Services

As a small business owner, you won’t have time for complex conversations and lengthy ‘HR audits’ to keep you risk free from an employment perspective.

I can provide you with an ‘employment essentials’ pack that’s bespoke to your requirements, and that more importantly allows you to get on with running and growing your business.

In many small businesses, it is often the business owner who has to deal with employment issues. In most cases, they do so with little or no experience in dealing with what can be extremely complex and time consuming matters. This is why small businesses can come unstuck, only realising when they’re confronted with an issue, that they need expert help.

Again, focusing in purely on the essentials you need to keep you out of trouble, and to positively engage with your employees.  I’ll train you and your team on everything you need to know in order to have the confidence to manage this important area of running a small business.

As a small business owner, you’re looking for answers to questions that affect your day to day operations in the here and now – questions like:

• How do I respond to requests for flexible working or childcare provision?
• How do I safeguard my employees’ data and therefore comply with GDPR regulations?
• How do I address performance or workplace conflict issues?
• I’ve had a whistleblowing case – where do I start?
• How do I terminate someone’s employment safely and respectfully?

I can provide you with ad hoc advice or you can retain me on a monthly basis, to
always be on hand to answer any employment questions you’re grappling with.

Tackling performance issues or conflicts in the workplace can be extremely complex and difficult to deal with – not to mention stressful – even for the most experienced of HR practitioners. It’s never a good idea to ‘muddle’ through conflicts and issues, given that the fallout can be costly* and can also damage your well-earned reputation.

I offer full and confidential support to help you confidently deal with any workplace performance issues or conflict, (whether it be a grievance, disciplinary, discrimination, bullying, harassment or a whistleblowing case).

*Up to £87k payout for unfair dismissal claims – and up to £600k for discrimination cases – not to mention eye-watering employment lawyer fees.

I have an enormous amount of experience in managing highly complex and risky performance and conflict cases, and I have a reputation for handling them in a thorough, objective and sensitive way. I’m also an experienced coach and mentor, both invaluable skill sets to have when handling emotional situations in a way that ensures everyone feels listened to.

Finding the right employees is incredibly important for all companies, but it can make or break a small business – you want to find the best people and the best fit the first time around, so you don’t end up wasting precious time or money.

There’s more to hiring than meets the eye – it can take a lot of time to find candidates, sift through CVs, screen applications, set up interviews, select candidates, gather references, produce offer paperwork….the list goes on. It’s tempting to outsource to a recruitment agency, but this can be extremely costly and doesn’t always get you the results you want.

Having worked with large recruitment agencies throughout my career, I’m firmly of the belief that many (not all) are over-priced and add very little value. Did you know that even for senior positions, most agencies don’t even meet candidates face to face? In the age of social media, it’s becoming much easier to let someone with the expertise and time to do this for you but that won’t charge the earth. And my network is as good as any recruitment agency’s.

As your business grows, you’ll probably be starting to think about how you can ensure that you motivate, develop and keep your valued employees. You might also be thinking about how you can reward and recognise your best people so that they continue to feel valued.

I can work with you to put in place creative processes for ensuring your employees want to stay with and grow your business.