Business, operations and administration · Mid level · UK conventions

HR adviser: resume example, explained

This fictional example shows a generalist HR adviser with five years in a fictional facilities services company applying for a senior HR adviser post: the employee relations caseload is quantified and bounded, CIPD is presented as a qualification and membership rather than a licence, absence management is written as a measured result and policy work shows consultation as well as drafting. Each decision is explained, three weak bullets are rewritten from the evidence behind them, and the editable download lets you replace every detail with your own. Nothing here describes a real person.

Illustrative example. An illustrative, invented HR adviser with five years in a fictional facilities services company of around 1,200 employees, supporting around 600 of them in one region and applying for a senior HR adviser post at a fictional housing association. Every employer, date and figure is fictional.

Editable version of this example (.docx)

Siobhan Achterberg-Nwosu

HR Adviser · employee relations casework, policy and recruitment · CIPD Level 5 qualified

Bristol · 07700 900 321 · siobhan.achterberg-nwosu@example.com

Profile

HR adviser with five years' generalist experience in a fictional facilities services company of around 1,200 employees across 30 client sites. Manages an employee relations caseload of around 25 open cases (disciplinary, grievance, capability and long-term absence), advises line managers on policy and process, and supports recruitment for frontline and supervisory roles. CIPD Level 5 qualified and seeking a senior HR adviser post with policy ownership.

Experience

HR Adviser — Fictional Severn Facilities Services

April 2023 – present · Generalist support for around 600 employees in the southern region; one of three advisers reporting to the HR business partner.

Manage a caseload of around 25 open employee relations cases, advising managers on disciplinary, grievance and capability processes in line with company policy and Acas guidance and attending formal hearings as adviser.
Reduced average long-term absence case duration from around 14 weeks to around 9 weeks over 18 months by introducing four-weekly reviews and earlier occupational health referrals.
Rewrote the absence management policy and flexible working procedure in 2025 with the HR business partner, consulting the recognised trade union and briefing 45 line managers in six sessions.
Support recruitment for frontline and supervisory roles (around 90 hires a year in the region): drafting adverts, shortlisting with managers, sitting on interview panels and issuing offers and contracts.
Coordinate the HR side of contract mobilisations when client sites join or leave the business, including staff consultation meetings and records transfer.

HR Administrator, then HR Assistant — Fictional Severn Facilities Services

May 2021 – April 2023 · HR shared service for the whole company.

Processed starter, leaver and contract-change paperwork for around 1,200 employees, including pre-employment and right-to-work documentation, meeting the payroll cut-off every month.
Took notes at around 40 formal hearings a year and drafted outcome letters for manager sign-off, building the casework knowledge used in the adviser role.

Education

CIPD Level 5 Associate Diploma in People Management — fictional college, 2022
Associate Member of the CIPD, since 2022
BA (Hons) Sociology — Fictional University of the West, 2020

Skills

Employee relations casework (disciplinary, grievance, capability) · Absence management and occupational health referrals · Policy drafting and consultation with trade union representatives · Recruitment campaigns: adverts, shortlisting, interview panels, offers · Line-manager coaching and briefing sessions · HR information system records and management reporting · Employment law awareness (Acas guidance) and knowing when to escalate

Why it is written this way

Casework is quantified and bounded

An HR adviser is hired for employee relations casework first. The resume states the caseload (around 25 open cases), the case types and the adviser's role at hearings, so the reader can see the level: advising and attending, not deciding. Overstating this ('managed disciplinaries') is a common HR adviser mistake, because the decision belongs to the manager.

CIPD is shown as a qualification and membership, not a licence

Many UK HR adviser adverts ask for CIPD Level 5 or 'CIPD qualified'. It is a professional body qualification rather than a legal requirement to practise, so the headline says 'CIPD Level 5 qualified' and education gives the diploma and membership with years. The CIPD describes professional membership as achieved through qualifications and experience, which is why both appear.

Absence management is written as a result, not a duty

'Managing absence' appears on every HR adviser resume. The rewrite gives the mechanism (four-weekly reviews, earlier occupational health referrals) and the movement in case duration, which is the adviser's own contribution to a measurable change rather than a description of the policy.

Policy work shows consultation, not just drafting

Rewriting two policies is half the evidence; consulting the recognised trade union and briefing 45 managers is what a senior HR adviser panel will probe. It shows the candidate works within the employer's consultation arrangements without the resume making any legal claim.

Bullet rewrites, and the evidence behind them

Each rewrite was produced by asking an evidence question and using only the (fictional) answer. No number appears in a rewrite that is not in its evidence.

