we have developed a unique employee experience that reflects the world we’re living in. Here’s what we offer:  

Flexible Working – We understand the need for flexible working and empower our employees to deliver impactful work wherever they are based.  

Global Mobility –We unlock opportunities for our employees by utilising our powerful network, and through our mobility initiative Access All Areas, which includes policies on ‘Work from Anywhere’, ‘International Relocation’ and our global ‘Explorer Program’  

Inclusive Culture – We look for qualified people from all backgrounds who are restless, curious and want to deliver impactful work in an environment where everyone can be their authentic selves. We strive every day to foster as inclusive a culture as possible. 

Mental Health and Wellbeing – Helping our people stay happy, healthy, and productive is our number one priority, so we’ll support your day-to-day life with our bespoke Intellect wellbeing offering.  

A note on inclusion

Weber Shandwick is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Weber Shandwick is committed to building a culture where all employees are seen as equal, are respected and where all opinions are heard. We take pride in our inclusive hiring, as well as our diverse workforce and we welcome applications from all qualified candidates.

#LI-AS2