HR Advisor

As we serve vulnerable youth, all employees working for Covenant House Vancouver must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. Proof of vaccination status will be required prior to your start date.

Since 1997, Covenant House Vancouver has provided relentless support for youth experiencing, or at‑risk of experiencing, homelessness. We provide support to young people age 16 to 24 who have experienced a wide range of early life and ongoing, complex trauma; including physical, sexual and emotional abuse and neglect. Our purpose is to serve all youth, with absolute respect and unconditional love, to help youth experiencing homelessness, and provide a safe and supportive environment for all youth in need.

Working at Covenant House will be one of the most meaningful things that you’ll do in your life. However, you will be confronted with significant issues in this work and frankly, this work is not for everyone. In the course of doing your work, particularly for those doing frontline work, you will be exposed to the trauma of others. The youth we serve may also experience overdose, physical harm perpetuated by self or others and even death.

Because we provide a relational model of care, the harms our youth experience can impact us in varying degrees.

While we provide training for youth workers on avoiding what we call vicarious trauma (namely, the trauma you can experience or take on by hearing other’s traumatic stories), and a generous allowance for counselling, it is still difficult work that can and does take its toll on many employees. Self‑awareness and self‑care are key. Some candidates and employees decide during the recruiting and probationary periods that this work isn’t for them, and that is totally fair.

We will provide more information on vicarious trauma during recruiting and on‑boarding, to help you decide if Covenant House is the place for you.

As an HR Advisor, you will play a key role in the people and culture team, providing expert guidance and support to employees, supervisors and managers on employee relations and talent management. You will play a key role in administering and driving benefit initiatives that enhance the employee experience, including extended benefit and pension programs. Working closely with leaders and staff, you will help deliver people and culture strategies that foster engaged, values‑driven and high performing workplace.

How you will contribute:

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

Employee Relations:

• Provide support and guidance to employees, supervisors and managers on CHV policies, procedures, including policy interpretation and employment legislation.
• Coach supervisors and managers in attendance and performance management.
• Provide coachingtomanagers for employee relations issues; conducting investigations and administrating progressive discipline.
• Answer manager and employee questions on P&C policies and practices and provide policy interpretation and guidance as required.

Talent Management:

• Coach leaders in performance management, including identifying and developing top talent, annual performance review process, career development and succession planning
• Coach managers through theprobationary and annual performance review process by training managers and employees on using the online system.
• Act as primary point of contact for benefit‑related inquiries and liaise with providers to resolve issues.
• Administer employee benefit programs, including health, dental, RPP, and wellness initiatives.
• Respond to employee inquiries regarding benefit converge, eligibility, claims etc.
• Coordinate annual benefit enrollment for wellness enrollment and re‑enrollment period.
• Process benefit enrollment, benefit changes, and other status changes.
• Proactively review current benefit offerings and work with P&C members to recommend enhancements or cost‑saving adjustments based on employee needs and market trends.
• Partner with payroll to complete monthly benefit reconciliation.

Onboarding & Offboarding:

• Lead onboarding activities for all new hires, including coordination of new hire check‑ins
• Support leaders in onboarding activities for their team members to ensure…