Before
Dealt with disciplinary and grievance cases.
Evidence question
How many cases at a time, which types, and what exactly was your role at hearings?
Evidence (fictional)
Around 25 open cases at any time across disciplinary, grievance, capability and long-term absence; advises the manager on process and attends formal hearings as adviser; decisions stay with the manager.
After
Manage a caseload of around 25 open employee relations cases, advising managers on disciplinary, grievance and capability processes and attending formal hearings as adviser.
Before
Responsible for absence management.
Evidence question
What did you change, and what happened to the cases?
Evidence (fictional)
Introduced four-weekly reviews and earlier occupational health referrals; average long-term absence case duration in the region moved from around 14 weeks to around 9 weeks over 18 months.
After
Reduced average long-term absence case duration from around 14 weeks to around 9 weeks over 18 months by introducing four-weekly reviews and earlier occupational health referrals.
Before
Updated HR policies.
Evidence question
Which policies, who did you consult, and how were they rolled out?
Evidence (fictional)
The absence management policy and the flexible working procedure, 2025; drafted with the HR business partner; recognised trade union consulted; 45 line managers briefed in six sessions.
After
Rewrote the absence management policy and flexible working procedure in 2025 with the HR business partner, consulting the recognised trade union and briefing 45 line managers in six sessions.

Try it on your own bullets with the bullet workbench, which asks the same questions and never adds a figure you did not supply.

Transferable skills in this example

Running a fair process under pressure
Evidence: Casework and formal hearings handled to company policy and Acas guidance, with outcome letters drafted for sign-off.
Where it helps: Compliance, complaints handling and regulatory casework roles.
Advising without owning the decision
Evidence: A 25-case caseload in which the manager decides and the adviser secures a fair process.
Where it helps: Business partnering, legal support and quality assurance roles.
Policy drafting and consultation
Evidence: Two policies rewritten with trade union consultation and 45 managers briefed.
Where it helps: Governance, policy officer and learning and development roles.
High-volume recruitment support
Evidence: Around 90 hires a year supported from advert to contract.
Where it helps: Talent acquisition, recruitment agency and resourcing roles.

Occupation notes

Hard requirements

What HR adviser adverts ask for is a CIPD qualification or membership, commonly Level 5 for adviser posts: a professional body standard, not a legal requirement to practise. The CIPD describes professional membership as achieved through qualifications and experience, with Chartered Member and Chartered Fellow as the chartered grades; state your diploma and membership with years and never present either as a licence.
Employment law knowledge is tested at interview rather than certified. Acas gives employers and employees free, impartial advice on workplace rights, rules and best practice in Britain; show that you follow it through process (consultation carried out, letters produced, hearings supported) and leave legal conclusions to the employment lawyers your employer uses.

Vocabulary that belongs on the page

Employee relations (ER) casework, formal hearing, outcome letter
Capability (performance and ill health), long-term absence, occupational health referral
Acas guidance, fair process, right to be accompanied
Consultation, recognised trade union, policy review cycle
HR business partner, shared service, generalist adviser
Mobilisation, contract transfer, staff consultation (outsourcing and facilities)
Right-to-work checks, pre-employment screening, onboarding

Pitfalls specific to this occupation

Claiming to have 'dismissed' or 'disciplined' staff; the HR adviser advises and the manager decides, and interview panels notice the overreach.
Naming individuals or describing identifiable cases; show case types, volumes and process.
Presenting employment law as your qualification ('expert in employment law'); describe the processes you have run and how you keep up to date.
Writing 'CIPD' without the level, year or membership grade, which forces the recruiter to check.

UK and US differences

UK: Public-sector and housing employers often recruit HR advisers through application forms scored against a person specification; the casework bullets become the evidence for each criterion.

US: US postings use 'HR generalist' or 'employee relations specialist' and will read CIPD as an unfamiliar acronym; spell it out as a UK professional HR qualification and lead with the casework.

Common questions

Do I need CIPD membership to get an HR adviser job?

Many adverts ask for CIPD Level 5 or 'CIPD qualified', and some accept equivalent experience; it is a professional body qualification rather than a legal requirement. If you hold it, state the level, year and membership grade; if you are studying, write 'working towards' with the expected completion date.

How do I describe disciplinary casework without breaching confidentiality?

Give the volume, the case types and your role in the process, and leave out names, sites and anything that identifies a case. A panel wants to know how many cases you advise on and how you keep the process fair.

Sources

CIPD: membershipChartered Institute of Personnel and Development · UK · checked 3 November 2026
Acas: advice on workplace rights, rules and best practiceAcas · Great Britain · checked 3 November 2026

Published 6 November 2026 · Every person, employer and figure in this example is fictional. Drafted with AI assistance and checked against Luceria’s editorial standards.