Working together to maximise the potential of your business

All employees should be given a written statement of terms and conditions within 8 weeks of them starting their employment with you. We can draft your contracts or review existing ones, advising on what terms should be included and ensuring that they are tailored to your business needs.

Similar to remuneration, what you offer your employees in terms of benefits is an important element of attracting and retaining the best talent. We can support you in identifying the appropriate benefits that meet your business needs, are tailored to what motivates your employees and are value for money.

Setting the right level of remuneration for you employees can be tricky, particularly in competitive job markets. Are the salaries you are offering comparable against your competitors? Do you know what the market rates are for particular roles in your business? Are your salaries sufficient to attract the best people? At KeystoneHR we are experienced in carrying out salary benchmarking exercises, annual pay reviews and understanding where to pitch your remuneration packages to attract and retain the right calibre of people.  

You may be considering introducing a bonus scheme. Over the years we have  implemented various bonus schemes, both profit and performance related, and can guide you through the potential pitfalls ensuring that what you introduce is right for your business.

Unfortunately redundancy is a situations that can arise from time to time particularly in tougher economic climates. When these situations do come about they can be unsettling for everyone involved.  At KeystoneHR we understand the legal processes that need to be followed but can also offer support and guidance on managing the ‘personal’ side of redundancy helping to minimise the impact on all concerned.

We can provide step by step guidance including the necessary paperwork, letters and forms; undertake the process for your; or work alongside your managers giving them advise and guidance as required. However much or little support you need we are here to help you get through what can be a difficult time.

There is a significant amount of legislation surrounding maternity/paternity and adoption leave so it is important that as an employer you fulfil your obligations and follow the correct procedures. We can help calculate entitlement (both in terms of pay and leave), provide appropriate letters and documentation and advise on any tricky issues which may arise.  We are also on hand to offer support and advice in relation to the newly introduced shared parental leave.

Since June 2014 the law surrounding flexible working has changed meaning that all employees who meet the qualifying criteria have the right to request flexible working. We can work with you to ensure your policy is up to date and guide you through the process should you receive a request for flexible working from one of your employees.

Managing an individual’s performance can be a challenging and often complex employment issue. At KeystoneHR we have a lot of experience in dealing with all sorts of performance issues from managing under performance and/or capability to implementing an effective performance management or appraisal process. We can help you introduce systems which are right for your business, your people and your goals.

Having practical and effective disciplinary and grievance policies and procedures in place will greatly assist your business. As well as drafting these policies we can advise you on the processes which need to be followed and be on hand to provide the support you need, from chatting the issues through to managing the situation for you.

Sickness absence, whether persistent short term or long term periods, can be disruptive and costly to your business. There can be many reasons for sickness absence and most cases will need to be dealt with on an individual basis. We can advise you on how to proactively manage sickness, and other, absences in a way which encourages and supports your employees whilst minimising the risk to your business.

A staff handbook contains all the essential information your employees need to know about working for you, including employment policies and procedures (disciplinary, grievance, absence etc), contact details, company structure and any other relevant information.

We will work with you to ensure your handbook is relevant, reflects your style and culture and is up to date with current employment legislation, either drafting from new or reviewing what you already have in place.

For clients working with us on a retained basis we will undertake an annual review of your handbook as part of the package.

No matter how large or small your business, there are times when you need to look at how it is structured and whether it supports you in achieving your goals and strategic aims. At KeystoneHR we can help you objectively look at your current structure and guide you through the process of restructuring to fit what is required today and in the future.  We also understand that change can be tough on those involved so we will help you achieve your aims with minimal fuss and disruption. 

If your business is going or about to go through a merger or acquisition KeystoneHR can assist you throughout the process.  We have been involved in a number of large and small scale mergers/acquisitions so understand not just the legal requirements but also how to ensure you effectively manage the 'people' aspect.  In our experience  the post merger or acquisition can be just as challenging so we are on hand to advise and support you during the integration period. 

Identifying and managing your potential stars of the future is an on going and often tricky situation. We can provide tools and techniques to help you identify talent – those who have the ability, aspiration and engagement to become the future leaders of your business and how to ensure you retain and develop them to get there. For example we have experience in succession planning and career development frameworks which can assist you in managing your talented employees.

Ensuring your employees are engaged and motivated is key to your business’ success. We can work with you to measure how engaged your employees are and then advise you on what is working well, what needs to be worked on and how any gaps can be addressed.

The ability to effectively manage people requires a whole skill set that many people do not possess when they are promoted to management positions. We will work with you to design and implement a management development program which is bespoke to your business and which will support your managers by giving them the necessary skills and techniques to effectively and confidently manage their people.

Recruiting the right people is such an important job, but it is all too easy to get it wrong.  We understand the importance of having a recruitment process which reflects your brand and help your business stand out from the crowd.  KeystoneHR can either create tailored recruitment process if you don't already have one in place or work with you using your existing procedures. However much or little support you need to recruit (and retain) the right people for your business we can help.  Here are some examples of the work we do around recruitment, selection and candidate management: 

• Defining the role and creating a job description and person specification
• Advising on the most appropriate and cost effective method of advertising
• Handling all initial applications
• Shortlisting candidates to the agreed criteria and providing an appropriate response to all applicants
• Conducting telephone interviews
• Administering and feeding back psychometric testing
• Arranging and attending (if required) all face to face interviews
• Organising assessment centres
• Managing candidates throughout the recruitment process
• Managing the offer process including pre employment checks
• Providing feedback and reports on how the process went and suggesting any improvements for the future

Psychometric testing can be used for two purposes – as an aid to the recruitment process or as a means to support the development of individuals.

When recruiting they can be particularly beneficial if the role requires a particular level of expertise or is a senior position within the business. As well as administering the tests we will provide you with tailored reports specific to your needs including (if appropriate) suggested interview questions to probe each candidate based on the results of their test(s).

Jo is BPS level A and B qualified via SHL so can administer and feedback on both ability tests (numerical and verbal) and occupational personality questionnaires.

KeystoneHR offer a wide range of HR related training designed to meet your business requirements from recruitment and interviewing to conducting an effective appraisal and managing poor performance. Whatever your requirements we can develop training that suits your needs.