Freshworks makes it fast and easy for businesses to delight their customers and employees. We do this by taking a fresh approach to building and delivering software that is affordable, quick to implement, and designed for the end user. Headquartered in San Mateo, California, Freshworks has a global team operating from 13 global locations to serve more than 65,000 companies -- from startups to public companies – that rely on Freshworks software-as-a-service to enable a better customer experience (CRM, CX) and employee experience (ITSM). 

Freshworks’ cloud-based software suite includes Freshdesk (omni-channel customer support), Freshsales (sales automation), Freshmarketer (marketing automation), Freshservice (IT service desk), Freshchat (AI-powered bots), supported by Neo, our underlying platform of shared services.

Freshworks is featured in global national press including CNBC, Forbes, Fortune, Bloomberg and has been a BuiltIn Best Place to work in San Francisco and Denver for the last 3 years. Our customer ratings have earned Freshworks products TrustRadius Top Rated Software ratings and G2 Best of Awards for Best Feature Set, Best Value for the Price and Best Relationship. 

The Freshworks People team shapes experiences that maximize the potential of our people. The Employee Relations partner will focus on fostering a high-trust, high-performance culture across the company.

We are re-imagining Employee Relations for today’s world including how we handle workplace conflicts and how we lean into a more proactive, data-driven approach to organizational health issues and teaching employees what it means to share diverse points of review with respect. We are taking today’s and tomorrow’s challenges head-on because, at Freshworks, we believe that we are stronger together.

How you will lead

• Influence and build “team” and partnerships in our journey into Employee Relations for the new world, with high engagement and high performance
• Support the team as they build new skill sets (for example, conflict resolution, mediation, restorative justice) and grow expertise in understanding how bias impacts decisions and how we build processes to ensure equity
• Re-imagine and define how we address performance concerns and terminations across the company and around the world, by looking at principles, people, processes and technology
• Drive accountability and operational excellence in everything we do from case management to delivering on priorities and projects
• Define and lead the team in strategy and execution of organizational changes and performance-based exits (org changes, job eliminations and involuntary exits)
• Define and own how we consult on and address and build broadening capability across our People organization on organizational health issues and specific employee workplace conflicts and concerns, including conflicts with managers, organizations that have gaps in belonging and trust and behaviors or actions that do not align to Freshwork’s values or commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion
• Work closely with the other People teams on coordinated case management, protocols and metrics
• Partner closely with Talent Development, Total Rewards and other Centers of Excellence and HR Business Partners to bring an employee experience lens to the product, services and processes we deliver
• Ensure oversight and governance of policies and practices globally, including interpreting and apply understanding of corporate policies and practices, employment laws, and other regulations to provide advice, guidance, or clarification for Employee Relations inquiries

Please note this is a hybrid role with onsite expectations of 3x/week from our San Mateo HQ

What you'll bring

• BS/BA and JD degree preferred and 10 plus years of relevant work experience; deep domain experience in the areas of employee relations, workplace conflict, and performance management on a global scale; minimum 5-7 years of experience managing people, or equivalent experience
• Experienced people leader with a track record of building high-performing teams and leading teams through transformational changes
• Talent steward who is able to successfully attract, grow, and inspire top talent
• Demonstrated success in applying fresh, innovative thinking, data-driven, and a growth mindset to long-standing, complex challenges/problems resulting in high-impact outcomes
• Strong business and people acumen, as well as consulting, conflict resolution and facilitation skills
• In-depth understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion issues and how they apply to employee relations
• In-depth understanding of all aspects of US employment and human resources related laws, regulations, policies, principles, concepts, and practices, including ADA, ADEA and FMLA. Knowledge of and experience with international labor practices in countries where we do business strongly preferred (Canada, UK, India, Israel, Australia)
• Ability to work collaboratively, lead and influence at all levels within the organization, and make decisions while keeping all partners and leaders informed
• Demonstrated operational and process rigor and familiarity and comfort with HR-related technology and tools/case management e.g., Salesforce, ServiceNow, and Smartsheets

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

California Pay Range: $242,000 - $330,000+ comprising an annual salary & incentive compensation. You may also be eligible for equity and additional generous company benefits.

At Freshworks, we are creating a global workplace that enables everyone to find their true potential, purpose, and passion irrespective of their background, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion and ethnicity. We are committed to providing equal opportunity for all and believe that diversity in the workplace creates a more vibrant, richer work environment that advances the goals of our employees, communities and the business.