Working from home has been a big discussion point within the business landscape for a number of years.  It of course was given extra prominence when businesses were at crisis point during and post-pandemic, and has seen SMEs having to adapt to new working practices.  

As a result of the new wave of working-from-home requests, according to the National Office of Statistics, 44% of people are working from home in some form, whether that be full-time or as part of a hybrid model approach.  

Of course, there are benefits of working from home when it comes to flexibility, employee wellbeing, and reduction of certain overhead costs on the face of it - however, it is important that we understand that it doesn’t come without its challenges in relation to the management of employees.  Here, we delve into some of these potential roadblocks.

Does it Create a Barrier Between Managers and Teams?

In short, yes it can.  As you would expect since it has been such a hot topic within the HR industry, there has been extensive research into the implications of working from home practices and how this could affect employee relationships.

According to a recent survey, 26% of managers responsible for hiring have stated that hybrid workers are less likely to get a promotion than those who are based in the office.  The figure increases if employees are fully remote.

The cause for this? It can be much more difficult for employees to be open and articulate the challenges they are facing within their role when there isn’t regular contact with their management team.  As a by-product of this, it could mean that employees aren’t in fact happier operating from a home environment and don’t get the same level of support as they would if they were office-based. 

Are there Psychological Risks to Remote Working?

Inclusivity is a big part of ensuring employees can work harmoniously with one another and as part of a team.  Different departments can have chats over the water cooler, and colleagues can grab a coffee during lunch or interim breaks which allows relationships to be nurtured, and bonds to be formed.  

Remote working can lead to psychological closure, where there are fewer meaningful conversations with one another, making it difficult to create those same types of relationships.  

As well as existing employees, we need to think about new employees that could be on-boarded into the organisation. It can be more difficult for them to become and feel part of the business.  Cliques can often be a result of these types of models, particularly if there have been members of staff who have been working with one another for a prolonged period of time.  

There is also vital experience that could potentially be gained from more senior employees that could be missed in a remote working environment. 

What about the Physical Welfare of Employees?

As well as the mental and psychological risks to this new normal, there are also potentially physical implications when it comes to the health and safety of employees.  

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 ensures employers are obligated to ensure that there are adequate risk assessments taken of work-from-home environments to ensure their suitability. However, are the lines here blurred?  

If an employee has a strong desire to work from home, they will of course put in the work to represent their working environment as one that is adequate for the purposes of home working.  This could potentially mean that they aren’t as honest as they should be about their facilities and equipment so their request is met.

It could also mean that the costs that we often talk about being reduced for businesses are no more, as there could be a substantial outlay in order to procure the appropriate desks, chairs and IT equipment to make sure that each workstation is compliant. 

How Do We Mitigate These Risks?

Now that we have an understanding of some of the potential challenges that can be faced by an SME that implements work-from-home practices, we need to think about how we mitigate these risks to protect both the employer and the employee.  

In the first instance, there needs to be a management team in place that is receptive and open-minded about today's challenges, whether that be about mental or financial wellbeing or any other contemporary challenges within the workplace and have that desire to keep the lines of communication open.

During the pandemic, businesses and individuals alike were incredibly innovative in their communication channels and learning to stay in touch.  Employers need to continue to show such strategic innovation in how they engage their team, make sure they feel included in the organisation and have the same chance of promotion as everyone else.  Hybrid and remote working has become not just an interim, but a permanent fixture - therefore it needs to be treated as such.  The same level of effort that is put into place with these HR practices as it would any other.  

The culture of the business is paramount to making these processes a success.  There needs to be a clear balance that will prioritise health, safety and productivity. 

There is a lot of planning that needs to be put in place when developing a work-from-home company policy, surrounding compliance, wellbeing procedures, appropriate communication etc.  As such, you may need external HR support to keep you and your workforce protected. 

Working from home has been a big discussion point within the business landscape for a number of years.  It of course was given extra prominence when businesses were at crisis point during and post-pandemic, and has seen SMEs having to adapt to new working practices.  

As a result of the new wave of working-from-home requests, according to the National Office of Statistics, 44% of people are working from home in some form, whether that be full-time or as part of a hybrid model approach.  

