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Outsourced HR Solution

– North East Community Forest

The Solution:

Our consultant took operational and strategic responsibility for the running of the HR function within the client organisation, reporting and accountable to the Executive Director. This has involved preparing and issuing contracts of employment and dealing with all other legal issues related to employment; developing an employee handbook and related HR polices; leading on recruitment and selection of staff and sitting on the selection panel of senior appointments; dealing with long term sickness absence and short term conduct related absence; developing new HR systems as the business has developed (e.g. job descriptions and a performance management system); diffusing a potential constructive dismissal claim by making a compromise agreement; negotiating TUPE transfers; holding HR clinics to address the needs and concerns of staff; issuing a quarterly legal update; undertaking an annual HR health check to ensure ongoing compliance with employment law issues.

The Outcome:

All legal requirements of employment are complied with and a framework is in place to protect the employer whilst dealing fairly with employees. The time spent away from core business by Directors and senior managers, dealing with HR related issues are now minimised. The overall cost of the HR function, operating at this level, is reduced.

Recruitment and Selection Solution

– Mental Health Care

The Brief:

Following a strategic HR review of the business (carried out by this consultant) the organisation wished to appoint it’s first Chief Executive. Our consultant was tasked with taking this from the Board decision, through to appointment.

The Solution:

Our consultant drew up a job description for the position of Chief Executive, which she agreed with the Chairman. She sourced advertising opportunities appropriate to the seniority and sector for the position and conducted the initial paper sift, in order to divert time consuming responsibilities from the Directors. She presented her initial short list to the Chairman and then circulated the list for consultation with all other Board members.

Following the short and invitation to interview, our consultant led on the selection event, advertising on the appropriate assessment methods (i.e. presentation and structured interview), as well as advising on the appropriateness and legality of interview questions.

Our consultant led on the de-brief discussion in making the final selection decision and informed all candidates.

Subsequently, she drew up the Service Contract for the appointment of the Chief Executive and holds the records of appointment for confidentiality.

The Outcome:

The candidate selected by the panel was appointed and accepted the position. The individual has been a significant success and seen the company grow considerably since appointment. Board members were fully involved in the process, but were not given time consuming and onerous tasks – but rather asked to comment on existing proposals.

On completion of this project, the Board were so impressed with our consultant that they invited her to join the Board of Directors.

Policies, Contracts and Procedures Solution

– North and North East Lincolnshire Primary Care Trust.

The Brief:

The PCT was an amalgamation of a number of different organisations with different trade unions and terms and conditions. Our consultant was tasked with developing a new set of HR polices which would take account of the people orientation of the organisation, whilst also providing some degree of protection against abuse.

The Solution:

In order to achieve the highest degree of buy in to the process, our consultant established a number of key players across the organisation who undertook different job roles and originated from different organisations. She undertook individual consultation with these individuals, whilst also completing questionnaires with other staff – to ensure that the maximum number of employees felt that their views had been taken into account. In addition, she attended meetings of the Trade Unions to present the policies and her thinking behind them.

The Outcome:

The client received a full suite of HR Policies which had been agreed with all sides, prior to implementation. The difficulty of consultation was minimised by bringing in an external consultant. The existing staff, who were already busy developing al aspects of the HR system, where no pulled from their own projects in order to develop these polices, but still had the opportunity to be involved in the process.

HR Project Management Solution

- Northern Stage

The Brief:

The client asked for a strategic HR review to establish what systems were in place and what needed to be developed. There was also concern about the views of staff and how engaged they were with the organisation.

The Solution:

Our consultant firstly established a Steering Group to oversee the project and agreed the terms of reference. She then identified the “key players” in the organisation and arranged to interview them face to face. In addition, a representative sample of staff were formed into a group, to discuss and react to some of the initial findings and possible recommendations.

Further research was undertaken to benchmark the client organisation with others in a similar marketplace, to compare terms and conditions and HR systems.

A final report was submitted to the Steering Group and presented to the senior Directors, with short, medium and long term recommendations.

The Outcome:

Following the report being submitted, the client accepted the need for a job evaluation system and a performance appraisal system. Our client was contracted to design and implement both of these HR systems.