Professional Services
Where we help your practice
Working for a variety of professional service organisations including accountancy, legal and architectural practices and surveyors, we are well versed in supporting the Partners’ aims and objectives. More often than not, we take on the role of HR Director, contributing either strategically, operationally or both. This ranges from providing guidance for Heads of Department, handling disciplinary and grievance cases, as well as improving the practice’s workplace productivity and engagement. We have experience of working in similar firms to yours, allowing us to bring experience that improves decision making and means that you don’t have to wrestle ‘reinventing the wheel’, speeding up the introduction of new initiatives.
Our independence allows us to provide objectivity which can be critical when working strategically at partnership level and tackling the thorny issues of Partner performance, remuneration and team building.
More strategic HR activities include developing career frameworks, succession planning, and remuneration and reward. This is in the context of the modern professional services firm where being just technically competent is no longer enough – Fee Earners need to display a wider skill set including business development and client, project or people management skills. We help Managing Partners or CEOs in legal firms manage the implications of gaining Lexcel or any of the other sector specific quality marks e.g. Conveyancing, Family and Crime accreditations.
In some cases, we have been involved in complex projects lasting several months, whereby we have assisted in departmental restructures and closures, mergers and acquisitions where a delicate touch and strong-hand are required in equal measure to ensure a smooth transition.
Where we can help your clients as a partner business
As a tried and tested source of HR expertise, we can help differentiate you from your competitors and add value to your clients’ experience of your service. We work with a number of accountancy and law firms to help them offer a full business advisory service to their clients.
Accountancy Partners
Large accountancy firms are moving to become full business advisers to their clients and their lead is being followed by other accountancy firms, giving them an edge over their competitors. In the modern economy, most businesses are heavily reliant on people, part of that business advice is the people consultancy. We can assist in HR due diligence in the buying, merging, and disposing of business; strategic HR and business planning; major restructuring; remuneration and benefits design and implementation; and executive and management coaching and training.
Law Firm Partners
Working alongside your lawyers, we implement their advice at their clients where the employee issues are challenging. Examples include where there are not enough independent layers of management to meet ACAS guidelines for disciplinaries or grievances or your legal colleagues have concerns that the client management lack confidence and/or the skillset to successfully implement their advice. Another example is onsite workplace mediation where it may be the best solution to address long-term or deep-seated conflict.