5 Reasons Your Small Business Needs Expert HR Support
For small businesses and startups, every decision can significantly impact the opportunity for business success. There are decisions to be made around product, operations, finances, marketing and logistics. One area that is often overlooked in the early stages of business is HR.
It is a mistake to think only large organisations need an HR expert. At People Management Partners we make expert HR support accessible to small businesses and startups like yourself so you don’t spend your valuable time trying to navigate the complex minefield of HR.
Getting the support of an HR expert can help you grow your business in the best way possible from the start. With expert guidance and support, you can avoid common pitfalls, be confident you are complying with legal requirements and build the right culture from the beginning.
Keep reading to learn more about the difference getting help from an expert can make.
Compliance with employment laws and regulations
It might seem obvious but it is worth pointing out that complying with employment laws and regulations is critical to running a successful business.
These laws apply to areas like:
Hiring practices
Minimum wage
Overtime and holiday pay
Contracts and employment agreements
Anti-discrimination
These are all broad areas that consist of many details which can be different depending on your business, your sector and how you employ people. For example, part-time staff should not be treated less favourably than comparable full-time staff in terms of their entitlement to public/bank holidays. If you’re allowing full-time staff paid time off, but not part-time staff, you could be breaking the law. Luckily, we made our Part Time annual leave calculator to help you but that is just one example of a complexity that as a business owner you need to be aware of.
As a small business owner, there are several ways you can get expert advice to make sure you are acting in a compliant way. From a pay as you go hour with one of our HR experts to several hours each month with a HR advisor or even outsourcing your HR to us via our HR Partnership. With the help of experts, you can be confident you are complying with the law.
Attracting and retaining top talent
Attracting and retaining top talent as a small business can take a lot of work due to competition with larger businesses that have the budget to make bigger offers and the sense of more limited opportunities for promotion within a small business. However, HR experts know how to attract talented people by writing strong job adverts, creating job descriptions and using effective ways to find candidates from all different backgrounds. By creating a fantastic candidate experience, HR experts can entice people to apply for the role and be excited by the prospect of joining your team.
We will also implement employee development programs that guarantee the growth and retention of top talent. As well as advising on ways other than salary increases that allow you to retain top talent. By investing in employee development, we help small businesses and startups create a supportive and engaging work environment that motivates employees to stay and contribute to the company's success.
Positively impacting the business through the workplace culture
Having the guidance of an HR expert can increase workplace productivity by promoting a positive work culture. We do this by encouraging open communication, providing opportunities for collaboration and education around topics such as diversity and accessibility.
Engaged employees tend to be more productive and committed to the company's success. The investment in an HR expert to build a positive workplace culture will have a great impact on the business through employee engagement, retention and productivity.
Improved employee relations
An important aspect of HR is maintaining a positive atmosphere and good relations among employees within a business. From time to time there will be conflicts and misunderstandings, and when they happen it is crucial to handle them properly. That is always made easier when an HR expert is involved.
We can step in and provide a fair platform for employees to express their concerns and solve any problems with constructive dialogue. By establishing open and effective communication, we can organise collective and one-on-one meetings; those can help to build trust, enhance understanding, and reduce conflicts.
As well as resolving conflict, we can also help strengthen the team by organising team-building events, inclusive social gatherings, and similar activities that allow the employees to interact outside of work responsibilities.
Planning and development
Finally, another vital role of a professional HR service is planning various sections of the company's development. If you’re planning on growing your small business, this is worth thinking about.
As HR experts, we can conduct a workforce analysis and identify how to recruit and retain the right talent to meet the company's goals. We can also guide leaders toward effectively running the organisation.
The planning process can produce clear steps in a company's development. That includes defining key performance indicators (KPIs), performance metrics, and performance analysis to show which areas need improvement.
To Conclude
HR is essential for every company regardless of its size and goals. It ensures the effective management of employees, compliance with laws and regulations, and supports achieving the company's goals. HR is worth investing the time and resources in so you can do it properly.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that because you are a small business that HR experts are not accessible to you. We exist for small businesses and startups who want to grow their business with expert HR support to help them thrive. If you have a HR issue you would like support with please get in touch.