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The benefits of addressing your values to create a strong company culture
Taking on the job of addressing your values to create a strong culture is not for the…
4 steps to an Active Ethos and why it matters
Why does company culture matter, and more importantly, why does it matter to you?
Has your business or department “always done it this way”?
“The most dangerous phrase in the language is ‘We’ve always done it this way."
The common reasons start-ups fail and how to avoid them
We understand the common reasons why start-ups fail. We also know how these problems can be…
Tips on advertising a vacancy
So why wouldn’t you take the same time and care to market yourself to a potential new hire, as you…
7 key questions Business Leaders or Change Consultants should ask HR before change starts
Depending on who you listen to, or what research you read, there are any number of reasons why…
Why have an HR audit?
HR Audit. Words to strike fear.... But - it could be just what your business needs. Here are just a…
The importance of Onboarding
So, you’ve done it. You’ve gone through the recruitment process, and your ideal candidate has…
Watch out for values-washing!
Values-washing is oh-so-easy to spot. Which is just one reason why we must avoid it in our own…
Why are recruitment fees so expensive?
These issues are predominately the result of the contingency recruitment model, where multiple…
What the Queen says about leadership
The actions of great leaders are for generations to come, based on values that are lasting, not…
Why work with an HR Consultant?
It’s a question that most of my clients have probably struggled with before they take the plunge…
How to become an ’employer of choice’ & attract the best candidates
Your employer brand is the first thing candidates will consider before applying to join your…
Find the right fit: How to spot the strongest job candidate…
Here are five characteristics that denote a strong recruitment candidate…
How to build a ‘dynamic’ HR strategy
Your HR strategy is the backbone of your workplace; it has a direct effect on your employees’…
How to find out your company’s EVP in 3 quick steps
Identifying your EVP doesn’t have to be a tedious process. Here we outline 3 simple steps you can…
The principles of principles (or, how to tackle your values.)
In working out your corporate values, it helps to consider what angle you'll come from, and what…
Taking your first steps to culture change
If you’ve got a nagging feeling that your culture needs addressing, a really good place to start is…
Modern workplace transformation
Becoming a Modern Workplace isn’t a simple process and it isn’t about simply installing a chat tool…
How to start a new business
Starting a new business is a fantastic adventure, but there’s also a lot to think about and plan.…
What shape will your business recovery take?
Past recessions have shown, that businesses who recover with speed and discipline can create a…
Peloton: living the values on the shopfloor
That, there, is a values-driven culture. To have great people and give them the tools to shine.
Change is easy
You don’t always need a crisis to force your hand. One of the critical things a crisis does is it…
Into the era of secure remote work
Business opportunities and security risks associated with the shift to remote work.
Hybrid working: Should you do it?
With the lifting of the restrictions, many businesses may be facing requests from staff to stay…
Impact of changes to the law on flexible working
As a business owner, particularly the owner of a small-to-medium-sized business, you need to start…
Keep your business thriving in today’s volatile job market
January– a time for fresh starts and resolutions and, for a lot of people, a time to look for a new…
Random acts of kindness can create magical moments
Throughout it all, I've learned that when opportunities present themselves, you have to be open. In…
Does HR have a bad rep? Expert practitioner Louise Holloway sets the record straight
Ed’s guest on episode 8 is Louise Holloway, Director of The People Partner HR & Training. Not only does Louise address the sometimes negative reputation HR has head on she also shares her expert advice on HR best practice for small and medium sized business. Oh and be sure not to miss her plumbing advice too!
How to approach authentic Company Values & Culture with Erika Clegg of Larkenby
Erika Clegg talks to Ed Palmer about her experience of transforming her own company culture through establishing bespoke values. And how that led her to set up Larkenby where she now advises business owners and leaders about transforming culture through values. You'll also hear about the best and worst advice Erika's ever received.
Coming Soon. More valuable and insightful content.
Coming Soon. More valuable and insightful content.
Workplace & Employees
Whether you’ve recently established a business, or have owned or led a small or medium-sized business for many years, you’ll know how important your employees are to your business.
As a result, it’s vital to understand employment law to protect you, your business, and your employees. If you’re in the process of hiring your first employee, you should consider speaking with an HR professional.
There are many elements to consider when it comes to your employees. If you provide a workplace for them there are then more factors to think about.
If you operate a place for your employees to conduct their work from such as an office, shop or factory then you have a workplace. Even if your employees work remotely on a permanent basis, and you don’t operate physical locations, you still have responsibilities as their employer.
isme|&|co has been set up to help you to get things right when it comes to your employees. They bring so much value to your business, you need to ensure they have what they need to thrive. This is why we’ve curated insights and guidance on the workplace and looking after your employees. Subjects such as workplace management, performance management, employee development, reward schemes, engagement, how to pay your employees, and managing payroll are some of the many HR issues that will crop up from time to time.
Employee Management
No matter what industry you are in, the nature of your operations, if you employ staff then they play a key part in helping you realise the vision set for your business. As a result, they should be right up there as one of your top priorities.
Employees, whether they’re full time or on a part-time contract, are one of your greatest assets. So you need to take responsibility for ensuring they feel valued and motivated. To make sure they have dreams and aspirations as big as yours. The more they fell motivated and inspired to work hard, to grow and develop, the greater the potential they have for adding value to your business.
