A pilot to support small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) in improving staff recruitment and retention has been launched by the CIPD in partnership with the Behavioural Insights Team and the UK government.
Employers with between five and 250 employees are eligible to apply to take part. They will receive up to two days of free HR consultancy as part of the trial.
The pilot will assess the value of providing HR consultancy support to SMEs, while also informing government policy on how to deliver effective business support ahead of its overhaul of employment laws.
Employment rights changes
The CIPD said that the trial will offer important insights on how the government can support SMEs to better manage people, comply with the changes expected in the Employment Rights Bill, and boost labour market participation.
These pilots will also explore the value HR consultants can offer in improving productivity and business outcomes.
Ben Willmott, head of public policy at the CIPD, said: “Small firms typically have little or no access to professional HR support which can mean they lose out on recruiting the best candidates, or aren’t making the most of people’s skills or lose staff unnecessarily.
“These pilots can help SMEs get the key foundations of good HR practice in place in areas such as recruitment, job design, flexible working as well as performance and absence management. The pilots will also help inform government policy on how to deliver effective business support to improve people management capability in SMEs.”
Eva Myers, director at the Behavioural Insight Team, which is owned by innovation charity Nesta, said: “We are excited to be partnering with the CIPD and the UK government to deliver the first trial of this kind across the UK. With the help of 1,000 SMEs we aim to recruit into the project, we will gain invaluable insights into what works to improve workplace recruitment and retention of employees in an SME context.”
The trial programme has been developed by the CIPD and the Behavioural Insights Team and is funded by the government. The programme also includes three local HR support pilots for SMEs being run with Angus Council in Scotland, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council and Tees Valley Combined Authority.
