Employers have many hats to wear and responsibilities to juggle. From ensuring that their workplace is compliant with health and safety legislation to managing the finances of the business, it can be tough to keep on top of it all.
One area of business management that is often treated as less of a priority, but should not be overlooked, is Human Resources.
Many employers and business owners choose to either manage HR themselves or hire a department to oversee it all, depending on the size of the business.
Either option can work well if the employer has experience and knowledge in the HR field or if they can afford the cost of running a HR department internally. But many businesses, particularly SMEs with a smaller budget, cannot afford this luxury, nor does the business owner usually have the expertise or time to manage HR single-handedly.
When this is the case, businesses look to HR consultancies to outsource professional HR support – Guardian Support being one those such companies – which enables them to get access to the advice and services of qualified HR consultants.
This is far more cost-effective and easier to manage as a small or start-up business but knowing exactly what support is required and which services they may need access to can also be another question that employers are faced with when looking to outsource the help of a HR company.
Contracts and Handbooks
Every employer must issue their employees with a written statement of employment within eight weeks of employment starting, also known as a (Please note that as of April 2020, the law will change and contracts will need to be exchanged on day one of employment).
There are various things that need to be included in this contract such as working hours, job title and role, salary etc. and it is important that everything is worded correctly and fully understood by both parties before being signed.
If not handled appropriately, the employer could find themselves in hot water further down the line should there be a contractual dispute.
This is also true with company handbooks which are more extensive written documents that outline all workplace procedures, policies and expectations across issues such as annual leave, workplace attire, sickness absence, expected standards of behaviour, disciplinaries, performance management, bullying and harassment and so much more.
It can get quite complex as there are many employment laws in place that need to be understood when writing this document to protect both the business and the employer and ensure that their workers are being treated fairly.
A HR consultant, such as the dedicated one that is assigned to every client of ours, is able to use their own knowledge of employment laws and best HR practices, as well as their understanding of the company, to create contracts of employment and company handbooks that are both compliant and in conjunction with the company culture.
Access to Professional HR advice
It’s also advised that employers and business owners have access to quality HR advice from a HR professional should they find themselves in a difficult situation, such as an employee grievance, disciplinary, long term absence issues, employment tribunal or the need to make workers redundant.
When these challenging workplace problems arise, and they more than likely will, it can be a huge weight off of an employer’s shoulders knowing that they can pick up the phone or drop a quick email and get direct access to a HR consultant who knows their company, has a relationship with them and has the qualifications and experience to tackle the issue the best way possible.
Even the less pressing day to day issues that business owners encounter, such as requests for salary increases, disagreements amongst workers and underperformance, can cause a headache and require careful and considerate handling.
Access to unlimited HR advice from an expert guarantees that employers are taking the best approach, both for the growth and success of their business and from a legal standpoint, to deal with any and every employee-related issue they are faced with.
Support with Recruitment and Onboarding
Growing the business is a top priority for most employers and the best way to do so is to invest in their team and hire more employees who can deliver results.
This means that recruitment is an important process within the business and it needs to be done right.
It isn’t just a case of writing up a job description, looking at CVs and conducting interviews; there is a lot more to recruitment, especially if you want to find the perfect candidate.
Between setting up tests or trial days and checking references and social media accounts, employers also must arrange the interviews, write up questions, read through hundreds of cover letters, contact candidates who were unsuccessful – it’s a time-consuming and exhausting element of HR.
This is why recruitment agencies have become hugely popular amongst businesses when it comes time to recruit; they can take all of the work out of the employers’ hands and get the best candidates lined up in a matter of days.
However, this is another luxury that not many SMEs and start-ups can afford, and most agencies will only provide their services up until a candidate has been chosen and charge a hefty % fee of the salary.
Our HR consultancy has its own in-house recruitment service that works on a similar basis as a recruitment agency in that our recruitment consultant uses their expertise to assist (as little or as much as required) in every step of the recruitment process. This includes writing up the job description and publishing it on the appropriate platforms, reading through all of the CVs, selecting the final candidates and arranging interviews, writing up questions and sitting in on these interviews, conducting and arranging any further tests or trial days and contacting unsuccessful candidates. Should you also be signed up for our Contracts and Handbook Service we can also assist in preparing these documents for you as they will already be on file with us.
Furthermore, unlike most recruitment agencies, our consultant will continue providing support through the onboarding process which means writing offer letters, checking references and putting a performance management strategy in place.
This service is also far more cost-effective than an agency, particularly if the business is hiring for multiple roles over the course of the year.
As a basic starting point, access to advice, employment documentation and recruitment are the main areas of HR that most businesses and employers need support with to ensure compliance with employment laws and best practice.
If you would like to find out more about any of our HR services, then call us today on 0121 348 7838 to speak to an advisor about how we can help you or drop us an email here to get a free quote!
