If you’ve recently started your own business and have found that the time has come to grow the team and bring on new members of staff, then you may be wondering what to do about creating a HR department.
As the founder or leader of your business you will likely have a tonne of entrepreneurial qualities, but with so much going on things such company policies, handbooks and general HR processes can often get left to the wayside.
It’s important to have HR in your business from the start as this will allow you to build a positive company culture and avoid the risk of bad work habits developing within the workforce.
Congratulations on all your hard work so far and here is our checklist for getting HR ready as your business continues to grow:
Create an organisation plan
It is a good idea to spend some time thinking about the structure and operations that you will need to have within the company to ensure everything runs smoothly.
Once you have this you will need to outline the roles and responsibilities within your organisational design.
As you bring on more members of staff you will find it beneficial to keep everyone up to date with their own roles and responsibilities – ensuring everyone is accountable and happy with what is expected of them. It’s likely your plan will evolve organically as the business changes but it’s a great place to start.
Have all your key company policies in place
Having policies and procedures demonstrates competence as a company and provides clear guidelines to staff on how the company operates. When it comes to employment there are some important policies your business will need to be compliant with British Law.
These are:
Equal Opportunities
Health & Safety
Equality & Diversity
Dismissal & Grievance
Contracts of employment
It is also worth noting that as of April this year the law changed so that you now need all terms and conditions of employment to be provided on or before the date of the employees first day. As an employer, you will need to update your template employment contracts to comply with the new requirements but do not have to issue new contracts to existing staff. Existing staff may request a written statement that complies with the new requirements and in that case companies must provide the statement within one month of the request (the employee can only make this request once).
Did you know?
Whitcombe HR can help you get started with all the key policy templates you will need plus contracts of employment.
Just call 07534 359255 or email help@whitcombehr.co..uk to find out more.
Make sure you have a safe place to work
Developing an HR department focused on creating a workplace that complies with federal regulations for health and safety provides legal protection for your company and shouldn’t be left until the last minute.
Making sure your work environment is a safe place to work includes creating an emergency action plan, identifying emergency exits and routes, providing first aid and medical supplies and keeping the workspace safe.
Start thinking about your recruitment procedure
Even as a small business you will need to think about how you will onboard and recruit new members of staff.
You will need to think about where you will post your job ads, how will you determine the type of person that you want to recruit and what processes will you have to introduce them into the company when they start.
It is also important to have the correct paperwork ready and in place including an offer letter, information on payroll and any employment agreements you have.
When it comes to onboarding this is your opportunity to set your new starter up for success from the beginning. Feeling welcome when you start a new company makes a huge difference and having a plan laid out will put your new employee at ease.
Why don’t you start their first day with a welcome coffee? Have a team lunch to introduce everyone to your new starter in a relaxed environment? An office tour and introduction to the CEO and managers can also be a great way to create a successful onboarding plan.
Develop training and appraisal processes
Whilst you are still growing your business and working towards a successful start-up it may not seem like a priority to develop training and appraisal processes but the difference this can make to employees is extremely important.
Allowing employees to grow and improve on their skills will ensure you have a motivated and enthusiastic workforce. It is also important to have constructive ways of providing feedback.
Here at Whitcombe HR we can handle everything from management training to implementing an appraisal process for you. Allow us to free up your precious time and take care of this for you.
Call 07534 359255 or email help@whitcombehr.co.uk to find out more.
Use an online HR System to keep everything in one place
Here at Whitcombe HR we use Breathe HR to keep track of absences, appraisals and keep all employee documents in one secure place.
There are plenty of great HR software systems and apps out there for you to try and for a free trial of Breath HR visit https://hr.breathehr.com/signup?hrp=WHIT18
This is a great way to keep organised and ensure you have everything in one place.
We know it is not always easy when you’re busy running and growing a business and that’s why we specialise in helping small businesses with all of their HR needs.
We hope the above points will give you some food for thought when it comes to creating a HR department, but for more support and guidance we also offer a number of packages to help with your every day HR requirements.
From ad-hoc project work to monthly retained packages, we are here to help you.
Please visit out Services page or get in touch via the Contact page to find out how we can maximise your employee performance and offer expert advice to you and your colleagues.
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