Of course, there are benefits of working from home when it comes to flexibility, employee wellbeing, and reduction of certain overhead costs on the face of it - however, it is important that we understand that it doesn’t come without its challenges in relation to the management of employees.  Here, we delve into some of these potential roadblocks.

Does it Create a Barrier Between Managers and Teams?

In short, yes it can.  As you would expect since it has been such a hot topic within the HR industry, there has been extensive research into the implications of working from home practices and how this could affect employee relationships.

According to a recent survey, 26% of managers responsible for hiring have stated that hybrid workers are less likely to get a promotion than those who are based in the office.  The figure increases if employees are fully remote.

The cause for this? It can be much more difficult for employees to be open and articulate the challenges they are facing within their role when there isn’t regular contact with their management team.  As a by-product of this, it could mean that employees aren’t in fact happier operating from a home environment and don’t get the same level of support as they would if they were office-based. 

Are there Psychological Risks to Remote Working?

Inclusivity is a big part of ensuring employees can work harmoniously with one another and as part of a team.  Different departments can have chats over the water cooler, and colleagues can grab a coffee during lunch or interim breaks which allows relationships to be nurtured, and bonds to be formed.  

Remote working can lead to psychological closure, where there are fewer meaningful conversations with one another, making it difficult to create those same types of relationships.  

As well as existing employees, we need to think about new employees that could be on-boarded into the organisation. It can be more difficult for them to become and feel part of the business.  Cliques can often be a result of these types of models, particularly if there have been members of staff who have been working with one another for a prolonged period of time.  

There is also vital experience that could potentially be gained from more senior employees that could be missed in a remote working environment. 

What about the Physical Welfare of Employees?

As well as the mental and psychological risks to this new normal, there are also potentially physical implications when it comes to the health and safety of employees.  

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 ensures employers are obligated to ensure that there are adequate risk assessments taken of work-from-home environments to ensure their suitability. However, are the lines here blurred?  

If an employee has a strong desire to work from home, they will of course put in the work to represent their working environment as one that is adequate for the purposes of home working.  This could potentially mean that they aren’t as honest as they should be about their facilities and equipment so their request is met.

It could also mean that the costs that we often talk about being reduced for businesses are no more, as there could be a substantial outlay in order to procure the appropriate desks, chairs and IT equipment to make sure that each workstation is compliant. 

How Do We Mitigate These Risks?

Now that we have an understanding of some of the potential challenges that can be faced by an SME that implements work-from-home practices, we need to think about how we mitigate these risks to protect both the employer and the employee.  

In the first instance, there needs to be a management team in place that is receptive and open-minded about today's challenges, whether that be about mental or financial wellbeing or any other contemporary challenges within the workplace and have that desire to keep the lines of communication open.

During the pandemic, businesses and individuals alike were incredibly innovative in their communication channels and learning to stay in touch.  Employers need to continue to show such strategic innovation in how they engage their team, make sure they feel included in the organisation and have the same chance of promotion as everyone else.  Hybrid and remote working has become not just an interim, but a permanent fixture - therefore it needs to be treated as such.  The same level of effort that is put into place with these HR practices as it would any other.  

The culture of the business is paramount to making these processes a success.  There needs to be a clear balance that will prioritise health, safety and productivity. 

There is a lot of planning that needs to be put in place when developing a work-from-home company policy, surrounding compliance, wellbeing procedures, appropriate communication etc.  As such, you may need external HR support to keep you and your workforce protected. 

Working from home has been a big discussion point within the business landscape for a number of years.  It of course was given extra prominence when businesses were at crisis point during and post-pandemic, and has seen SMEs having to adapt to new working practices.  

As a result of the new wave of working-from-home requests, according to the National Office of Statistics, 44% of people are working from home in some form, whether that be full-time or as part of a hybrid model approach.  

Of course, there are benefits of working from home when it comes to flexibility, employee wellbeing, and reduction of certain overhead costs on the face of it - however, it is important that we understand that it doesn’t come without its challenges in relation to the management of employees.  Here, we delve into some of these potential roadblocks.

Does it Create a Barrier Between Managers and Teams?

In short, yes it can.  As you would expect since it has been such a hot topic within the HR industry, there has been extensive research into the implications of working from home practices and how this could affect employee relationships.

