Providing HR solutions to support you and your business

Many years of experience and passion make Hill HR Consultancy Limited a key player in local HR provision.

As well as working in partnership with many small businesses across Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, the West Midlands and beyond, owner of Hill HR, Claire Hill, enjoys educating businesses by giving talks on topical HR subjects that will advise, inform and keep them updated on things they need to know. In addition, and recognising that young people are our future employees, Claire is also passionate about working with schools on a voluntary basis, coaching employability skills, such as interviewing and CV writing.

After 20 years of working in Police HR, Hill HR was formed in November 2015. Its aim is to save small business owners time, money, undue worry and sleepless nights by supporting them with their people issues.

Hill HR offers pragmatic and commercially based HR advice, given in an honest, open and friendly way.

Support is offered either on a retainer, ad-hoc or project basis, allowing clients the flexibility to use Hill HR’s services as they require, ensuring value for money. This flexibility and tailored support has given Hill HR the excellent reputation that it has. “We are a small business working for small businesses. We understand the challenges of running a small business and offer very specific advice and support tailored for that particular client.”

The types of services that Hill HR provide are ensuring essential documentation is embedded into the business: this would include contracts of employment and the staff handbook. Hill HR provide advice and support with day to day issues such as discipline, grievance, unsatisfactory performance and absence, and managing business change. As well as reacting to problems, Hill HR also help businesses plan and ensure their HR and people support the business as it grows and develops.

With an exciting future ahead, Hill HR will continue to do what they love and do best: providing practical, commercial and professional advice to small businesses.

I love HR and I’m here to help you with yours. Please contact me, Claire Hill, via: Hill HR Consultancy Limited

T: 07483 253984 | E: claire.hill@hillhr.co.uk www.hillhr.co.uk

Shelley Gunnell: “In an increasingly competitive labour market, employers must look beyond remuneration. We are seeing two main talent retention trends: supporting a work-life balance and providing a sense of purpose and fulfilment.

“More people are looking for a job that complements important parts of their life, such as family, health and leisuretime. Achieving this balance is not just about flexible working hours, which helps, it’s about being collaborative and communicative to ensure that the team aren’t under needless pressure or working unreasonable hours to achieve success.

“Increasingly, people are also looking for a company’s vision and values to be in harmony with theirs. Employers who are clear about these will attract and retain people who believe in their mission and want to add value.”

Samantha Stew: Money will always be a factor but demonstrating to employees the whole benefit package will always aid retention, whether it’s holiday entitlement, the ability to work flexibly or a great pension provision. People value different benefits at different points in their lives and careers and companies that can articulate the true whole package will help to retain their employees.”

What else does it take to attract and retain the people you need to help your business grow?

Caroline Taplin: “Again, it’s about knowing your people. You can get into a rut thinking employees are happy by not asking them if they are – some wait to be asked rather than volunteer the information themselves. And people’s needs change.

“The most important relationship is between an individual and their line manager. We offer our line managers training and ongoing support, including encouraging them to do regular one-to-ones which will form the basis for their relationship with their staff.”

Claire Hill: “Employees want the freedom to work when they want to (for example part-time, compressed hours, term-time) and where they want to (from home or from a library or cafe). Businesses must start thinking about offering jobs flexibly from the start, rather than an employee having to request it.

“A business should develop a culture that caters for a multi-generational workforce. Attracting talent is different now. Advertising in different ways, on different platforms and adverts written in different ways, depending upon who you are trying to attract and knowing where they hang out.”

Samantha Stew: “When this question is asked within engagement surveys, (across a number of businesses not just Spirax Sarco), generally the responses indicate that people are attracted to interesting work and they like to feel that what they are doing has an impact.

“At the moment there is a lot of news around global sustainability. As a steam specialist business, we can pay a huge part in this and by advertising the impact we are having, which will attract people to our business.

“We must also consider different ways of working and that we are clear on our approach and strategy around diversity and inclusion. These are topics high on peoples’ checklists when they research potential future employers.”

