HR on a budget

As HR professionals, we're all familiar with the challenge: a seemingly endless list of priorities, from recruiting top talent to fostering a great company culture, but a budget that feels anything but endless. For small businesses, start-ups, and even large companies facing a fiscal crunch, making every HR dollar count is essential. great HR isn't about how much you spend; it's about how smart you are. You can build a thriving, engaged, and compliant workforce without breaking the bank.

Here are some practical steps:

 Recruitment & onboarding - Hiring externally is expensive. From recruitment agency fees to advertising costs and onboarding time, the bill adds up fast. Instead, look inward

·        Make sure your hiring managers know what they can/can’t say at interview to avoid potential discrimination claims

·        Offers – new recruits should legally receive a contract by day 1 of employment

·        Ensure you have verified their proof of right to work in the UK and applied for references where necessary

·        Cover all mandatory training

·        Provide a worthwhile induction plan -

·        Book in review meetings and end of probation review meeting

Master the art of the Employee handbook - A well-crafted employee handbook is one of the most cost-effective risk management tools in your arsenal. It doesn't have to be a 100-page legal document. Instead, think of it as a guide to your company's values, expectations, and policies

·        Focus on clarity, use simple straightforward language

·        Use templates and resources and customise them to reflect your own company culture

·        As your business grows and labour laws change (watch out 2026!) make sure your handbook is a living document that gets reviewed and regularly updated.

Tech tools -

·        Get everything ready for their first day – nothing worse than their tech not working and wasting hours to resolve

·        Show them how to use your HR Tech e.g. book holidays, absence etc.

·        Time tracking if applicable

It can be a minefield taking on new people, however having a simple checklist similar to the above that ensures you don’t miss any crucial bits is important. If you need support or things are getting complex, we love being a sounding board so please call us