HR expert launches venture to help SMEs
A human resources expert with 30 years experience is to offer her expertise for small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) in Solihull.
Erica Burke was born in Leamington Spa and worked in HR in her first ever professional role, before working in senior positions around the UK for a variety of national and international organisations.
Now she has launched The HR Dept Solihull, offering outsourced HR advice and support to SMEs in the area.
With a territory extending from Castle Bromwich in the north of the borough to Hockley Heath in the south Burke said she was looking forward to getting to know her local business community again.
“It’s fabulous to be working locally,” she said. “I know the area pretty well, even though I’ve worked in London a lot, and I’m excited about getting to know the SME community around Solihull.
“I once gave lectures to small businesses,” she said. “And at the end of each session I used to have a queue of SME owners waiting to ask questions about their people issues.
“It was clear even then that there was great appeal for bespoke HR advice and support for SME owners but I was never in a position to deliver it.
“Setting up The HR Dept is the perfect thing to do at this point in my career – I can run my own business, with an established structure, working closely with business owners in the area I call home.
“Although I’ve not run my own business in this way before, I have spent many years being part of corporate leadership teams, working alongside very senior people who are running medium and large commercial organisations. So I’m aware of all the aspects that go into running a business.”
Burke says that smaller businesses are currently faced with a range of challenges with how they recruit, manage and retain people, with new legislation affecting employment statuses, tribunal action and data protection.
“Modern, up-to-date employment practices, a legally compliant HR framework and putting good structures in place will all play a big role in helping companies not only start up but scale up, as well as preventing and protecting them in case of people problems.
“Owners of small businesses are great at what they specialise in but that’s not usually HR. I love tackling problems and finding solutions, so I can take that headache away from them and leave them to concentrate on running and building their business.”
The HR Dept Solihull is part of the wider HR Dept organisation, a network of 75 franchisees providing services in 112 territories in the UK, Ireland and Australia.
