Our HR Services
“I’ve got a diverse workforce and want to improve their engagement with the business. How do I foster a culture of engaged employees?”
Employees who are engaged in their work are more likely to be motivated, to remain committed to their employer and stay focused on achieving business goals and driving the organisation’s future.
Having a clear set of values and mission statement will help to define and shape the company culture. And staying true to your values, even when times get tough, will set you apart from your competitors.
We can work with you to develop and communicate your values and mission statement, and help you better understand the different demographics and drivers of your workforce, to ensure they are all fully aligned with your business goals.
“I’m going to be employing a number of contractors to assist with a specific project that requires specialist skills, but I’m unsure of the latest regulations and any liabilities.”
Having access to contractors for special projects or to supplement existing skills is essential to many businesses.
We can help you effectively manage your contractor workforce and ensure you get value for money by guiding you through the latest IR35 regulations, as set out by HMRC.
Contractors, as you would expect, are well informed about IR35 regulations and as such may request specific working practices and ‘IR35 friendly’ changes to contracts.
Whilst there is no legal or tax reason for clients to understand and accommodate IR35, a basic knowledge of the regulations will help you manage contractors and their demands more effectively.
“I recently had to make some difficult business decisions that affected a few members of my team, and it’s had a really negative impact on my business. I tried to keep it as quiet and low key as possible to minimise disruption, but it doesn’t seem to have worked and I’m not sure where I went wrong.”
Being the bearer of bad news is never easy, but lack of communication in the workplace leads to demotivated, disengaged and disgruntled employees. How can you expect your employees to support your business, when you are not honest about how the business is doing and the challenges it is facing?
The knee-jerk reaction for many companies going through tough times is to stop communicating – when what is actually needed is an increased level of communication to engender trust and buy-in, camaraderie and team spirit, and to allow you to control your message, rather than let speculation, rumour and gossip take over.
We can give you the tools and support to communicate clearly, consistently and concisely with your workforce, in the good times and the bad, whether you need help with defining your key messages, developing content for company newsletters or digital/online platforms, business and change management communications or presentation material.
“One of my employees was given some negative feedback in a recent performance review, and has since been spreading discontent throughout the rest of the team with their negative attitude. What can I do to resolve this situation?”
Conflict in the workplace can be extremely disruptive, having a negative impact on the wider workforce and productivity levels. People are, after all humans with unique personalities, emotions and issues.
Managing conflict is not easy but is essential to maintain a positive and productive working environment. A problem does not disappear if ignored and in fact, is more likely to escalate if not dealt with quickly and effectively.
We can help you to develop effective conflict and people management skills, and give you the techniques and confidence to have the “difficult” conversations that so many avoid.
“I have ‘inherited’ an employee who is rude, unhelpful and is bullying other employees who feel they have no option but to look for employment elsewhere. Can I just dismiss this employee?”
Investigating grievances, allegations or complaints can be time consuming and complex, riddled with hidden dangers which could be costly to your business, adversely affect other employees and your reputation. It’s a People Business has the expertise to manage the process effectively, gathering relevant evidence to ensure any decision or outcomes are based on facts only and the process is carried out in a fair and objective manner.
“My business is growing, and I need to employ some new people, but I’ve never recruited before and I don’t know where to start.”
Getting recruitment wrong can be a costly mistake. We can help you get it right by managing all aspects of the recruitment process including:
“I’m a small business and can’t afford to employ a permanent HR person, but it would be useful to have someone on hand so I can tap into their knowledge and expertise, as and when I need it.”
Whether you want us to provide support, guidance, mentoring, actively participate in your business, review current practice and procedure or simply be a sounding board, we’re here to help, regardless of whether you need us for one hour, one day, one week, or to provide ongoing support to you and your business.
“Employment law completely baffles me. It changes all the time and as a growing business with a growing number of employees, how can I make sure I am complying with legislation and following best practice?”
Employment law can be complex and overwhelming, however having the right infrastructure in place for your business needs will help you to comply with legislation and follow best practice.
We can help you to develop key tools such as HR policies and procedures, employee handbooks, legislative and good practice procedures, plus some helpful Do’s and Don’ts – the tools that will give you and your workforce clarity on what they should expect of the business and what the business expects of them.
“I’ve just spent a lot of money on recruitment. Why should I continue to spend more to make the people I’ve employed even more marketable, and then they’ll leave and go to work for a competitor?”
Investment in staff training and development should be central to any successful business plan. In fact, businesses that don’t make this kind of investment are more likely to see their employees leave to go to a competitor who does.
“Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don’t want to.” (Sir Richard Branson)
There is growing evidence which strongly suggests there are tangible returns to employers who up-skill and/or re-skill their workforce: increased retention and engagement, reduction in recruitment spend, and an overall optimisation in productivity for the business.
A range of industries across the globe are reporting skills gaps or shortages, so there’s growing competition for good people.
We can work with you to identify your staff training and development needs, and help you do what’s right for your business and ultimately, hold on to your talent.