Onboarding Executive

Function: HR Shared Services

Position: Executive Onboarding

Immediate Manager:Assistant Manager - Onboarding

Position location:Mumbai, NESCO

Role Summary:

The Executive – Onboarding serves as a lead Compliance & GDPR Specialist, responsible for delivering a remote and responsive Compliance and DSAR administration service. This role focuses on employment matters governed by EMEA legislation, with particular emphasis on Right to Work verification, DBS checks, Security Clearance, and GDPR compliance. The Executive provides practical, segment-specific guidance to line managers and employees on essential new hire checks, ensuring all onboarding activities align with legal and organizational standards.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage onboarding queries and provide specialist guidance, ensuring all resolutions are accurately captured in the HR Hub system and service tickets are closed in a timely manner.
• Act as a Subject Matter Expert for onboarding compliance issues, including mobilizations, TUPE transfers, and new contract requirements.
• Deliver practical, easy-to-understand, and customer-focused advice to line managers, employees, and HR stakeholders.
• Utilize external platforms and supplier portals to coordinate and follow up on National Police Clearance, medical checks, reference verifications, and other pre-employment requirements.
• Provide specialist onboarding advice to DSAR and compliance assistants, ensuring alignment with internal policies and relevant employment legislation.
• Escalate onboarding-related compliance issues that pose serious business or legal risks to the ER Services Team to mitigate potential impact.
• Offer hands-on support during high-volume periods or in the absence of onboarding assistants, ensuring timely resolution of queries in line with HR Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
• Serve as the escalation point for complex onboarding queries, guiding assistants on resolution strategies and ensuring service continuity.
• Liaise with third-party vendors and government authorities to manage onboard documentation and clearances.
• Ensure Right to Work checks for new starters are completed, managing cases until satisfactory documentation is received and verified.
• Oversee DBS checks, professional registrations, and segment-specific onboarding requirements, ensuring all necessary paperwork is processed and filed.
• Lead and contribute to improvement projects within the onboarding function, driving efficiency and service enhancements.
• Maintain accurate onboarding records and tracking tools, ensuring both manual and electronic files are up to date for reporting and audit purposes.
• Collaborate with onboarding assistants to identify service improvements and better ways of working.
• Provide cross-functional support to other HR Services teams during peak periods or for ad hoc projects as required.
• Ensure all personnel records—both hard and soft copies—are securely maintained in compliance with the Data Protection Act and segment-specific requirements.
• Deliver timely updates to stakeholders to minimize legislative breaches and reduce business risk.
• Conduct regular internal and external audits to ensure consistency, compliance, and high-quality service delivery.
• Ensure all onboarding-related tasks and interactions comply with the Information Security Policy and any additional security protocols relevant to specific customer groups.
• Document all onboarding processes and review quarterly to incorporate legislative updates and procedural changes, communicating them clearly to the business.

Accountabilities:

• Identify and escalate onboarding-related compliance concerns that may pose business or legal risks, ensuring prompt resolution and risk mitigation.
• Track and apply updates in employment legislation and onboarding regulations, maintaining accurate process documentation and communicating changes to relevant stakeholders via platforms such as
• Prepare and deliver timely onboarding reports to support the business in managing financial, legal, and reputational risks effectively.
• Contribute to onboarding process enhancements by identifying improvement opportunities that increase operational efficiency and elevate the candidate experience.
• Assist in the development and day-to-day support of Onboarding and DSAR Assistants, promoting a collaborative environment focused on continuous learning and high-quality service delivery.

Qualifications and Experience:

Essential

• Practical understanding of compliance legislation, regulatory bodies, and onboarding-related processes.
• Ability to provide remote onboarding and compliance support across a multi-site operation.
• Proven capability to prioritize and manage multiple onboarding and customer requirements simultaneously.
• Highly organized with the ability to coordinate a high volume of daily onboarding tasks and service requests.
• Comfortable working in a demanding, fast-paced HR environment.
• Ability to provide feedback and support to team members, fostering collaboration and service quality.
• Skilled in identifying potential onboarding issues that could lead to customer dissatisfaction or delays.
• Strong respect for confidentiality and data protection when handling sensitive employee information.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with a professional and approachable tone.
• Polished telephone manners and ability to manage conversations with clarity and empathy.
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.
• Customer service-oriented, focused on delivering a smooth and positive onboarding experience.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
• Experience working in a Shared Services environment or a busy, modern HR department.
• Knowledge of compliance-related issues such as eligibility to work, DBS checks, and segment-specific requirements.
• Familiarity with GDPR legislation and handling of DSAR and compliance requests.
• Understanding of HR systems and technologies such as SAP HR, CRM, or equivalent platforms.
• Experience working within a similar operating model.
• 2 to 4 years of experience managing EMEA onboarding compliance and background verification processes for new joiners.

Competencies – Indicate which of the Sodexo core competencies and any professional competencies that the role requires

Growth, Client & Customer Satisfaction / Quality of Services provided

Leadership & People Management

Rigorous management of results

Innovation and Change

Commercial Awareness

HR Service Delivery

Employee Engagement