THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 26 2019 YORKSHIRE POST

SME TOOLKIT
SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

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TO BE THE BEST: Investing in a strong human resources presence can be key to building and maintaining a successful business; inset below, human resources expert Kate Appleyard, left, and colleague Janet Schofield.

Your people are the power
HUMAN RESOURCES: Kate Appleyard from apple hr support shares her thoughts on what to think
about when launching or developing a business, by describing the five points to success.
successful business
requires a happy and
motivated workforce.
Building the right team
and developing them
to meet the needs of
your business requires
professional guidance –
Kate Appleyard from apple hr support
shares some thoughts on what to
think about when launching and
growing a business.
SMEs may not have the need to
employ a full-time Human Resource
(HR) function, but will need
occasional advice and guidance. In
such cases it’s important they can find
a partner they can trust, whether it be
ongoing assistance, project support or
one-off advice.
Kate describes the five points to
success as:
1. Consider HR to be a routine
part of your business
A good approach is to create a check
list to ensure your new employees feel
welcome while at the same time, your
business remains legally compliant.
Managing a team requires that
contracts, policies and procedures are
in place and this will be mandatory

A

on the first day of employment from
April 2020. Other considerations are:
■ General Data Protection
Regulations (GDPR); require you
to protect employees’ personal
information and have transparent
processes in place to protect
and process their data.
■ Pension Scheme;
employers must provide
a scheme for employees.
■ Right to work;
ensuring the employee
has the legal right to
work in the UK.
2. How flexible do you
want to be?
Flexibility in the workplace allows
employers and employees to agree
arrangements about working
conditions that suit them. This
helps employees maintain their

‘Culture is something
that will define
your business as
you grow.’

work-life balance and helps
employers improve the productivity
of their business.
3. A healthy workforce =
productive workforce
Health and wellness has
become a priority on the
business agenda. A safe
and healthy working
environment is essential
for a happy and
productive workforce,
there are many
business benefits to
having a focus on positive
mental health at work.
4. Build strong
relationships – check-in regularly
Culture is something that will define
your business as you grow. Treat
your employees as you would your
customers. Design an employee
experience around the needs, wants
and aspirations of your team, treating
them all as individuals, grown-ups
and human beings.
5. Find the right support
For many SMEs in-house HR support
isn’t feasible or necessary, but
when focusing time and efforts on
growing a business, it can be difficult

to maintain the requirements of
managing a team. The best way to get
the level of support you need, when
you need it, is to find an outsourced
HR specialist. Consider what you
want from them; what level of support
do they provide and does it cover your
requirements? Are they qualified
and have the right experience? Have
they worked in your sector? How
they keep up to date with changes in
legislation? What legal support can
they provide? Finally, ask for at least
three referees.
Whoever you choose to work with
will be an extension of your business;
make sure you like and trust them.
Having a trusted partner will give you
peace of mind and release you to focus
on growing your business.
Director at Fox Lloyd Jones, Paul
Fox, said: “In today’s compliancedriven world Kate has brought a sense
of order to tackling our challenges
in both setting targets and achieving
them. Kate’s high-quality people
skills and discretion have created a
calmness and confidence amongst
staff that they have somewhere
to turn when they need someone
independent to listen and advise.”

ABOUT APPLE
HR SUPPORT
■ apple hr support was
launched in 2015 by Kate
Appleyard. Kate has worked in
HR within a variety of sectors
and businesses. Aware of the
challenges facing business
owners, Kate created an
outsourced HR support
company that provides
practical, bespoke advice
to help solve problems and
support business growth. They
are dedicated to improving
mental health and wellbeing in
the workplace.
■ Working alongside
Kate is experienced HRprofessional Janet Schofield
and employment law partner,
Emma Hammond. Based in
Headingley, they offer business
support across Leeds and
West Yorkshire.
■ Visit the website www.
applehr.co.uk