Talent Acquisition Advisor- 6 month FTC

PLEASE NOTE: As part of our organisational changes, our ongoing structure and roles continue to be reviewed. While this role is being advertised, circumstances may change and the role could be withdrawn/amended.

GRADE CThis role can be based in London or Swindon.
At WHSmith Europe our people are at the heart of everything we do. They are the ones that go the extra mile for our customers, the ones that enable our growth As the first point of contact for all WHSmith store recruitment across the UK, you will provide responsive, practical support to Store Management and other key stakeholders throughout the recruitment journey. You will deliver a best-in-class end-to-end talent acquisition service, helping stores attract, select and onboard the right people to support their operational needs and business growth.You will manage store recruitment activity across multiple roles and locations, using direct sourcing, established networks, agreed advertising channels and social media. With a strong understanding of local labour markets and employment legislation, you will take a proactive approach to vacancies, recruitment campaigns, and candidate pipelines while keeping store stakeholders informed and supported.You will be a trusted and accessible partner to stores, resolving recruitment queries, coordinating onboarding activity and ensuring a consistent candidate and hiring-manager experience. You will also act as a strong brand ambassador, protect the employer brand and contribute to wider Talent Acquisition projects where required.
What you will be doing:

Act as the first point of contact for all WHSmith store recruitment across the UK, providing timely advice, guidance and day-to-day recruitment support to Store Management
Supporting our onboarding process including monitoring compliance (Right To Work Checks) and managing RTW enquiries.
Manage end-to-end recruitment for UK store vacancies, including advertising, sourcing, screening, interview coordination, offer management and onboarding, while developing creative and cost-effective attraction plans
Use store recruitment data, local labour-market insight and vacancy trends to advise operational stakeholders and anticipate hiring needs
Build and maintain talent pipelines for high-volume and hard-to-fill store roles, with particular focus on priority locations and in-demand skillsets
Partner with and advise Store Management and other hiring managers on effective recruitment approaches, resolving queries and removing operational barriers that may delay store hiring
Support store recruitment campaigns and continuous-improvement projects, contributing to wider Talent Acquisition and HR initiatives where required
Collaborate with HR Business Partners, L&D and HR Shared Services to ensure recruitment and onboarding administration is completed accurately, efficiently and on time for stores
Keep up to date with industry innovations in sourcing talent and recruitment
Proactively resolve operational issues that may delay store recruitment, escalating risks where appropriate and keeping stakeholders updated through to resolution

What we are looking for:

Previous experience of hiring management level candidates for stores/hospitality businesses across the UK
Experience of managing high volumes of management vacancies at any one time (40+)
Excellent stakeholder-management and customer-service skills, with a responsive, collaborative and communicative approach to supporting busy store teams and the confidence to challenge constructively
Knowledge and experience of working in retail companies or suitable related industries FMCG etc
Able to think logically and creatively to find the best way to solve problems and get things done
Proactive and able to prioritise conflicting tasks to deliver in a fast-paced, high workload environment
Experience across the entire talent acquisition process
Ability to multi-task and manage conflicting priorities and different stakeholders
High energy, highly motivated and self-directed
Ability to work independently and collaboratively with the rest of the TA team, with a flexible approach to support on any areas which require focus
Excellent attention to detail, organisation, follow up and time management skills
A sound understanding of right-to-work requirements and the importance of accurate, legally compliant pre-employment checks and onboarding records
Knowledge and experience in developing best practice recruitment tools and utilising LinkedIn and social media to source talent directly and drive the employer brand

What we can offer you:

Annual bonus based on company performance
Hybrid working model from home and in the office
24 Days holiday, plus your Birthday off, plus Bank Holidays with an opportunity to buy extra days holiday
Finish at 4pm on a Friday
Competitive pension contribution
Cycle to Work Scheme
Staff discount card for stores and online
Staff Discount Card for railway stores (subject to policy)

About us:
Celebrating over 230 years, we’re proud to have grown into a globally recognised brand present in over 30 countries – the air of familiarity people love and trust on their journey. As a diverse group of over 6,000 colleagues, we’re all on the same journey to a better business through our commitments to our planet, people and the communities we serve.

Our business operates from two key locations, In a vibrant area of London, close to Aldgate and Liverpool Street Station, while the other is located at Swindon's International Business Park, just off the M4 with excellent transport links and over 100 on-site parking spaces.
For WHSmith Europe, our mission is simple – to create value for our stakeholders by providing a platform for global brands across airports, hospitals, rail stations and other markets. Our operational environment is fast-paced and highly regulated, requiring exceptional standards of maintenance, compliance, health & safety and colleague welfare across every location.
We’re all about creating an inclusive and welcoming workplace where everyone can be themselves and do their best. No matter your background, age, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, race or ethnicity, marital status, religion, sex, sexual orientation or anything else that makes you, you—you’re welcome here.
We’re also open to flexible working where possible, so if that’s something you need, let’s chat. And if you need any adjustments during the selection process, just let our Talent Acquisition team know—we’re happy to help!