According to a recent survey, 26% of managers responsible for hiring have stated that hybrid workers are less likely to get a promotion than those who are based in the office.  The figure increases if employees are fully remote.

The cause for this? It can be much more difficult for employees to be open and articulate the challenges they are facing within their role when there isn’t regular contact with their management team.  As a by-product of this, it could mean that employees aren’t in fact happier operating from a home environment and don’t get the same level of support as they would if they were office-based. 

Are there Psychological Risks to Remote Working?

Inclusivity is a big part of ensuring employees can work harmoniously with one another and as part of a team.  Different departments can have chats over the water cooler, and colleagues can grab a coffee during lunch or interim breaks which allows relationships to be nurtured, and bonds to be formed.  

Remote working can lead to psychological closure, where there are fewer meaningful conversations with one another, making it difficult to create those same types of relationships.  

As well as existing employees, we need to think about new employees that could be on-boarded into the organisation. It can be more difficult for them to become and feel part of the business.  Cliques can often be a result of these types of models, particularly if there have been members of staff who have been working with one another for a prolonged period of time.  

There is also vital experience that could potentially be gained from more senior employees that could be missed in a remote working environment. 

What about the Physical Welfare of Employees?

As well as the mental and psychological risks to this new normal, there are also potentially physical implications when it comes to the health and safety of employees.  

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 ensures employers are obligated to ensure that there are adequate risk assessments taken of work-from-home environments to ensure their suitability. However, are the lines here blurred?  

If an employee has a strong desire to work from home, they will of course put in the work to represent their working environment as one that is adequate for the purposes of home working.  This could potentially mean that they aren’t as honest as they should be about their facilities and equipment so their request is met.

It could also mean that the costs that we often talk about being reduced for businesses are no more, as there could be a substantial outlay in order to procure the appropriate desks, chairs and IT equipment to make sure that each workstation is compliant. 

How Do We Mitigate These Risks?

Now that we have an understanding of some of the potential challenges that can be faced by an SME that implements work-from-home practices, we need to think about how we mitigate these risks to protect both the employer and the employee.  

In the first instance, there needs to be a management team in place that is receptive and open-minded about today's challenges, whether that be about mental or financial wellbeing or any other contemporary challenges within the workplace and have that desire to keep the lines of communication open.

During the pandemic, businesses and individuals alike were incredibly innovative in their communication channels and learning to stay in touch.  Employers need to continue to show such strategic innovation in how they engage their team, make sure they feel included in the organisation and have the same chance of promotion as everyone else.  Hybrid and remote working has become not just an interim, but a permanent fixture - therefore it needs to be treated as such.  The same level of effort that is put into place with these HR practices as it would any other.  

The culture of the business is paramount to making these processes a success.  There needs to be a clear balance that will prioritise health, safety and productivity. 

There is a lot of planning that needs to be put in place when developing a work-from-home company policy, surrounding compliance, wellbeing procedures, appropriate communication etc.  As such, you may need external HR support to keep you and your workforce protected. 

Working from home has been a big discussion point within the business landscape for a number of years.  It of course was given extra prominence when businesses were at crisis point during and post-pandemic, and has seen SMEs having to adapt to new working practices.  

As a result of the new wave of working-from-home requests, according to the National Office of Statistics, 44% of people are working from home in some form, whether that be full-time or as part of a hybrid model approach.  

Of course, there are benefits of working from home when it comes to flexibility, employee wellbeing, and reduction of certain overhead costs on the face of it - however, it is important that we understand that it doesn’t come without its challenges in relation to the management of employees.  Here, we delve into some of these potential roadblocks.

Does it Create a Barrier Between Managers and Teams?

In short, yes it can.  As you would expect since it has been such a hot topic within the HR industry, there has been extensive research into the implications of working from home practices and how this could affect employee relationships.

According to a recent survey, 26% of managers responsible for hiring have stated that hybrid workers are less likely to get a promotion than those who are based in the office.  The figure increases if employees are fully remote.

The cause for this? It can be much more difficult for employees to be open and articulate the challenges they are facing within their role when there isn’t regular contact with their management team.  As a by-product of this, it could mean that employees aren’t in fact happier operating from a home environment and don’t get the same level of support as they would if they were office-based. 

