Human Resources
Build an Effective Team
People are the most important resource a business has and can have a direct affect on the success or failure of a business. Whilst people are the most important asset they are also the most difficult to manage and the easiest to lose. Managing people successfully is therefore a critical aspect for a company.
It is important to pay attention to recruiting and training your team for the following reasons:-
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Employees will help you achieve objectives, deilver results and be successful.
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Today employment law has become far more complex
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People need to be looked after, trained and invested in.
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Employees are very aware of their rights are and what they can do if an employer is not fulfilling those rights.
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It is therefore essential that you have the correct policies and precedures in place.
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You don't want to end up at an employment tribunual as they are lengthy and costly.
You can create the perfect team, which will take your business to success, if you invest in your workforce.
Need any help?
Our HR Experts and Business Coaches can help you:-
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Implement your employment policies and precedures
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Effectively recruit and interview new staff
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Develop your management skills
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Create the job specifications and performance frameworks for your staff.
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Train and support for your staff to achieve results
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Address any HR issues that have arisen
If you are interested in recruitment, HR or management support email coaching@stridingout.co.uk
Our coaching and training is provided on a chargeable basis, but we can access funding to provide free business support to certain groups of entrepreneurs who meet the eligibility of the funding provider. Please enquire to find out more.
Useful Articles
An Introduction to Employment Regulations There is now a multitude of employment laws that you must follow when employing staff. This factsheet provides a summary of the main regulations you need to know about and explains what you must do to comply with them. By Scavenger.
A Guide to Writing a Statement of Employment - This factsheet describes what needs to go into a statement of employment, when it should be provided and how changes can be made. It includes hints and tips as well as sources of further information. By Scavenger
A Checklist when Advertising for Staff - A clearly written and carefully designed advert, placed in the most appropriate medium, is essential in finding the best applicants for the position. This checklist will help you ensure that your advert is effective, accurate, professional and, most importantly, compliant with anti-discrimination legislation. By Scavenger.
A Guide for First Time Employers - This factsheet gives you an overview of the main issues you need to address, including the recruitment process, an introduction to the legal and tax issues involved in employing staff, and how to manage staff to get the best results. By Scavenger.
Choosing and Using a Recruitment Agency - This factsheet describes how to find the right recruitment agency for your needs. It also explains how to work with your chosen agency to ensure you get the best service for the money you spend. By Scavenger.
An Introduction to Recruiting Staff - This factsheet provides a step-by-step guide to the recruitment process to help you develop a policy that is right for your business. It contains useful hints and tips as well as sources of further information. By Scavenger.
A Guide to References for Employees - This factsheet looks at the implications of seeking and providing references and gives best practice guidelines on obtaining and providing references. By Scavenger
Cost Effective Recruitment
When you are trying to grow a business, you can often find yourself being pulled in many different directions. You need to be a sales person, a marketing person, bookkeeper/accountant, administrator, trouble shooter, an IT expert as well as a business director, and it can sometimes feel as though you don't have enough hours in the day, or enough knowledge in any one particular area to do it properly.
So lets look at how you could recruit and delegate to people in a cost effective way...
Managing Administration
Dealing with administration of tasks can take up a sufficient amount of time for an entrepreneur, so why not take on a young person as your apprentice to do it for you?
A significant number of young people are currently unemployed and would welcome the opportunity to work alongside an inspirational entrepreneur to help build the business as their assistant. *Funding is currently available to cover the first 6mths of a young person's salary for an employer (*conditions apply), to find out more email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 0845 452 4085
Specialist Skills
It is best to focus your energy and time on the skills in which you are strongest, and look to delegate other tasks to individuals with the specialist skill set. Investing in the right team will inevitably increase your efficiency and revenue, and flexible workers could be the cost effective solution for you.
Flexible working is a cost effective option to consider as it avoids the need to employ someone full-time. Flexible working encompasses part time workers, remote working, contract workers and even those who will work on a completely ad hoc basis. . A flexible worker often represents far more value for money than an average employee. They tend to be highly experienced and knowledgeable people who, for whatever reason, although usually due to caring for their family, cannot work in a ‘normal' 9-5 role. Investing in the right team will inevitably increase your efficiency and revenue.
If you are interested in finding a flexible worker check out http://www.flexibleskillsbank.co.uk/ . If you register with Flexible Skills bank before the end of the year, you will receive 50% off your first purchase on their website, when you quote the code STRIDING OUT until March 2010.
What you need to consider when recruiting people.
Whether you decide to employ someone or have them working as a self employed contractor, you have certain obligations to that person that you should fulfil, to endeavour to create a trouble free relationship.
Donna Obstfeld, of DOHR Ltd (http://www.dohr.co.uk/) explains that as an employer, there are a number of things which must be taken into consideration:
Practical Guide to Taking on Staff
Taking On staff? - what you need to know 
by Victoria Brown
Before you take the plunge and recruit your first employee, you need to consider many things;-
Salary (including Employer N.I contributions)
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Cost of Insurance (Employer’s Liability Insurance)
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You may be required to administer; statutory sick pay/maternity pay/paternity pay/student loan repayments/working families’ tax credits
Handling redundancy tribunals
Wirral law firm offers remedy to threat of credit crunch redundancy tribunal claims
A Wirral law firm is proactively working with employers to ensure they don't fall victim to costly employment tribunal claims as the credit crunch takes its toll.
As increasingly tough market conditions leave some firms with no option but to cut staffing levels, it is imperative employers check their redundancy procedures are up to date and up to the job.
How To Handle Disagreements
Creating a Virtual Team
Running a business requires you to have a whole host of skills, whether it's administration, marketing, PR, logistics, finance, legal, HR, event management, IT etc. and it's impossible to do it all on your own. At this point you might say...'but I can't afford to employ someone', but there is an alternative way of looking at