PEOPLE
Lee McQueen
More than
just red tape
The Apprentice star, Lee McQueen explains
why a properly structured HR policy
benefits everyone
T
here are few phrases
that send people to
sleep quicker than
“human resources”,
but don’t let that stop
you taking the issue seriously.
In fact, not only is it
good practice, a business
that appreciates its HR
responsibilities is likely to be a
better-run company all round.
After I handed in my notice
to Lord Sugar, I worked on an
idea that I’d had for some years.
That idea is now my current
business, but it all began in my
spare room at home.
As I began to recruit staff, I
was able to sort out the contracts,
thanks to my previous experience
working at a recruitment agency.
I knew a bit about drawing up
contracts, so doing things that
way worked well.
All parties were happy with
that arrangement – if there were
any issues or holiday requests, it
was all done through me.
But eventually, as my business
got bigger, I realised that I had
to develop an HR policy. We
needed inductions, for example,
to help both myself and the staff
I was recruiting.
As we got more momentum,
we developed a bigger backoffice structure – and that
included HR.
I changed the format of the
contracts and made the whole
thing more professional. There
are now 17 of us at Raw Talent
Academy, and we couldn’t do
without an established HR policy.
It means that as well as there
being a uniform way of sorting
out holidays, and issues such as
sickness, everyone who works
for us has access to a structured
grievance procedure.
No one came in and told
me how it should be done. It
wasn’t done via a template. In
fact, it was more like being a
new parent – it was a case of
learning on the job. But it was
well worth doing because it has
helped the whole thing become
more professional.
It is now part of our culture,
and I’d recommend any small
business that
starts to grow to
take its HR
responsibilities
seriously. It
helps protect
both you and
your staff.
A lot of people want to join
family-run businesses or other
small operations because they
want to get out of the corporate
rat-race, and they often
prefer the more informal and
friendly way of working.
But there are certain processes
they will be used to and will
expect, and a proper HR set up
is one of those. You never
know – if you look too
amateurish, you might not get
the right people in the first place.
I’ve come a long way since I
started my venture in my spare
room. There are things I have to
think about that never occurred
to me back then. But embracing
things such as an HR policy has
been invaluable – and it hasn’t
changed the culture of the
business at all.
Don’t believe the cliché that
HR is just red tape!
If you
look too
amateurish,
you might
not get the
right people
in the first
place
Contact:
www.rawtalentacademy.co.uk
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