Are there Psychological Risks to Remote Working?

Inclusivity is a big part of ensuring employees can work harmoniously with one another and as part of a team.  Different departments can have chats over the water cooler, and colleagues can grab a coffee during lunch or interim breaks which allows relationships to be nurtured, and bonds to be formed.  

Remote working can lead to psychological closure, where there are fewer meaningful conversations with one another, making it difficult to create those same types of relationships.  

As well as existing employees, we need to think about new employees that could be on-boarded into the organisation. It can be more difficult for them to become and feel part of the business.  Cliques can often be a result of these types of models, particularly if there have been members of staff who have been working with one another for a prolonged period of time.  

There is also vital experience that could potentially be gained from more senior employees that could be missed in a remote working environment. 

What about the Physical Welfare of Employees?

As well as the mental and psychological risks to this new normal, there are also potentially physical implications when it comes to the health and safety of employees.  

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 ensures employers are obligated to ensure that there are adequate risk assessments taken of work-from-home environments to ensure their suitability. However, are the lines here blurred?  

If an employee has a strong desire to work from home, they will of course put in the work to represent their working environment as one that is adequate for the purposes of home working.  This could potentially mean that they aren’t as honest as they should be about their facilities and equipment so their request is met.

It could also mean that the costs that we often talk about being reduced for businesses are no more, as there could be a substantial outlay in order to procure the appropriate desks, chairs and IT equipment to make sure that each workstation is compliant. 

How Do We Mitigate These Risks?

Now that we have an understanding of some of the potential challenges that can be faced by an SME that implements work-from-home practices, we need to think about how we mitigate these risks to protect both the employer and the employee.  

In the first instance, there needs to be a management team in place that is receptive and open-minded about today's challenges, whether that be about mental or financial wellbeing or any other contemporary challenges within the workplace and have that desire to keep the lines of communication open.

During the pandemic, businesses and individuals alike were incredibly innovative in their communication channels and learning to stay in touch.  Employers need to continue to show such strategic innovation in how they engage their team, make sure they feel included in the organisation and have the same chance of promotion as everyone else.  Hybrid and remote working has become not just an interim, but a permanent fixture - therefore it needs to be treated as such.  The same level of effort that is put into place with these HR practices as it would any other.  

The culture of the business is paramount to making these processes a success.  There needs to be a clear balance that will prioritise health, safety and productivity. 

There is a lot of planning that needs to be put in place when developing a work-from-home company policy, surrounding compliance, wellbeing procedures, appropriate communication etc.  As such, you may need external HR support to keep you and your workforce protected. 

Working from home has been a big discussion point within the business landscape for a number of years.  It of course was given extra prominence when businesses were at crisis point during and post-pandemic, and has seen SMEs having to adapt to new working practices.  

As a result of the new wave of working-from-home requests, according to the National Office of Statistics, 44% of people are working from home in some form, whether that be full-time or as part of a hybrid model approach.  

Of course, there are benefits of working from home when it comes to flexibility, employee wellbeing, and reduction of certain overhead costs on the face of it - however, it is important that we understand that it doesn’t come without its challenges in relation to the management of employees.  Here, we delve into some of these potential roadblocks.

Does it Create a Barrier Between Managers and Teams?

In short, yes it can.  As you would expect since it has been such a hot topic within the HR industry, there has been extensive research into the implications of working from home practices and how this could affect employee relationships.

According to a recent survey, 26% of managers responsible for hiring have stated that hybrid workers are less likely to get a promotion than those who are based in the office.  The figure increases if employees are fully remote.

The cause for this? It can be much more difficult for employees to be open and articulate the challenges they are facing within their role when there isn’t regular contact with their management team.  As a by-product of this, it could mean that employees aren’t in fact happier operating from a home environment and don’t get the same level of support as they would if they were office-based. 

Are there Psychological Risks to Remote Working?

Inclusivity is a big part of ensuring employees can work harmoniously with one another and as part of a team.  Different departments can have chats over the water cooler, and colleagues can grab a coffee during lunch or interim breaks which allows relationships to be nurtured, and bonds to be formed.  

