CE People


Structure and strategy to bring out the best in everyone


Facing down challenges is a fact of life for business owners – from calculating the eff ects of the increases in the National Living Wage and NI contributions to working out the impact of Donald Trump’s tariff s. Change may bring uncertainty, but it can also be a prompt to plan for the future, and rethink company structure. T e HR experts at CE People are currently helping a


number of clients review their strategy, encouraging them to look carefully at each role within the business and assess how it contributes to the company’s performance and whether any changes are needed to get full benefi t. Economic uncertainty can prompt businesses to look


purely at numbers and payroll, but that’s not necessarily the answer – ensuring each role is truly adding value to the business is considerably more important. T rough appraisals and monthly reviews, and by look-


ing carefully at job descriptions and how roles fi t into the overall organisation, a clear structure can be developed. Claire Butcher, from CE People, said: “Company owners


should be looking at what each role in their business does and how much it contributes; and also considering whether performance levels are where they should be and, if not, what can be done.


“It’s all too easy to think cutting staff numbers is the


answer to cutting costs, but it’s important not to panic and make rash decisions. Sometimes, it’s simply the processes that need improving. If someone isn’t performing, and you’ve spoken to them and set expectations, and they’re not meeting them then, by all means, you need to begin the process of dealing with that. “But you should also be looking at historic roles, do they


still need to be done the way they have always been done. Could some processes be automated? Is there someone in your team who could really add more value if they were retrained or upskilled? “What we encourage clients to do is think about what


their company structure would look like if they were starting from scratch – it’s an interesting exercise that changes the way you think. We tell them to forget what they have right now and ask them to start again, what roles are important, are there any they need to add, or any they no longer need?” Clearly defi ned roles, and every member of the team


making a positive diff erence, will always add value, increas- ing both productivity and engagement. A member of the team not performing the way they should be, however, leads to the need for diffi cult conversations, and that is something that can be awkward for a business owner who has brought a team together, and built relationships with them.


ALL THINGS BUSINESS | 40


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