People Business

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chairman of a lending company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with People Business?

We were looking for a company to provide HR staff augmentation for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They recommended an HR system, which we implemented. 

They also act as HR staff for us, helping with employee reference checks, hiring, firing, coaching employees, and various other services.

What is the team composition?

Natalie (HR Consultant) is our primary contact. We interact with other people occasionally, if needed.

How did you come to work with People Business?

I believe they were recommended to us. They offer a range of consultants to choose from and are conveniently located nearby.

How much have you invested with them?

We pay them roughly £30,000 per year (approximately $21,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together around January 2015, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Working with them provides us a structured HR system, including up to date policies and procedures, updates on COVID-19, and policies regarding UK law. Employees can contact an HR resource any time they need to. They provide a massive benefit to us in providing a broad range of HR skills at a relatively low cost.

How did People Business perform from a project management standpoint?

They are flexible and available. They’re willing to meet in person, including off company grounds with employees who wish to meet anonymously. We do weekly calls to cover items that need attention. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They react well to problems we bring them and are proactive in addressing current issues in the economy. They do company events to help motivate staff. For example, they brought in a top Rugby player to give a motivational speech. They feel like partners rather than an outsourced vendor.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we have a positive relationship, it’s easy to address any issues that might come up.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you have a good rapport with your consultant. Be flexible regarding their availability; they work part-time and have other clients as well. They aren’t available 24/7.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Vaultex, the UK’s largest wholesale processor of cash. We’re one of the background organizations that nobody knows is there, but there’d be a bit of trouble if we weren’t. Our organization is in charge of taking cash away from retailers, sorting it, pulling out any forgeries or notes that are too dirty or worn to go back into circulation, and presenting it back into ATMs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with People Business?

We’ve used People Business for a number of opportunities, including one-on-one coaching and team dynamics.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

People Business has helped us with leadership development and helped me from a personal perspective. We did a 360-degree feedback exercise with board members and other people I interact with on a frequent basis. What they came up with was a collaborative, easy-to-understand approach. Everything we did was open, meaning the feedback was attributed; it wasn’t a case of delivering the feedback and running away.

What I really liked about the exercise was when someone provided feedback, we’d sit around the table with them and the People Business team would facilitate the discussion. There was also an opportunity to add clarity if something was misconstrued either way.

What is the team composition?

Graeme (Consulting Director) has been my main contact all the way through the engagement.

How did you come to work with People Business?

We learned about them through a recommendation from our chairman. He’d had some experience with People Business in another company he worked with.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost of their work has been between $10,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with People Business around May 2019, and we’ve been in constant contact with Graeme ever since. We’ve now worked on multiple projects with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

With just one exercise, People Business helped us confirm some feelings we already had. They provided us with an opportunity to take some action, which we were able to do in a clear and understanding manner.

Speaking personally about the discussions and help I’ve had, I found it useful to have a completely independent sounding board that asked very difficult questions. It’s helped me to make sure that we think these things through because we won’t be able to just brush them off.

How did People Business perform from a project management standpoint?

We’re really old and old-fashioned, but we can both work a phone; we manage with that.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s their openness and questioning skills, which really helps and makes us think about the end solution we’re going for. People Business isn’t going to turn around and say that something’s a great idea if they don’t think it is. It’s going to be straightforward, honest feedback, motivated only by doing the right thing.

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter to them whether we do it or not, but they truly want us to get to the right place. They’re also flexible in that, if something doesn’t work, they don’t keep plugging it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have a good working relationship with People Business, which is built on a good understanding of each other. We know where we’re coming from, and there’s a lot of trust. I wouldn’t have waited for a feedback session like this one if I needed to change something. We’d have had a talk about it, and that would’ve been it.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Clients shouldn’t go into this halfheartedly. If they’re going to go into something — be it coaching management, leadership, or whatever else — they should go into it with a completely open mind. Don’t be defensive, and be prepared to suck it up a bit and see what comes out.

If the client goes in there with a preconceived idea, then they shouldn’t bother. If they’re looking to use People Business to get justification for what they’re doing, because the client thinks they’re already perfect, then, again, they shouldn’t waste their time. My advice is to go in with eyes absolutely wide-open and to listen more than you speak.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief executive of a UK charity called Working Mind. We’re a large national charity with over 100 local branches. We provide mental health support to community members who may be suffering from anxiety or depression.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with People Business?

We’d identified another charity facing severe financial problems. I was asked to go in and help them find a path forward. People Business provided us with HR support in the unusual process of merging our two organizations.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

People Business helped us explore options regarding how the relationship between the two charities should develop. They also worked to execute the changes that the organizations’ trustees decided to make.

In essence, the other charity decided to close due to their financial struggles. I found myself effectively becoming the chief executive of both organizations. As a result, I had to run a redundancy program to terminate employees who were in that organization.

Working under intense time pressures, People Business consulted with us to implement that as smoothly and ethically as possible. They extended support to these “redundant” employees in helping them find new roles. They held group sessions and offered individual one-on-one consultations to provide a robust support system for the people being outplaced.

They also helped us re-employ the individuals being terminated into our own organization. They made sure they were inducted properly and up-to-speed regarding their work contracts.

What is the team composition?

We worked with one core manager. There were around four other specialists who contributed to various pieces of the process.

How did you come to work with People Business?

I’ve known People Business from various other interactions with them over many years. They’ve been around for around 20 years, and my first interaction with them goes back to the early days of their inception. I’ve found them to be an exceptional HR consultancy.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent somewhere around $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

This project began around September 2019 and wrapped up in December of that year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

This was an enormously stressful and difficult situation, and People Business helped us minimize the pain that their employees went through when their organization had to close. Their outplacement service was effective in helping them find new roles.

Not only were they proficient process-wise, but People Business also excelled at the human aspect of the interaction. They made sure that the teammates felt cared for during their transition.

How did People Business perform from a project management standpoint?

I would describe their project management style as being professional, flexible, friendly, and confident. They know what they’re doing in the space, and they’re not afraid to offer you advice. They don’t just take instructions — they’ll push back at you to help you arrive at the best solution. They do so in a friendly way that nurtures a great, day-to-day relationship.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s their ability to help you understand the right thing to do; they really help you identify the right course of action. They genuinely care about people, and they understand that HR is a hard-nosed activity. They’re very good at balancing those dynamics and helping you think through the implications of what you’re proposing to do.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I wouldn’t say so. I wouldn’t hesitate to use them again in another circumstance.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Explain the problem you have, but don’t try to give them the solution. Allow them to be part of identifying the solution.