It is well known that in a services business, people are the most important asset. Finding and developing people who can generate new client enquiries, achieve good outcomes, create client trust and make a profit, is the key to sustainable success.
But managing people is also one of the most demanding aspects of running a practice. The obligations on an employer have never been greater. Employment law creates a minefield for business owners who have so many demands on their time, without needing to understand the minutiae of, say, the Equality Act 2010 and other legislation.
We are experts in managing people; particularly in the context of law firms. We can help you manage all stages in the employment life cycle:
- Recruitment processes – from advertising roles, reviewing CVs, and organising interviews.
- Onboarding processes – providing employment contracts, job descriptions and managing the set-up of new staff on accounting, payroll, and IT systems. Conducting DBS checks and ensuring all relevant ‘right to work’ checks are carried out; references are obtained, and professional accreditations are authenticated.
- Performance management – organising and conducting appraisals, and assisting with disciplinary or grievance processes.
- Training & development – designing and delivering online training content, particularly for those core issues outside of legal practice, such as data protection, money laundering, cyber security, and equality & diversity.
- Payroll & leave management – including dealing with sick leave, parental leave, as well as annual leave entitlements.
- Leavers processes – managing exit interviews, removing staff from relevant systems, and ensuring that leavers’ procedures are completed with HMRC.
You cannot take short cuts when managing people. Many of your obligations as an employer are positive ones; requiring proactive management, monitoring and record keeping. This applies to the statutory provisions but also under the quality accreditations of Lexcel and SQM. However, managing staff does drain that most precious of resources – your time.
We can restore that time, as well as giving you the peace of mind that your obligations as an employer are being handled professionally, efficiently and in line with the culture that you are trying to create within your firm.