As a business owner, it is important to understand the following fundamentals when it comes to your employees. At the very least so you know when you need to seek further help and advice from an external specialist:
● Employee rights
● Pensions
● Policies
● Whistleblowing
● Development and Training
● Payroll
● Recruitment
● Redundancy
Performance Management
Performance management is key to building a thriving business with hardworking and motivated employees. Helping improve and develop your employees while also monitoring individuals who’s performance is, for some reason, not up to scratch.
So, if you’re thinking about how to manage performance and increase employee motivation, you could consider implementing some of the following:
● Quarterly, half-yearly, or annual performance reviews for every employee
● Peer reviews to make sure your employees are performing well within their team
● Setting expectations or targets to be completed by a specific deadline
Employee development
Employee development is important not only for their personal growth but also for growing your business.
If you understand how to develop your employees and provide them with access to more opportunities, training courses, and qualifications, they’re more likely to be engaged and to be more productive.
Employee development can be achieved through many different disciplines. These are just a few examples to think about:
● Increased training opportunities
● Mentoring and one-on-one regular reviews
● Personalised career development plans
● Team building activities
Rewarding staff
It’s important to recognise and reward your employees’ contribution, commitment and dedication.
Knowing when and how best to reward your employees is important. The right rewards should help improve employee satisfaction and motivation. You might decide to reward the whole business, particular teams, or individuals who have excelled in their job.
There are many ways to reward employees for exceptional work, including:
● Regular and consistent feedback
● Acknowledgment in an email, newsletter, or online channel to showcase their achievement to the rest of the company
● A pay rise through an appropriate pay structure
● Commissions
● Performance related bonus
● Employee share option schemes
● Employee benefits, such as private health insurance
Engagement
Employee engagement is key to maintaining a positive culture and a thriving workplace. If the nature of the work is overly repetitive, unnecessarily complicated, or often disrupted due to system issues, you risk your employees becoming disengaged. Productive may drop, and individuals may start looking for employment elsewhere.
. Your business could be missing out on the full potential of the work you know they’re capable of.
Engagement can look different for every business, but if you’re thinking about new ways to engage your employees, consider the following options:
● Send out regular company updates
● Frequently ask for opinions and feedback
● Show you’re engaged with them, as much as you want them to be engaged with the business
● Reward individuals for doing a great job
● Publicise and celebrate the kind of performance and behaviour that you wish to see from your employees
How to pay employees
As much as your employee might love their job and your business, they still want to be paid the correct amount, on time and obeying UK payroll laws.
If you don’t understand how to pay employees correctly, and have experienced problems and at times have got it wrong, that’s not good. Your employees are people, they have commitments outside of work and rely on the money from your business to pay their bills, do their shopping and live their best lives.
Managing payroll can be fiddly, time consuming and confusing. Particularly if your business has different pay rates and salaries. Either by outsourcing your payroll or investing in the right software and skills, you can help avoid your business running into problems when it comes to payday. Mistakes being costly both in terms of employee satisfaction and the risk of falling foul of the various laws and regulations that govern employees pay and payroll taxes.
Workplace Management
If you operate a workplace for your employees, you also need to understand how to support employees in the workplace. If you have a large number of employees, you may want to consider recruiting a dedicated in-house manager. Or use an external expert to look after things such as:
Office
Making sure your office promotes your business culture and brand values. It’s also important to make sure you put measures in place to promote and understand the benefits of equality and diversity in the workplace so your employees feel safe and comfortable at work.
Mental health
Supporting the mental health of your employees should be high on your list of priorities. Be sure your workplace encourages good sustainable mental health. You might want to consider training dedicated members of staff as Mental Health First Aiders.
Health and Safety
Who is responsible for workplace Health and Safety? On one level all employees are. But in the end you are ultimately responsible as owner of the business. You must ensure that all the relevant process, training and resources are in place for your business. Including nominated and suitably trained Health and Safety officers, and First Aiders. If your workplace doesn’t comply with applicable Health and Safety regulations, you could lose employees, you could be shut down and, as owner, you might be subject to criminal prosecution.
HR and Recruitment
As you grow your business you may well need to expand your workforce. This will be an exciting time for your business because you’ll be looking to hire like-minded people whose values align with your business values. It’s a big investment in terms of time and money. And, therefore, important to get it right.
You’ll want to find and hire individuals who are not only great at their job, but also fit in well with other team members and the culture of the business. Employment costs are often one a business’ greatest expenses, and if not managed well can lead to costly mistakes being made.
As your business starts to grow, it’s a good idea to invest in an Human Resources team who understand how to find and recruit new employees and look after existing ones already in the business. Whether that’s full time within the business, or via trusted third party providers who you go to for expertise and help. Your Human Resources team will be responsible for the things such as:
● Screening, interviewing, and recruiting employees
● Onboarding new employees and making sure they settle into the business
● Handling employee benefits
● Managing payroll
● Keeping up to date with employment law and employee rights
Your business needs to be prepared and ready to deal with any HR issues which occur. These could include:
● Discrimination in the workplace
● Unfair dismissal claims where ex-employees believe they’ve been fired without proper cause
● Disciplinary actions if an employee breaks procedures or isn’t performing well enough
● Absenteeism, excessive sick days and absence
● Whistleblowing
● Employee retention
Your employees should be the beating heart of your business. And should be prioritised accordingly. Treating them with respect, offering opportunities for them to develop and valuing their employment rights are all crucial ways to ensure you treat your employees well.
It’s also important to make sure your workplace, if you operate one, complies with health and safety regulations and is a welcoming space for your employees to work, and for your customers, suppliers and other external stakeholders to visit.
isme|&|co was set up to make business guidance and information more accessible to small and medium-sized businesses across the UK.
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