Remote working can lead to psychological closure, where there are fewer meaningful conversations with one another, making it difficult to create those same types of relationships.  

As well as existing employees, we need to think about new employees that could be on-boarded into the organisation. It can be more difficult for them to become and feel part of the business.  Cliques can often be a result of these types of models, particularly if there have been members of staff who have been working with one another for a prolonged period of time.  

There is also vital experience that could potentially be gained from more senior employees that could be missed in a remote working environment. 

What about the Physical Welfare of Employees?

As well as the mental and psychological risks to this new normal, there are also potentially physical implications when it comes to the health and safety of employees.  

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 ensures employers are obligated to ensure that there are adequate risk assessments taken of work-from-home environments to ensure their suitability. However, are the lines here blurred?  

If an employee has a strong desire to work from home, they will of course put in the work to represent their working environment as one that is adequate for the purposes of home working.  This could potentially mean that they aren’t as honest as they should be about their facilities and equipment so their request is met.

It could also mean that the costs that we often talk about being reduced for businesses are no more, as there could be a substantial outlay in order to procure the appropriate desks, chairs and IT equipment to make sure that each workstation is compliant. 

How Do We Mitigate These Risks?

Now that we have an understanding of some of the potential challenges that can be faced by an SME that implements work-from-home practices, we need to think about how we mitigate these risks to protect both the employer and the employee.  

In the first instance, there needs to be a management team in place that is receptive and open-minded about today's challenges, whether that be about mental or financial wellbeing or any other contemporary challenges within the workplace and have that desire to keep the lines of communication open.

During the pandemic, businesses and individuals alike were incredibly innovative in their communication channels and learning to stay in touch.  Employers need to continue to show such strategic innovation in how they engage their team, make sure they feel included in the organisation and have the same chance of promotion as everyone else.  Hybrid and remote working has become not just an interim, but a permanent fixture - therefore it needs to be treated as such.  The same level of effort that is put into place with these HR practices as it would any other.  

The culture of the business is paramount to making these processes a success.  There needs to be a clear balance that will prioritise health, safety and productivity. 

There is a lot of planning that needs to be put in place when developing a work-from-home company policy, surrounding compliance, wellbeing procedures, appropriate communication etc.  As such, you may need external HR support to keep you and your workforce protected. 

Working from home has been a big discussion point within the business landscape for a number of years.  It of course was given extra prominence when businesses were at crisis point during and post-pandemic, and has seen SMEs having to adapt to new working practices.  

As a result of the new wave of working-from-home requests, according to the National Office of Statistics, 44% of people are working from home in some form, whether that be full-time or as part of a hybrid model approach.  

Of course, there are benefits of working from home when it comes to flexibility, employee wellbeing, and reduction of certain overhead costs on the face of it - however, it is important that we understand that it doesn’t come without its challenges in relation to the management of employees.  Here, we delve into some of these potential roadblocks.

Does it Create a Barrier Between Managers and Teams?

In short, yes it can.  As you would expect since it has been such a hot topic within the HR industry, there has been extensive research into the implications of working from home practices and how this could affect employee relationships.

According to a recent survey, 26% of managers responsible for hiring have stated that hybrid workers are less likely to get a promotion than those who are based in the office.  The figure increases if employees are fully remote.

The cause for this? It can be much more difficult for employees to be open and articulate the challenges they are facing within their role when there isn’t regular contact with their management team.  As a by-product of this, it could mean that employees aren’t in fact happier operating from a home environment and don’t get the same level of support as they would if they were office-based. 

Are there Psychological Risks to Remote Working?

Inclusivity is a big part of ensuring employees can work harmoniously with one another and as part of a team.  Different departments can have chats over the water cooler, and colleagues can grab a coffee during lunch or interim breaks which allows relationships to be nurtured, and bonds to be formed.  

Remote working can lead to psychological closure, where there are fewer meaningful conversations with one another, making it difficult to create those same types of relationships.  

As well as existing employees, we need to think about new employees that could be on-boarded into the organisation. It can be more difficult for them to become and feel part of the business.  Cliques can often be a result of these types of models, particularly if there have been members of staff who have been working with one another for a prolonged period of time.  