When I was young I watched my mum and step dad make fantastic changes in peoples lives showing care, understanding and compassion. They worked with people with learning disabilities, some profound disabilities, however, every person was treated with dignity, respect and compassion and the impact on their lives was outstanding. I wanted to be able to follow their lead in my area of interest…Human Resources.

Looking to 2009, I found my career had taken me too far away from my core HR values, and I realised that I could be supporting directors and managers in working with their teams, and getting the best from each individual to deliver the required results for the company. Acorn was born.

I believe in supporting the development of employers, to achieve fair and equitable treatment of their employees, to bring out the best in everyone. Our passion is to have the right treatment of all, to follow the right processes within the framework of employment legislation, the case itself and the direction of the business. Our professional training, knowledge and experience is honed to identify the points of pain for a business, to work through the complexities of a case and to deliver the right outcomes for all.

At Acorn, we strive to treat people with compassion, understanding and equity and is at the forefront of the work we do with our clients.

Why employers choose Acorn is summed up in a phone call in September 2018. It was from an ex-employee of a client, where he had been dismissed and had since moved into a new role. He respected and valued the professionalism of the Acorn team through the most difficult of times, and how we had cared for him as an individual, that he wanted us to support his new employer. I was blown away by this and believe this sums up the impact of the work we do.

Ecclesiastical volunteers spruce up local area

A big part of Ecclesiastical’s culture is social purpose, so the insurer’s employees needed little persuasion to tidy up and improve a neglected green space near its new head office site at Gloucester Business Park.

They cleared away weeds and brambles, planting daffodil bulbs along a pathway which will be visible from its new offices. The volunteers were supervised by local landscaping contractor Charlton Abbotts.

What else does it take to attract and retain the people you need to help your business grow?

Shelley Gunnell: “It takes effective leadership, communication, collaboration and culture. Developing a culture that is values-driven and celebrates the team’s successes helps to provide a positive working environment, where people can see the difference that they make to the business.

“If you get the leadership right, the rest will follow and the end result is a motivated, productive and diverse team.

“At Titania, we’ve also invested in a vibrant recreational area where the team can visit at any time of day. As well as a kitchen, we have a library, board games, pool table and games room with arcade games and an Xbox. We run a free breakfast club where the team can have toast, cereal or pancakes before they start their day. We’ve had positive feedback and we think it embodies our culture and values, which has helped us stand out in a buoyant labour market.”

Tracy Evans: “As the mantra goes, “hire for attitude, train for skill”. We should hire individuals whose values are in sync with our own. Skills can be taught, experience gained and qualifications obtained. Candidates want a clear career path. Supporting wellbeing in the workplace is vital to maintain optimal productivity.

“Mental health problems in the workplace costs the UK economy around £70 billion annually according to Forbes. With 91 million UK workdays lost due to symptoms of mental illness, investing in mental health training and support will benefit a business and its employees.”

Let’s try busting some common HR myths

leave – treat them well enough that they don’t want to.

proactive recruitment methods and exposure to better offers.

Tracy Evans: “Not true. Companies often counter-offer when a key employee advises that they wish to leave. What’s interesting, though, is that the employee will tend to stay only for a short time if whatever the underlying issues are, or were, have not gone away.”

Claire Hill: “Developing and investing in your employees is a big part of employee retention. However, sometimes businesses develop and invest in employees in order that they can leave and progress. There is a famous saying by Richard Branson: “Train people well enough that they can

“Employees leave a bad manager – not a bad company: bad management can be a factor in leaving, however, the person will leave a company which has done nothing to correct the bad management.”

Shelley Gunnell: “Another HR myth is that ‘People don’t leave bad companies, they leave bad managers’. While ineffective management will have a negative effect on retention, employees’ reasons for leaving are more complex. People are becoming far more selective and particular about their employers and what they offer. There’s also more competition among employers in the labour market, which leads to more

“Employees will only leave for more pay elsewhere”

Claire Hill: “Not true, however they may leave for more pay elsewhere if they are unhappy where they are.

Tracy Evans: “Again, not true. Businesses commonly presume employees leave due to salary, which is important, but there will be an underlying issue that encourages them to be open to new opportunities. Constant communication can boost employee retention rates by taking the time to find out what they are thinking.”