Small Business, Big Responsibilities: Why HR Training is Essential for Growth
Running a small business means juggling everything—sales, finance, operations, and yes, HR. Unlike larger companies with full in-house HR teams, small businesses often spread HR responsibilities across managers, team leaders, and business owners.
That’s why many businesses turn to outsourced HR support—and for good reason. An experienced HR partner can:
✔Contribute to your business strategy by developing supporting people plans and initiatives
✔Guide and coach managers through people issues, helping them handle situations confidently.
✔Take on transactional HR tasks like recruitment and onboarding, ensuring consistency and speed.
✔Provide expert support on complex HR issues like disciplinaries, redundancies, or employment law compliance.
But here’s the key: Outsourced HR is most effective when your managers have strong skills in people management.
HR is A Shared Responsibility Between Managers and HR Partners
HR—whether outsourced or in-house—only works if a business is building their internal people management capability. If managers lack basic HR knowledge, they become over-reliant on external HR, leading to bottlenecks, a lack of accountability, slower decision-making, and disengaged employees.
That’s why investing in HR training for managers alongside HR is critical. The better equipped your managers are, the more effective your HR function becomes.
Why Building Internal HR Capability is Key to Success
A strong HR function isn’t just about having policies and processes—it’s about ensuring managers have the confidence and skills to apply them effectively. Here’s why:
Managers are the first point of contact for HR issues. Employees don’t go straight to HR with questions about pay, performance concerns, or flexible working requests—they go to their managers. If managers don’t know how to respond, it creates delays, inconsistencies, and frustration.
HR support works best when managers take ownership of people management. If every small issue is escalated to HR, whether in-house or outsourced, it slows everything down and creates a perception that your managers aren’t empowered to make people management decisions. Managers who understand the basics of HR can handle day-to-day issues confidently—leaving HR teams to focus on strategic priorities and more complex challenges.
Outsourced HR helps, but it’s not a substitute for internal leadership. A great HR partner can provide expert advice and operational support, but they can’t replace the role of managers in setting expectations, handling performance, and engaging employees daily.
Transactional HR tasks should be streamlined, not burdensome. Managers don’t need to be stuck in admin-heavy HR processes like recruitment paperwork or onboarding logistics—that’s where outsourced HR can add real value. But they still need manager feedback to understand the people impact of those processes so they can support team culture and performance.
For HR—whether in-house or outsourced—to work efficiently and drive business success, managers must have strong HR knowledge. That’s where our HR training courses come in.
Introducing Our HR Training Courses
Because we understand the importance of building internal people management and HR capability, we’ve developed two practical, no-jargon HR training courses designed specifically for small businesses who want to increase their internal HR and management capability. Here are the details:
1. HR for Non-HR Managers
Who’s It For?
This course is designed for small business owners, office managers, EAs, and operations leaders who handle HR tasks without formal training. If HR has landed on your plate, but you don’t feel confident managing it, this course is for you.
What You’ll Learn
Over two days of interactive training, you’ll gain practical HR knowledge to help you confidently manage key processes, including:
✔ Employment law essentials (without the jargon)
✔ Handling common employee queries & issues
✔ Balancing company culture with legal compliance
✔ Key HR processes – recruitment, onboarding, performance management, and retention
Why Take This Course?
If you’re responsible for HR but don’t have the expertise, this course will give you the knowledge, tools, and confidence to manage people effectively while staying compliant.
2. Line Manager HR Essentials
Who’s It For?
This one-day, in-person course is tailored for line managers, team leaders, and small business owners who lead people but haven’t had formal HR training.
What You’ll Learn:
This course is all about developing strong leadership and people management skills, covering:
✔ Leadership styles – understanding & adapting your approach
✔ Building & managing a team – hiring, onboarding & performance management
✔ Essential HR knowledge for managers – contracts, pay, and employee rights
✔ Handling difficult situations – underperformance, sickness, grievances & disciplinaries
Why Take This Course?
If you manage people and want to lead with confidence, this course will give you the skills and knowledge to handle HR issues effectively, boost team performance, and avoid costly mistakes.
Which Course is Right for You?
Not sure which course you need? Here's how to decide:
✔ Take HR for Non-HR Managers if you’re responsible for running HR processes but don’t have formal training. Ideal for office managers, business owners, and operations teams.
✔ Choose Line Manager HR Essentials if you’re a line manager or team leader who wants to strengthen people management skills and handle HR issues effectively.
To can find out more about both courses here
Invest in Your People, Strengthen Your Business
Outsourced HR brings specialist expertise, streamlines transactional HR, and supports managers with complex issues—but for HR to truly work, managers need the right skills and confidence to lead their teams.
By building HR capability within your managers, you’ll:
✔ Reduce bottlenecks and delays in decision-making
✔ Prevent avoidable employee issues before they escalate
✔ Improve team engagement, retention, and overall business performance