There is also vital experience that could potentially be gained from more senior employees that could be missed in a remote working environment. 

What about the Physical Welfare of Employees?

As well as the mental and psychological risks to this new normal, there are also potentially physical implications when it comes to the health and safety of employees.  

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 ensures employers are obligated to ensure that there are adequate risk assessments taken of work-from-home environments to ensure their suitability. However, are the lines here blurred?  

If an employee has a strong desire to work from home, they will of course put in the work to represent their working environment as one that is adequate for the purposes of home working.  This could potentially mean that they aren’t as honest as they should be about their facilities and equipment so their request is met.

It could also mean that the costs that we often talk about being reduced for businesses are no more, as there could be a substantial outlay in order to procure the appropriate desks, chairs and IT equipment to make sure that each workstation is compliant. 

How Do We Mitigate These Risks?

Now that we have an understanding of some of the potential challenges that can be faced by an SME that implements work-from-home practices, we need to think about how we mitigate these risks to protect both the employer and the employee.  

In the first instance, there needs to be a management team in place that is receptive and open-minded about today's challenges, whether that be about mental or financial wellbeing or any other contemporary challenges within the workplace and have that desire to keep the lines of communication open.

During the pandemic, businesses and individuals alike were incredibly innovative in their communication channels and learning to stay in touch.  Employers need to continue to show such strategic innovation in how they engage their team, make sure they feel included in the organisation and have the same chance of promotion as everyone else.  Hybrid and remote working has become not just an interim, but a permanent fixture - therefore it needs to be treated as such.  The same level of effort that is put into place with these HR practices as it would any other.  

The culture of the business is paramount to making these processes a success.  There needs to be a clear balance that will prioritise health, safety and productivity. 

There is a lot of planning that needs to be put in place when developing a work-from-home company policy, surrounding compliance, wellbeing procedures, appropriate communication etc.  As such, you may need external HR support to keep you and your workforce protected. 

Job Title: HR Consultant

Company: The HR Practice Limited

Job Location: Hybrid

Job Type: Full-time

Purpose

As a HR Consultant at The HR Practice you will be a key member of our team, responsible for delivering expert HR support and guidance to our valued clients. Your success in this role will be measured by your ability to provide pragmatic HR advice, establish well-defined HR processes, build strong client relationships, and maintain personal credibility.

Key Accountabilities

• Provide expert HR advice and guidance to our clients, ensuring that their HR-related challenges are addressed effectively and in accordance with best practice.
• Develop and implement HR processes tailored to each client's unique needs, aiming to streamline HR operations, improve efficiency, and maintain compliance with relevant employment laws and regulations.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with our clients, becoming a trusted partner who understands their HR requirements and provides solutions.
• Offer coaching and support to client representatives, assisting them with people management, performance management, and other HR-related matters.
• Ensure that client HR practices and policies align with applicable employment law and regulations, and provide guidance to clients on compliance matters.
• Stay up-to-date with industry trends and best practices, sharing your knowledge and expertise with clients to help them improve their HR operations.
• Provide HR reporting to clients on key HR metrics as required.

Knowledge, Technical Skills, Qualifications and Experience

• Degree in Human Resources, Business or equivalent experience
• Ability to work autonomously within an operational HR role, with experience of managing all aspects of operational HR
• Solid background in dealing with ER matters such as discipline, grievance and absence management
• In-depth knowledge of HR processes, employment law, and regulations
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills
• Strong relationship-building capabilities and influencing skills
• Flexible, can do attitude with the ability to deal with ambiguity and change in a positive manner

Our Values

Agile: We deliver fast and effective commercial results so that our clients can focus on running their business.

Customer-Driven: We put our clients needs front and centre of our business strategy and take time to understand their objectives to provide a seamless service.

Non-Judgemental: We’re all human and we understand that things happen.  The more honest you are with us about the situation you’re in, the easier it is for us to help you.

Outcome-Focused: We start with the end in mind and provide clients with the quickest and most effective commercial HR advice possible. 

Key Success Criteria: 

• Positive feedback from HR colleagues and clients
• Provision of pragmatic HR advice to clients
• HR processes well defined
• Strong client relationships
• Personal credibility and professionalism.

