HR Operations Intern

Company description

Publicis Groupe Africa has opened applications for Le Cubs 2027, its flagship 12-month internship programme designed to give young South African graduates meaningful workplace experience and an opportunity to build future-ready careers in the marketing and communications industry.

Starting in March 2027, successful applicants will join teams across Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, gaining hands-on experience in disciplines including creativity, strategy, human resources, data, technology, AI, media and business support.

Le Cubs is designed to bridge the gap between tertiary education and the workplace, giving graduates the opportunity to move beyond theory, contribute to real work, learn from industry professionals and develop practical skills in a connected, collaborative environment.

Overview

The HR Operations Intern will provide administrative and operational support to the HR Operations team, gaining practical exposure to key HR processes across the employee lifecycle.

The role will primarily focus on HR administration, employee onboarding and offboarding, contract documentation, employee record management, HR systems and general administrative support.

Through structured training, guidance and hands-on experience, the intern will develop foundational HR administration skills, gain an understanding of HR processes and build practical experience in a professional HR environment.

Responsibilities

Employee Onboarding & Administration

• Assist with coordinating the onboarding process for new employees.
• Collect and check new starter documentation to ensure all required information is received.
• Assist with preparing onboarding packs, welcome slides and employment documentation.
• Support the coordination of onboarding activities and communicate with relevant stakeholders regarding outstanding requirements.
• Maintain and update onboarding trackers.
• Assist with responding to routine onboarding queries.
• Follow up on outstanding onboarding documentation and requirements.

Employee Offboarding & Administration

• Assist with the administration of employee offboarding processes.
• Support the preparation and processing of termination documentation.
• Assist with coordinating offboarding activities and communicating requirements to relevant stakeholders.
• Maintain and update offboarding trackers to monitor outstanding actions and completion.
• Assist with ensuring employee records and HR systems are updated following employee exits.
• Follow up on outstanding offboarding requirements, including the return of company assets and completion of relevant administrative processes.
• Support the filing and maintenance of employee exit documentation.

HR Systems & Employee Data Management

• Assist with capturing and updating employee information on the HR Information System (HRIS).
• Maintain accurate employee records and ensure supporting documentation is appropriately filed.
• Assist with checking employee information and identifying missing or incomplete records.
• Support general HR data administration and reporting activities.
• Learn to navigate HR systems, workflow trackers and other administrative tools.

General HR Administration

• Provide day-to-day administrative support to the HR Operations team.
• Directing queries to the relevant team members.
• Assist with preparing, organising and filing employee documentation.
• Support the administration of employee lifecycle activities.
• Assist with tracking HR requests and following up on outstanding documentation.
• Provide general administrative assistance to the wider HR team as required.

HR Compliance & Record Keeping

• Assist with maintaining complete and up-to-date employee files.
• Support periodic employee record checks and HR audit preparation.
• Ensure employee documentation is accurately captured and stored.
• Handle confidential employee information responsibly and in accordance with company policies and procedures.

Qualifications

• A completed qualification in Human Resources Management, Industrial Psychology, Business Administration or a related field.
• A strong interest in pursuing a career in Human Resources.
• Basic computer literacy and proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, Word and Outlook.
• Good administrative and organisational skills.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• A willingness to learn HR systems, processes and procedures.
• Previous HR administration experience would be advantageous but is not essential.

Additional information

Key Competencies & Skills

• Attention to detail: Ability to complete administrative tasks accurately and carefully.
• Organisation: Good organisational skills and the ability to manage assigned tasks and deadlines.
• Communication: Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Confidentiality: Understands the importance of handling sensitive employee information appropriately.
• Teamwork: Willingness to support colleagues and work collaboratively.
• Willingness to learn: Demonstrates curiosity, openness to feedback and an interest in developing HR knowledge.
• Reliability: Demonstrates accountability and follows through on assigned responsibilities.