HR Generalist

This role is a hands-on, individual contributor who will provide HR functional expertise for employees and managers in day-to-day HR operations. They will develop and maintain HR reporting and dashboards to inform leadership decisions, and partner closely with managers to deliver consistent, high-quality employee experience. This role blends critical thinking with operational excellence and timely, data-driven reporting. Duties include, but not limited to:

Essential Responsibilities:

Duties include but are not limited to compensation analysis, benefit administration, training and development, leave administration, employee relations, investigations, compliance, reporting and analytics, employee recognition and engagement activities.

Compensation, Benefits and Leave Administration

• Administer compensation programs including salary reviews, merit increases, promotions, and bonus structures
• Conduct market research and benchmarking to ensure competitive and fair compensation practices and must be able to perform and provide compensation analysis in Excel
• Manage benefits enrollment, changes, and employee inquiries regarding health insurance, retirement plans, and other benefit programs and ensure compliance with required annual reporting and disclosures
• Ensure benefits enrollment data flow through EDI feeds or with brokers/TPAs
• Partner with HRVP, benefits brokers and vendors to evaluate plan options, resolve claims issues, and communicate plan changes to employees
• Administer all leave programs including FMLA, ADA accommodations, parental leave, disability leave, and other statutory and company-provided leaves
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local leave laws and maintain accurate leave tracking systems
• Coordinate with employees, managers, and third-party administrators to facilitate smooth leave transitions and return-to-work processes
• Maintain confidential leave documentation and provide guidance on intermittent leave and accommodation requests

Training and Development

• Partner with HR peers on onboarding programs for new hires to ensure smooth integration and early engagement
• Facilitate and present on company policies and benefits during new hire orientation.
• Administer annual and new hire compliance training for employees, including Information Security and Sexual Harassment.
• Curate and schedule training sessions (live, virtual, and self-paced) for employees or managers; track participation and completion.
• Manage vendor relationships for training solutions; develop manager toolkits and resources.
• Help create succession planning initiatives and career pathing frameworks to support internal mobility and retention

Compliance, Reporting and People Analytics

• Build standard and ad-hoc reports, KPIs, and dashboards; proficiency with Excel (sort, filter, v-lookups, pivots, etc.)
  • Reports and dashboards may include tracking headcount, turnover/retention, compensation trends, goal setting and performance, engagement signals and training outcomes and completion.
  • Deliver recurring executive reports and ad-hoc insights to drive decisions and forecast workforce needs.
• Prepare required state and federal filings and reports (e.g., EEO-1, 5500, CMS) and support audits.
  • Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations (FLSA, FMLA, ACA, EEO, pay equity, wage and hour); maintain accurate records and SOPs.
  • Provide response when required for state unemployment claims and protests.
• Maintain the employee handbook and HR policies; ensure consistent, inclusive practices aligned with company values.
• Maintain knowledge of trends, best practices, regulatory changes, or employment laws and embrace new technologies in human resources and talent management.
• Maintain employee files in accordance with employee confidentiality, policies and procedures, and all regulatory/accreditation requirements.
• Conduct audits of HR practices, I-9 forms, and personnel files to identify and mitigate compliance risks

Recognition and Engagement

• Engagement surveys: Support annual engagement and periodic pulse surveys (via Lattice Engagement tool or similar); design the survey and demographics while protecting confidentiality; drive communications and participation; assist with reporting of results (engagement index, eNPS, drivers, heatmaps) with segmentation; deliver executive and manager readouts; help identify and participate in team action plans.

Employee Relations and Investigations

• Serve as a trusted advisor to employees and managers on workplace concerns, conflicts, and policy interpretation
• Mediate disputes and facilitate conflict resolution between employees or teams to maintain a positive work environment
• Conduct thorough, objective investigations into employee complaints including harassment, discrimination, policy violations, and misconduct allegations
• Document investigation findings, recommend appropriate corrective actions, and ensure timely resolution of employee relations matters
• Off-board employees who are leaving the organization. 

Performance Management

• Learn and embrace the organization's performance management system (leveraging Lattice), including goal-setting frameworks, mid-year reviews, and annual performance evaluations 
• Analyze performance data to identify trends, high performers, and areas requiring intervention or development support
• Partner with leadership to calibrate performance ratings and ensure consistency across departments
• May provide coaching to managers on delivering effective performance feedback, conducting performance improvement plans (PIPs), and documenting performance issues

Talent Acquisition

Skills and Qualifications:

• HR Certification PHR/SPHR or SHRM-CP/SCP a plus

• Must be tech savvy and demonstrate knowledge and experience using AI and expert-level hands-on experience in HRIS platforms such as
  • Lattice for goals/OKRs, reviews, feedback, and calibrations.
  • ADP Workforce Now for personnel data tracking, dashboards and reporting.
    • ADP Workforce Now experience a plus
• Data-driven mindset; advanced Excel/Sheets skills and familiarity with BI/reporting tools; able to build executive-ready dashboards and narratives
• Strong command of HR compliance and policies (FLSA, FMLA, ADA, ACA, EEO, wage and hour)
• Exceptional project management, communication, and stakeholder partnership skills; comfortable operating independently and prioritizing in a fast-paced environment
• Proven ability to design and deliver training and compliance programs

• Teamwork and collaboration: Be a reliable, low-ego partner who communicates proactively, meets commitments, shares knowledge, and supports cross-functional teams; seeks and provides constructive feedback, escalates risks early, respects diverse perspectives and confidentiality, pitches in beyond your lane when needed, and helps build an inclusive, positive culture that celebrates other contributor achievements and team wins.

Physical Requirements/Work Environment:

• The use of standard office equipment/computers and/or level of physical work required
• The work environment is an (office) with a (low/average) noise level
• Minimal travel but may be required on occasion for job fairs or to support other locations

Benefits:

Flexible Hybrid Schedule with a core office day on Wednesdays at HQ in Lincolnshire, IL

BCBS Medical and Vision with employee premiums

FREE Dental

FREE basic life insurance policy and short and long-term disability programs

401k with generous company match and immediate vesting

PTO policy that starts accruing upon hire up to a maximum level based on tenure and does not expire

9 Holidays, 3 Floaters and a 4-day Winter Closure between Christmas and New Year

1 Paid Volunteer Day annually

Donate a PTO Day program for colleagues in need 

3 Weeks Paid Parental Leave after 12-months of employment for birth, adoption or foster placement

Company Description:

95 Percent Group is a leader in literacy instruction for pre-K through grade 8 across the U.S.  The company offers professional development training for teachers and administrators as well as print and online products to assist teachers with literacy instruction. 95 Percent Group’s comprehensive educational consulting, professional development, diagnostic assessments, and instructional materials help schools deliver instruction that consistently and significantly increase reading achievement.

The company was founded in 2005 and is based in Lincolnshire, IL (northwest suburban Chicago). Its customers are primarily school districts across the U.S., and they are served by consultants who travel for on-site training as well as through online training.  

95 Percent Group has a fully engaged and highly committed leadership team who cares deeply about our mission.  We’ve hired the best from inside and outside industry. This is a tremendous opportunity to join a company positioned for continued growth. An added plus is knowing that what you’re doing every day is making a significant difference in children’s lives. Come work with a group of smart, fun, passionate professionals who value creativity, innovation, and making an impact.  

95 Percent Group, LLC is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regards to race, gender, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

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