 HR affects businesses of all shapes and sizes, and it’s a critical part of running an organisation effectively.  It could be that you are a start-up, or a SME that isn’t quite at the stage where you are ready to employ an internal HR team - or it could be that you are a fairly large business that requires some tailored, expert advice.  

Wherever you fall within that spectrum, an expert HR consultant could be exactly what you need to drive your business in the right direction.  

What is A HR Consultant?

A HR consultant is a 3rd party expert who can provide you with specialist advice services that can improve the efficiency of the HR practices within your business.  A HR consultant is often required to gain an external, objective view.

It could be that they are brought in to address a specific issue within the business, however it is important to remember that they provide a wide range of services which could be hugely beneficial to the running of your company.  They can offer consultancy on issues including but not limited to the below:

• Defining people strategies where they will look at productivity, training and development, employee retention and succession planning
• Implementing processes and procedures for better workplace efficiency
• Creating reward and benefit schemes as part of an overall employee attraction and retention program
• Dealing with any level of transformational change including talent and success planning
• The creation of health and wellbeing policies
• Developing the culture and values of the organisation, and supporting the business on an ongoing basis from a people management perspective

How Does HR Consultancy Work?

HR consultants won’t be internal to your business, they are a 3rd party acting on your behalf.  

From our perspective, we start the process with a HR Audit to understand what is in place and what the gap is, we then provide a report with the gap and the priorities to bring the business up to date with legislation. We then start to create HR processes in areas such as absence management trigger points to ensure absence can be managed as a working example.  

Why Use A HR Consultancy Firm?

The biggest thing a HR consultant will bring to the table is a wealth of experience and insight that will protect your business, and ensure you are compliant with legislation. It can also be cost-effective in many ways.  Firstly, in the sense that you are not employing a full-time member of staff, and you are paying on a fractional retainer basis - so only for the time you need effectively.  

However, it can also save your business money in other ways.  By having appropriate retention policies in place for example, it can reduce turnover and costs associated with that.  The same in terms of health and wellbeing, the fewer absences there are in your business, the more money you will save on that.  

Our Retainer Service

At The HR Practice, we are flexible when it comes to our retainer service.  Whether it’s a half day a month, or a more dedicated service.  We can work to your business requirements.

We also offer an advice line service, which allows you to get HR support for your business on an ad-hoc basis. Get in touch, if you’d like any further information.  

Working from home has been a big discussion point within the business landscape for a number of years.  It of course was given extra prominence when businesses were at crisis point during and post-pandemic, and has seen SMEs having to adapt to new working practices.  

As a result of the new wave of working-from-home requests, according to the National Office of Statistics, 44% of people are working from home in some form, whether that be full-time or as part of a hybrid model approach.  

Of course, there are benefits of working from home when it comes to flexibility, employee wellbeing, and reduction of certain overhead costs on the face of it - however, it is important that we understand that it doesn’t come without its challenges in relation to the management of employees.  Here, we delve into some of these potential roadblocks.

Does it Create a Barrier Between Managers and Teams?

In short, yes it can.  As you would expect since it has been such a hot topic within the HR industry, there has been extensive research into the implications of working from home practices and how this could affect employee relationships.

According to a recent survey, 26% of managers responsible for hiring have stated that hybrid workers are less likely to get a promotion than those who are based in the office.  The figure increases if employees are fully remote.

The cause for this? It can be much more difficult for employees to be open and articulate the challenges they are facing within their role when there isn’t regular contact with their management team.  As a by-product of this, it could mean that employees aren’t in fact happier operating from a home environment and don’t get the same level of support as they would if they were office-based. 

Are there Psychological Risks to Remote Working?

Inclusivity is a big part of ensuring employees can work harmoniously with one another and as part of a team.  Different departments can have chats over the water cooler, and colleagues can grab a coffee during lunch or interim breaks which allows relationships to be nurtured, and bonds to be formed.  

Remote working can lead to psychological closure, where there are fewer meaningful conversations with one another, making it difficult to create those same types of relationships.  

As well as existing employees, we need to think about new employees that could be on-boarded into the organisation. It can be more difficult for them to become and feel part of the business.  Cliques can often be a result of these types of models, particularly if there have been members of staff who have been working with one another for a prolonged period of time.  

