Could you be a ‘People Partner’ offering ‘strategic guidance across the whole employment lifecycle’ for £40,000 a year? Council posts jargon-filled job ad
- North East Lincolnshire Council advertising for role on ‘People and Culture team’
- It will pay a giant £40,858 salary, but job application requires some dissecting
- The description covers nine pages but will require some decoding to understand
A council’s jargon-filled job advert is offering a successful candidate more than £40,000 a year – but understanding what the role entails could prove difficult.
North East Lincolnshire Council is searching for a ‘People Partner’ to join their ‘People and Culture team’ offering a whopping £40,858 salary.
But the application itself could require some decoding, with phrases including ‘full employment lifecycle’ and ‘work in a coaching style’ included in the job description.
The job is currently being re-advertised ‘due to unforeseen circumstances’ with the original run, and applicants have until April 5 to apply.
North East Lincolnshire Council (its offices are pictured) is searching for a ‘People Partner’ to join their ‘People and Culture team’ offering a whopping £40,858 salary
The vacancy description reads: ‘As part of an exciting period of transformation in the People and Culture team at NELC, the People Partner role has been redesigned to support the organisation in its desire to achieve its outcomes for its people and place.’
The description, which covers nine pages, goes on to say: ‘As part of the People and Culture leadership team you will contribute to all aspects of our overall People and Culture agenda and leadership of the wider People and Culture team, similarly as part of your areas of responsibility, you’ll contribute to the delivery of their strategy and agenda.’
There are no doubt a lot of people that work with People and Culture, although what exactly the ‘People and Culture’ team does is difficult to decipher in the application.
But the job does say the successful candidate will be ‘a high-level people partner’ offering ‘strategic advice, insight and guidance on complex and contentious issues across the whole employment lifecycle’.
‘To achieve this,’ it says. ‘You will work in a coaching style and act as a sounding board for senior managers and colleagues, to work towards solutions in relation to people and cultural issues.’
The job advert (pictured) does say the successful candidate will be ‘a high-level people partner’ offering ‘strategic advice, insight and guidance on complex and contentious issues across the whole employment lifecycle’
There is a clue later on to what this all means, and it seems to be working with human resources (HR) – what used to be known as personnel.
There is also a requirement that people have experience working with ‘strong trade unions’ which suggests it might not all be plain sailing in the People and Culture team, particularly at a time of big central government cuts to council finances.
The ad says: ‘You will be a flexible and adaptable HR professional able to work in an exciting and changing environment, with significant experience in a diverse and complex organisation across the full employment lifecycle.
‘Extensive experience of working within an operational environment where there is a strong trade union presence is essential.’
And interestingly, ‘story-telling’ is also an advantage. It says: ‘The successful candidate will have a proven record of developing and maintaining open, trusting and productive relationships, and have the ability to tell stories that help to understand and aid with decision-making.’
This role has been re-advertised due to ‘unforeseen circumstances’, and there is no need to re-apply if you have already submitted an application.
The job advises ‘thinking out of the box’ is a benefit – which could help with deciphering the application.
Council gobbledygook has long been an issue and ten years ago council leaders and their staff were urged to avoid using more than 100 ‘non-words’ identified on a list of clichés and jargon.
The top 10 most over-used jargon words identified then by the Local Government Association were:
- Coterminosity (When two organisations share the same boundaries)
- Good practice (The right way to do things)
- Menu of option (Choices)
- Predictors of Beaconicity (Signs that a council may win an award),
- Revenue stream (Money), Scoping (Finding problems), Slippage (Delay), Symposium (Meeting),
- Synergies (Benefits from working together)
- Third sector (Volunteers and charity workers)
If the role of ‘People Partner’ does appeal, there are some rather impressive perks, including 27 days holidays per year, plus bank holidays, which increase with service.