Here at The Nursery HR People, we help a lot of Nurseries and Early Years’ Organisations who, on a daily basis, realise the ever increasing need for HR support and advice. We see so many settings having to spend far too much of their valuable time struggling with HR, especially with the constant increase in Employment Legislation and requirements from the EYFS and Ofsted.
HR support can prove invaluable and far reaching within so many areas of your business which you may not automatically realise. I have therefore compiled a list of seven reasons why HR support is becoming more and more vital, especially for a Small Business.
- Cost Savings
One of the most important areas where HR can contribute towards a small business is cost savings. Businesses can become much more efficient by using HR properly, for example by implementing an HR strategy that can support your business goals and ensure they are achieved.
HR can also ensure well-constructed management processes and controls are in place, for instance sickness and absence management. By having a clear policy, these costs can be reduced which can be a huge expense to a business. This can also be applied to many other areas including, training, development, recruitment, employee relations and many more.
- Training & Development
We all understand that the development of skills is important for any company’s success and growth. HR can help support training and development initiatives by assisting with a training plan, identifying development initiatives, delivering appropriate workshops or by bringing in external training schemes where appropriate.
HR can work with management to ensure that training and development is both cost and time effective and help them recognise the value that training brings. Training and development can also prove much less expensive than the cost of hiring additional staff or more qualified candidates.
It can also be a strategy to reduce staff turnover and improve employee retention. I strongly believe that Training and Development is a key area for the Early Years sector, especially when adhering to Ofsted and the EYFS and the ever changing business world we find ourselves in.
- Managing Performance
HR can help manage employer and business performance in so many ways. Business performance can be improved by ensuring an integrated performance management system is in place which can also be utilised as an employee appraisal system. This can help all employees work towards a common goal of improving overall business performance through the fulfilling of their own personal objectives.
By having this in place, it can also manage poor performance through a capability process so that any employees who aren’t fulfilling their objectives can be supported in the correct ways so that no money is wasted on under-performing employees. HR can work with management to ensure a top down approach for all processes is correctly implemented.
- Legislation Guidance
Employment Legislation is constantly evolving and changing, especially within the Early Years sector, and it is hard to keep up with the requirements of the Government, Ofsted and the EYFS. However, it is the role of your HR support to stay up to date so that they can provide credible, practical and compliant advice to your business.
HR should ensure that all internal HR policies, processes including your employee handbooks are kept up to date, they are well communicated to all employees and training is provided where required.
- Dispute Avoidance and Fair Management
HR can be invaluable when a Manager is struggling with a specific employee issue. With all the other business pressures, it can sometimes be tricky for a Manager to ensure everyone is being treated fairly and getting the best out of their direct reports. By having HR support, the Manager can ensure all procedures and policies are being adhered to and turn a potentially difficult scenario into a positive one.
I read the other day that “HR can be a guardian angel to companies” – the correct HR support can help a business avoid the expensive and timely tribunal process. If a situation is starting to escalate, HR can be there to act as a mediator and diffuse the circumstances.
- Recruitment
No matter the size, every business needs to have good quality employees and HR can provide support with the recruitment process whilst ensuring that equal opportunities and employment legislation is adhered to. HR can help in the hiring process by identifying desirable professional traits, as well as orientation and on-boarding programs.
HR can also work with managers to identify the gaps in their structure and to ensure a succession plan is also in place. This shouldn’t be overlooked as this can help guarantee an organisation’s stability and future success.
- Rewarding Staff
Rewarding employees fairly is highly important for staff retention, if you don’t do this correctly it will be reflected in a high turnover of your workers. Although financial reward is important for many people, non-financial reward can be just as important.
On a final note and a point that has to be mentioned, is that HR support can ensure that your company and workforce embrace the philosophy of your business and its principles. In particular, from the perspective of a small business, a team who are all working towards and sharing your mission and objectives is imperative to your company’s success. By having sound HR support and processes in places it can be a huge step forward in accomplishing this.
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with your comments and feedback, or if you need any assistance with your HR for your small business or setting. After all, our motto is “Less HR More Learning”.
Sara Smith
Marketing Director
The Nursery HR People
01509 833121
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