Lots of business owners don’t want to invest in preventative HR. They’d rather just pay for HR consultants, like us, to fix issues as they arise.
This is great for us, as it creates a lot of high-value, billable work. However, this way of thinking is not great for you.
It’s short-sighted and far more expensive for your business than preventative HR, in terms of time, money and hassle.
That’s why we encourage you to take a long-term, preventative approach to your HR.
Within this guide, we’ll guide you through 6 areas of your HR where being preventative pays for itself.
Let’s get started…
1. Staying legally compliant
When businesses take a reactive approach to compliance, it’s very likely that you’ll end up at an Employment Tribunal paying thousands of £££ in legal fees.
Staying legally compliant isn’t just a tick-box exercise. It’s about protecting yourself and your business from future legal issues, rather than scrambling to react when something goes wrong.
Preventative steps you should take:
Review contracts and policies regularly: Make sure they reflect current laws and best practices.
Stay updated on employment law changes: Keep track of updates, like minimum wage increases or new flexible working regulations.
Conduct audits: Regularly review your HR processes to identify and fix gaps.
Train your staff: Ensure that employees and managers understand key policies, like harassment prevention and data protection.
2. Train your managers to lead effectively
You know what they say…”People don’t leave jobs, they leave people”.
Great managers will help your business to thrive. Bad managers will put your business into survival mode. That’s why it’s essential to train your managers to be great leaders.
Preventative steps you should take:
Communication skills: Help managers to navigate difficult conversations and provide clear, consistent feedback.
Conflict resolution: Train them to resolve disputes quickly and professionally.
Employment law basics: Ensure that they understand core laws around discrimination, harassment and employee rights.
Performance management: Teach managers to set expectations, provide feedback and address underperformance fairly and legally.
3. Prioritise employee wellbeing
Supporting your employees’ wellbeing isn’t just good for them—it’s good for your business. A healthy, happy workforce is more productive and less likely to leave.
Preventative steps you should take:
Encourage work-life balance: Discourage overworking. Can you offer flexible working options?
Provide mental health support: Offer resources, like counselling services or employee assistance programmes.
Create a positive workplace culture: Recognise achievements, celebrate milestones and promote inclusivity.
Monitor workloads: Prevent burnout by addressing excessive workloads promptly.
4. Develop and enforce clear policies
Clear policies help you to set expectations and handle issues consistently. They also protect your business by ensuring that everyone understands the rules.
Preventative steps you should take:
Grievance and disciplinary procedures: Outline how complaints and misconduct will be managed.
Equal opportunities policy: Show your commitment to diversity and protect against discrimination claims.
Health and safety policy: Meet legal requirements and keep employees safe.
Remote working policy: Define expectations and boundaries for remote employees.
5. Manage performance
Addressing performance issues early prevents them from escalating and impacting your business. Proactive performance management ensures that your team is productive and aligned with your goals.
Preventative steps you should take:
Set clear expectations: Employees should understand their roles and responsibilities from the start.
Provide regular feedback: Don’t wait for annual reviews—offer ongoing guidance and recognition.
Support development: Offer training and mentorship to help employees to grow.
6. Encourage open communication
Encouraging open communication helps you to address concerns before they become bigger issues. It also builds trust and boosts employee morale.
Preventative steps you should take:
Hold regular 1-2-1s: Give employees opportunities to share feedback or raise concerns.
Use engagement surveys: Gather honest insights through anonymous surveys.
Be approachable: Ensure that managers have an open-door policy.
Act on feedback: Show employees you value their input by implementing changes where possible.
Be proactive, not reactive.
Preventative HR is about staying ahead.
By implementing these measures, you’ll create a more efficient, compliant and engaged workplace.
If you’re unsure where to start, let’s talk.