There is also vital experience that could potentially be gained from more senior employees that could be missed in a remote working environment. 

What about the Physical Welfare of Employees?

As well as the mental and psychological risks to this new normal, there are also potentially physical implications when it comes to the health and safety of employees.  

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 ensures employers are obligated to ensure that there are adequate risk assessments taken of work-from-home environments to ensure their suitability. However, are the lines here blurred?  

If an employee has a strong desire to work from home, they will of course put in the work to represent their working environment as one that is adequate for the purposes of home working.  This could potentially mean that they aren’t as honest as they should be about their facilities and equipment so their request is met.

It could also mean that the costs that we often talk about being reduced for businesses are no more, as there could be a substantial outlay in order to procure the appropriate desks, chairs and IT equipment to make sure that each workstation is compliant. 

How Do We Mitigate These Risks?

Now that we have an understanding of some of the potential challenges that can be faced by an SME that implements work-from-home practices, we need to think about how we mitigate these risks to protect both the employer and the employee.  

In the first instance, there needs to be a management team in place that is receptive and open-minded about today's challenges, whether that be about mental or financial wellbeing or any other contemporary challenges within the workplace and have that desire to keep the lines of communication open.

During the pandemic, businesses and individuals alike were incredibly innovative in their communication channels and learning to stay in touch.  Employers need to continue to show such strategic innovation in how they engage their team, make sure they feel included in the organisation and have the same chance of promotion as everyone else.  Hybrid and remote working has become not just an interim, but a permanent fixture - therefore it needs to be treated as such.  The same level of effort that is put into place with these HR practices as it would any other.  

The culture of the business is paramount to making these processes a success.  There needs to be a clear balance that will prioritise health, safety and productivity. 

There is a lot of planning that needs to be put in place when developing a work-from-home company policy, surrounding compliance, wellbeing procedures, appropriate communication etc.  As such, you may need external HR support to keep you and your workforce protected. 

Owning a business isn’t just about focusing on sales, profits and revenue. You also need to consider the happiness and satisfaction of your employees. Sometimes, you might have to organise team building activities to boost engagement and keep up morale. 

If you feel like your business could use a spark, team building activities can be the perfect way to re-energise your workforce and get your team excited and motivated. We’ve listed some effective team building activities that you can organise in the guide below. 

The Benefits of Team Building Activities

If you want your business to be a success, having a workforce of employees who can collaborate and cooperate effectively and work towards a common goal is vital. The better your employees get to know one another, the better they’ll be able to work together. 

Team building activities can help your employees develop deeper and more meaningful professional relationships with one another. They’ll learn how to navigate new situations and overcome obstacles, using critical thinking and problem solving to achieve established targets and objectives. 

These skills are fully transferrable into the workplace and will prove vital when motivating your employees to reach new business objectives. 

If you want to help a new team gel or re-energise a stagnating workforce, we’ve listed a couple of ideas for activities that can help. 

A Quiz

A quiz is an excellent team building activity. This introduces an element of competitiveness that will motivate and spur participants on. You can offer prizes for specific finishing places, and even a joke prize for the last-placed team for a bit of humour. 

Break down the group into smaller teams, ideally made up of employees who don’t know each other or work together regularly. This can help your workforce gel as a whole and can prevent cliques from forming. 

Here’s a bonus tip: make the questions for the quiz related to your business. This can help you evaluate how much your employees know and can identify any potential knowledge gaps that need to be addressed. 

Egg Drop 

Egg drop is a classic team building activity that will help your employees develop collaborative, problem solving and even presentation skills. 

The premise of Egg Drop is simple. Divide your employees into at least two teams. Each of these teams will be tasked with preventing an egg from cracking after a drop from head height, using only a handful of paper straws and some Sellotape. 

Set a time limit, after which each team must present their creation and explain the reasoning behind their design and why they think it will work. Each team will then test their creation to see if it can prevent the egg from cracking, with the winning team or teams awarded with a prize. 

Conclusion

Teamwork is integral to any successful business. Team building activities can be a fun way to break up the working day, ensuring your employees don’t feel burned out or demotivated, and they can help employees develop more effective collaboration, communication and interpersonal skills.