HR support for small and medium-sized businesses
Practical, outsourced HR support for small businesses, and for medium-sized ones, from people who get to know you.
Most of our clients are small and medium-sized businesses, often called SMEs. Some have a handful of employees and an owner who handles HR alongside everything else. Others, however, have grown to the point where an office or operations manager looks after HR and needs someone experienced to turn to. Either way, employment law applies to every employer, regardless of the number of people they employ.
So talk to us early. The sooner we are involved, the sooner things improve. You have an assigned HR consultant who gets to know your business, and we do as much or as little of the work as you want, from a quick question answered on the phone to a case we run with you from start to finish.
Rated five stars on Google Read our reviewsWhen small and medium-sized businesses come to us
- Taking on your first employees
- An owner or manager handling HR alongside the day job
- A disciplinary, grievance or absence case you have not dealt with before
- Contracts and policies that are missing, out of date or copied from elsewhere
- A growing team that needs more structure
- A restructure, or having to reduce headcount
Whatever you are facing, our HR support for small businesses and medium-sized ones is shaped around the size of your business and what it is going through.
When should a small business outsource HR?
Many businesses decide to outsource HR when people management becomes more complex, or when employee issues start to take up real management time. It happens as a business grows, but it also happens in settled businesses with long-serving teams, because the law keeps changing.
- You have employees but no HR team of your own
- You need help with employment law and HR compliance
- You are dealing with a disciplinary, a grievance or an absence case
- You need clearer HR processes and documents
- You want expert support without employing a full-time HR person
- You need a trusted adviser for difficult people decisions
Common HR challenges for small and medium-sized businesses
As a result, the same questions come up again and again as a team develops and the law changes around it.
- Handling a disciplinary or grievance fairly
- Managing absence and performance concerns
- Keeping contracts and policies up to date with the law
- Supporting managers through workplace conflict
- Keeping up with changing employment law
- Bringing in clearer HR processes and documents
What we do for small and medium-sized businesses
What a business needs from HR depends on its size, so our HR support for small businesses looks different from the support a medium-sized business needs. We shape it around where yours is now.
For a small business: the essentials, done properly
In a small business, the priority is knowing you are legally compliant and doing things properly, without HR taking over the day.
- Contracts of employment and the written statement every employee needs
- An employee handbook and the policies the law expects
- Help recruiting and onboarding your first employees
- Fair processes for disciplinaries and grievances
- Someone to call when a difficult situation comes up
For a medium-sized business: more structure
A medium-sized business usually has someone looking after HR, and managers who handle people every day. What it needs, therefore, is structure that works across the whole business.
- Appraisals and performance management
- Training for managers
- Fuller policies, procedures and an HR strategy
- Support and mentoring for whoever handles HR in house
- Absence management that is consistent across teams
When your business is changing. Businesses do not only grow. Whether you are expanding, restructuring or having to reduce headcount, we help you plan the change and handle it fairly, including restructures and redundancies.
Why small and medium-sized businesses choose outsourced HR
Experience on hand
Experienced HR consultants when you need them, without employing a full-time HR team.
Flexible
Use our HR support as and when you need it, or every month on a plan.
Lower risk
Fair processes, sound documents and up-to-date advice reduce the risk of a claim.
Practical advice
Clear, commercial guidance that works in a business your size.
You can pay as you go, take an HR support plan, or agree a fixed price for a project. See how our HR support is priced.
Having Nicky has benefitted not only us, but all the team at The Oakwood. We have really appreciated the support given by Bespoke HR.
It’s an absolute pleasure to work with the team at Bespoke HR. Laura is very professional, supportive and understands our business and the challenges we face. We regard her as part of our team, and we can only say thank you for everything that she has done for us.
We have outsourced our HR and payroll to Bespoke HR for the past few years. For us, the two work together in tandem which means we have all our staff needs covered.
I really enjoy working with Bespoke HR. They are smart, reliable and on the ball!
One of the main advantages of outsourcing our HR, as opposed to hiring an HR Manager, is that we’ve benefitted from the expertise of multiple consultants.
We engaged with Bespoke HR to give us peace of mind that we have access to experts as and when HR issues arise. They have also helped us with other aspects like obtaining sponsorship licences, saving us considerable time. We would recommend Bespoke HR to businesses looking for HR support.
Common questions
What does an HR consultant do for a small business?
An HR consultant gives a small business the HR expertise it would otherwise need an in-house team for. That covers advice on disciplinaries, grievances and other employee relations issues, employment law, contracts and policies, recruitment, absence and performance. You have an assigned HR consultant who gets to know you and your business, and the wider team also works on your account when needed.
Do I need HR support if I only have one or two employees?
Employment law applies to every employer, regardless of the number of people they employ, from the written statement each employee is entitled to on their first day to holiday, pay and dismissal. A small business rarely needs much HR time, but it does need to get the basics right, and to have someone to call when something goes wrong.
When should a small business outsource HR?
Usually when HR starts to take up real management time, when a difficult case comes up that nobody in the business has handled before, or when the team is growing and needs proper contracts, policies and processes. For example, many businesses come to us first with one problem and then stay for the day-to-day support.
How much does HR support cost for a small business?
HR support plans start from £234 a month plus VAT, and the more hours you commit to each month, the lower your hourly rate. You can also pay as you go with no contract, or agree a fixed price for a project. We are happy to estimate the time involved before we start, and we track our time in detail, so you can ask to see what it has been spent on. See our prices.
What changes as my business grows?
As a team grows, informal arrangements stop working. You will usually need appraisals, training for managers, fuller policies and someone in the business looking after HR day to day. We help you put that structure in place at a pace that suits you, and support whoever handles HR in house.
Can you help if we have to reduce headcount?
Yes. Having to reduce headcount is rarely what a business wants, and it needs handling fairly and with care. We help you look at the alternatives first, then plan and run a fair process, from consultation through to the final meetings. See our redundancy support for employers.
Do I have to sign up to a lengthy contract?
No. You can pay as you go with no contract at all. Our plans run for 12 months, and that commitment is what gives you a lower hourly rate. There is no requirement to commit to a plan unless you prefer ongoing support.
Can I get free HR advice first?
Yes, if you are new to Bespoke HR. UK employers who have not worked with us before can book a free 30-minute call with one of our HR consultants, with no obligation. It is not available to existing clients. Book free HR advice.
Need HR support for your business?
Talk to us about what is happening in your business. If you are new to Bespoke HR, the first call is free, and in an emergency we can usually help the same day.