Employing a Team? – Your HR essentials

Editors Note: Expert content needs an expert content writer and Yorkshire Powerhouse is pleased to publish this business advice article on Employment Law and HR Compliance, kindly written by a real expert in his field – Paul Addy from Positive People HR.

Please contact Paul for any aspect of HR support, consultancy or advice you may need – click on the advert links above or below – please mention Yorkshire Powerhouse when you make contact.

Employing the best talent for business is as key to success as ensuring that those that don’t perform are moved on properly.

The piece of the puzzle that is often ignored is the absolute power of employing “only” the right people. The best businesses have the best people on the team, all playing the right roles.

Employing Your Team

Taking on your first employee is a major and exciting step for every new business.  It can also be a little bit scary – your people represent and are the face of your brand to your customers and prospects, they are responsible for the day to day running of your business and ultimately determine how successful it will be.

For an established business it is sometimes difficult to step back and analyse your workforce and make some tough decisions about those who are suited to their roles and those who should be moved ‘off the bus’.

When you are thinking of recruiting your new team, firstly consider what you actually need in terms of resources, are there other options to employing someone as well as utilising apprenticeships.

When you have made the decision to employ someone, consider what additional skills your business needs and the type of person you want to hire. Don’t get too hung up on qualifications and instead look for the skills, experience and person required to grow your business. Having a thorough job description as well as a person specification will help target the right candidates.

Be creative with your recruitment process

Think outside the box when it comes to recruitment. Ask your current employees for recommendations and reward them if they do, look to your competitors or identify niche industry groups on platforms such as LinkedIn and Facebook. Use clear language and avoid corporate jargon to reach out to candidates across industries who may be looking for a career move.

Now you have the best employees on board, your work doesn’t stop there! Losing an employee is costly, both in terms of the cost to hire, and the cost to train the replacement and bring them up to similar productivity levels. Also, every individual is different and a one-size-fits-all approach may not be appropriate. Find out what motivates and engages your employees and come up with rewards, benefits and incentives to keep them fully engaged and make sure you have created a god induction plan to help them settle into their role and the business.

From a legal perspective, you need to give all employees a contract of employment or statement of terms and conditions before or on the first day of employment. This sets out their rights to contractual benefits including holiday entitlement, hours and pay.

It’s also advisable to set out guidelines for what standards you expect from employees at work in an Employee handbook or similar document. Standards can cover things such as absence, performance, dress code and timekeeping and this means there is a clear framework for employees to follow from the start. Remember, subsequent employees will follow the lead set by your first starters and the culture you have developed.  It’s easier to correct behaviours when the ground rules have been set, rather than when things have been more flexible and informal. Rules also guide managers in handling breaches in a fair and consistent manner. Share these documents in writing and provide a central point where your employees can access them. There’s no point having guidelines in place if nobody knows they exist!

Temporary, freelance and contract employees

Not all working relationships need to be that of employer and employee. Whether it’s bookkeeping/accounting, marketing or admin support, there’s a network of competent professionals out there willing to help you.  Deciding who to hire depends on your current internal resources and the role or project you are looking to fill. Temps are a great option when you need to take the pressure off during busy periods whereas freelancers and contractors give you access to specific skills that can help you manage a specialist project. Freelancers have often ‘been there, done that’, therefore they bring considerable experience and can help you develop your plans and process early.

Agencies can also relieve a lot of pressure when it comes to sourcing and managing staff, helping to screen candidates and negotiate terms.

Whatever the scenario, the basic rules of engagement are similar to employing a member of staff.  Make sure the skills and personality specification meets your requirements and be sure to have a contract or consultancy agreement in place.

HR Thinking

As your business grows and you take on more operational staff, you often find more people and performance issues come with it.  Many SMEs, therefore, look to acquire HR expertise to add structure and clear procedures across the business; perhaps initially via a freelance advisor and then later hiring an in-house HR professional.  A really good way to get expert advice is to outsource on a fixed cost HR package, often combining HR and employment law to give your business the best protection.  It is also common to utilise technology to support them with staff-related activities including absence, holiday and document management by using HR Software, often included in outsourced HR services.

Conclusion

Whether it’s a new employee or a sub-contractor, taking the step to bring an additional resource into your business is a big one.  It could be the next step on the path to growth and success for your business so take it boldly.

Engage the right people, look after them and let them help you turn your business plans and goals into reality and results!

Whether you recruit or subcontract, employment law and payroll laws can apply, take good advice and seek the help of experts in this field.

Thoughts on employing staff from Yorkshire Powerhouse

Have you any questions?

Here at Yorkshire Powerhouse, we’re happy to help as much as possible – is there anything else we can do to help you, do you have any further questions or can we help introduce you to an expert – please let us know: