Talent Services Specialist

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Grand Casino Hinckley

Talent Services Specialist

DEPARTMENT:

Talent

EXEMPT (Y/N):

N

REPORTS TO:

Benefits and Rewards Manager

SALARY GRADE:

N07

Serve Every Associate. Simplify Every Process. Support Every Step.

As the Talent Services Specialist, you are the central resource that unifies Talent services across Grand Casino Mille Lacs and Grand Casino Hinckley. This role is essential to supporting our Associates through benefits, leaves, workers compensation, unemployment, and wellness.

This is a versatile role that works closely with every area of the Talent team — benefits, unemployment, workers compensation, leaves, alcohol and drug testing, and the hotline our Associates rely on for answers. You are often the first voice an Associate hears when they have a question about their benefits or their leave, and the person who follows that question all the way through to resolution.

You bring accuracy, discretion, and follow-through to work that directly affects people’s livelihoods — and you help our processes get better as our casinos, systems, and laws change.

What You’ll Do

Associate Support + Talent Hotline

• Answer and reply to Talent hotline questions, providing answers or follow-up until the issue is fully resolved.
• Serve as a central resource for Associates across both casino properties on benefits, leaves, and Talent processes.
• Work with others on Associate HRIS issues, researching and resolving discrepancies.
• Partner with the Strategic Partners in gathering data about people, performance, and processes needed to create meaningful insights for the departments they support.
• Openness to team up with others at all levels to deliver business needs to the departments.

Benefits + Total Rewards

• Assist in administering benefits for all Associates, including enrollments, changes, qualifying life events, and terminations.
• Administer COBRA in-house — issuing qualifying event notices, tracking elections and premium payments, and maintaining the required documentation and timelines.
• Provide one-on-one benefits education to Associates — walking through plan options, eligibility, enrollment windows, and how to use their coverage — and help promote the broader benefits education and campaigns created by the Benefits and Rewards Manager.
• Possess a practical understanding of all aspects of the total rewards provided to our Associates.
• Perform routine tasks required to administer and execute Talent programs including compensation, benefits, and leave.

Leaves, FMLA + Accommodations

• Understand and interpret federal, state, and local employment laws and apply them accurately to Associate situations.
• Fully process FMLA from initial request through return to work, following all applicable laws, notice requirements, and documentation standards.
• Follow leaves through to completion — tracking eligibility, certifications, recertifications, intermittent usage, and return-to-work dates.
• Work with leaders and Strategic Partners on accommodations related to leaves, coordinating the interactive process and supporting documentation.
• Maintain confidentiality and consistent treatment across all leave and accommodation matters.

Unemployment

• Prepare and assist with unemployment claims, responses, documentation, and hearings.
• Partner with leaders and Strategic Partners to ensure unemployment documentation is accurate and submitted within required timeframes.

Workers Compensation

• Assist with workers compensation claims — reporting injuries, coordinating with the carrier, and tracking claim status.
• Support Associates and leaders through return-to-work and restricted duty, partnering with Risk as needed.

HRIS + Data Integrity

• Work within the Workday system on Associate PTO, benefits, leaves, and Associate questions.
• Maintain scope and depth of knowledge in all Talent information systems functions.
• Investigate time type and data changes within the HRIS platform to confirm the correct process was followed, and follow up with leaders when it was not.
• Assist with audits to ensure accurate and efficient data entry of personnel information is properly maintained in the Talent information system.

Communications + Process Improvement

• Post and refresh Associate communications, posters, break room materials, and required postings created by the Benefits and Rewards Manager, and help spread the word so Associates stay informed of benefits, leaves, and deadlines.
• Update processes and supporting documentation as changes come — regulatory updates, plan changes, system releases, and new organizational practices.
• Identify recurring questions or breakdowns and recommend process improvements that make Talent services easier for Associates and leaders.
• Perform other departmental duties as assigned relating to this role.

What You Bring

• Education: High School diploma or general education degree (GED) required.
• Experience: Minimum of one (1) year Talent or Human Resources experience required; minimum of three (3) years general office experience required.
• Benefits: Minimum of one (1) year experience working with benefits, including knowledge of benefits and terminology.
• Systems: Minimum of one (1) year experience with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Publisher; proficiency with, or the ability to quickly learn, the organization’s Talent management systems.
• Knowledge: Knowledge of employment-related laws and regulations, including FMLA, ADA, unemployment, and workers compensation requirements.
• Licensing: Must be able to secure a license from the Gaming Regulatory Authority (GRA) and is responsible for following all relevant Detailed Gaming Regulations (DGRs).
• Preference: Mille Lacs Band Member and American Indian preference will be exercised in the hiring process.
• Excellent verbal, written, interpersonal, and conflict resolution skills. Ability to act with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality.
• Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, and time management with a proven ability to meet deadlines.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to prioritize tasks and delegate them when appropriate.

Success Measures

• Associate questions to the Talent hotline are answered accurately and closed out without repeat follow-up.
• FMLA and other leaves are processed on time, fully documented, and compliant with all applicable federal, state, and local laws.
• Accommodation requests tied to leaves are coordinated with leaders and Strategic Partners and resolved without unnecessary delay.
• Unemployment responses and workers compensation claims are each handled accurately and within required timeframes.
• Benefits data, time type changes, and personnel records in the HRIS are accurate and audit-ready.
• Associates get clear answers to individual benefits questions, and enterprise communications reach Associates at both properties.
• Process documentation stays current as laws, plans, and systems change.

Physical Requirements + Work Environment

• Travel between casino properties as needed to support Associates, open enrollment, and Talent events.
• Primarily office-based work with extended periods of computer and phone use.
• Occasional exposure to casino floor conditions, including noise, lighting, and secondhand smoke.

What You’ll Get

Growth + Support

• Comprehensive benefits (medical, dental, vision) and a variety of competitively priced supplemental insurances.
• 401(k) with employer match, tuition reimbursement, and paid parental leave.
• PTO, holiday pay, and recognition for birthdays, anniversaries, and milestones.
• A career accelerant — developing our Associates is one of our main priorities.

Culture + Legacy

• A workplace grounded in the Seven Values: Wisdom, Love, Respect, Truth, Humility, Bravery, and Honesty.
• Opportunities to contribute to the long-term success of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and the Grand Casino community.
• A culture of creativity, collaboration, servant leadership, and shared purpose.
• Every experience we create is Friendly, Effortless, Fun, and Memorable — for our Guests and for each other.