Empowering SMEs through Strategic People Development: boost skills, retention and growth on a budget with agile HR solutions
Investing in strategic people development is vital for SMEs to thrive, even on tight budgets. And let’s admit it – budgets are set to get tighter into 2025 as we see the new employment laws come into force. By aligning training with business needs, championing mentoring, and building a culture of appreciation, my MOTs can enhance team skills, customer service, and retention. With agile decision-making, small businesses can quickly implement these strategies to drive growth and employee satisfaction.
As a Chartered Fellow of CIPD, I have been lucky enough to have worked with global brands, household names and SMEs, with many years’ experience and expertise with a strong focus on retention, talent attraction and making the employee experience better than the basics!
Since starting exhilHRate I’ve been fortunate to work with many businesses and most of these were afraid of HR. In fact, I have never met anyone that initially rejoices in the face of HR! Thankfully the warm welcome proceeds when they see that HR is far from being something to fear, your people should be on the same level as marketing and sales. And it is actually fun. Trust me.
The Power Hour
My People Power Hour has quickly become my hottest service that feels like it is always fully booked with new clients. Why? The reason is simple: It is like having a full-time HR professional, when you need it most, to deep dive into your challenges, arming you with practical advice, and most importantly, confidence. For only an hour. It is hardly a big chunk of time out of your week.
Questions I often get asked are, ‘How do I start reviewing performance?’, ‘How can I give feedback?’, ‘How can I extend a probation?’ and ‘How can I make sure I am legally compliant?’ and also the classic: ‘How can I have this tough conversation?’.
Many business owners I work with remember why they started their business and why they love it. However, I would be naïve to not acknowledge the drain of the reality of running a business coupled with the juggle of the many tasks required to keep the business running smoothly, outside of their bread-and-butter offering.
I recently spoke at an event following the recent budget updates and my talk was on how to develop your people on a smaller budget. Understandably, economic conditions have led to many businesses wielding the axe big time on budgets across the board. I understand that it can be tempting to cut costs to remain competitive and stay ahead of the game. However my one piece of advice always stays relevant: it’s more reason to invest in your people because they are the the biggest investment for your business; they are the ones that can determine if that customer or client returns or not.
You want to ensure your employees stay with you which is another reason to invest in their development. If you’re to continue to win the hearts and minds of your people today and tomorrow, then making it clear you remain committed to their growth is fundamental. And please do not fall prey to throwing a package benefit deal at your employees. Ask them what they want – do not assume.
The golden nuggets
As I shared with a group of attendees that were keen to chat after my talk, if you want to keep the lid on any money, you plan on spending for development and training you must participate in the people planning process. Don’t leave the task of establishing great ideas to other people in your business. You must play a key role! Establish an informal meeting to share ideas on how you can develop your people beyond technical training. What are the soft skills that need brushing up on?
A popular take out from my talk was identifying your rising stars – the people who are your successors and leaders for the future. Do not leave these conversations and plans too late – I have seen far too many businesses leave these discussions for ‘tomorrow’ and this inevitably gives time for another business to see the value in that person and before you know it they are handing in their resignation for an incredible opportunity you could have offered them. Start that conversation today!
Not everyone is a star in your business which is why a mentoring programme – members of your team supporting, inspiring, and encouraging others – is a low-cost way of bringing people on. Spoiler alert, the biggest mistake I’ve witnessed with these programmes is the lack of mentor training which can lead to a programme falling flat on its face. Investing in some train the mentor training is a sound investment because the skills learned will be put to significant use repeatedly and ensures the expectations are right from the get-go.
Finally, I would like to touch on the importance of building a culture where your employee experience ranks alongside the ultimate customer experience. When I begin working with a small business with the goal to link commercial achievements to people development, I’m always keen to discover how they demonstrate employee recognition and appreciation – from the interview process to onboarding, mentoring and ongoing training. That’s because there is a definite link between employees knowing how much their employer appreciates them. This may sound like a dose of common sense but few employers talk this language so you can bet that if they’re not talking it, they’re not doing it.
Is the Power Hour for you?
So, how would your employees describe your company culture and, how do you make them feel valued? When you bring a new person on board, are they mentored? Do you have an induction programme so that they are not simply observing and making tea? A great place to start is by looking at what you are doing now with a view to improving it. Because when you ask that question ‘how can we do better?’ you have already stepped onto that road less travelled.
Please don’t think these tips are for big businesses or corporates. SMEs are, in my humble experience, the most agile, adaptable, and creative people I’ve ever worked with, which is why I stay in this space. Everything I have learnt as an HR specialist working with global brands I have cascaded down to small businesses with remarkable success. Find out more about my Power Hour https://exhilhrate.co.uk/power-hour/ – to get started all it takes is a willingness to want to deliver more for your team and for your business!
