UK Enterprise Awards 2021

252 | UK Enterprise Awards 2021 HR Consultancy of the Year 2021 – Southern England Fitzgerald HR is a leading HR outsourcing company, delivering a customised HR consultancy service. We speak to Founder, Lucy Fitzgerald, about the current HR environment and how the future is looking bright! Fitzgerald HR is a full-service HR outsourcing company which was founded in 2008 when the firm’s namesake, Lucy Fitzgerald, made the decision to freelance as an HR consultant. Lucy found that many of the employers she worked with needed more than a HR advice line; they needed someone to handle their HR for them. SMEs wanted to be able to pass over key HR tasks and issues to an experienced practitioner who could identify the right solution to resolve issues; giving them peace of mind and HR insights as they handled other aspects of their businesses. HR professionals needed hands on HR when their teams were busy, or specialist experience to undertake project work. Today, Fitzgerald HR helps employers of all sizes to recruit, manage, develop, and retain, great people, providing clients with access to the experience and knowledge of an outstanding HR team which delivers the full spectrum of HR solutions. “Our HR on Demand Service enables SMEs and organisations of all sizes to tap into the experience and knowledge of our team as and when they need us,” Lucy explains. “There are no ongoing costs, or tie-ins with our HR on Demand Service. You simply pay for the hours you need. This is a fantastic way to gain the experience and guidance employers need from a team of HR Consultants, while managing their costs.” In addition, the firm’s client membership plans offer retained HR services to match the client’s exact requirements. Lucy and the team can even create a bespoke client membership plan, depending on a company’s needs, to include set days or hours per week or month, regular onsite visits, or their own part time HR Manager. The plans can also include a tailored range of benefits and add-ons in addition to retained HR support, such as access to a template document library; a dedicated HR Consultancy team; employment tribunal insurance; payroll; and HR software. “We deliver a truly customised HR service with the human touch,” elaborates Lucy, speaking of what it is that distinguishes Fitzgerald HR from its competitors. “Our clients choose us because of our deep knowledge of HR and the relationships we build.” The team strives to ensure that it fully understands a client’s culture, business plans and goals. From resourcing and talent planning, through to restructuring and leadership development, Fitzgerald HR focuses on their business needs to ensure that every step of the way they are getting the very best outcomes. The firm has grown within the last couple of years, and Lucy has seen trends emerging, from GDPR, to Brexit, to the Covid-19 pandemic, more and more employers are needing to adapt to new legislation changes quickly. “Our growth as a business comes from our ability to adapt our services to each individual client’s needs and requirements. Since the beginning, we have delivered a truly customised HR service for every client we work with.” During the Coronavirus pandemic, Fitzgerald HR supported employers in making difficult decisions around staffing. Frequently changing legislation and government guidance made this a challenging period, however Lucy ensured her team’s knowledge was up to date throughout in order to advise clients quickly and effectively. Long term, Lucy foresees employer responsibility coming more into focus. “Employee wellbeing and engagement is at the forefront of the discussion, and employers are now expected to hold values and have political views. Candidates are actively seeking employers who address cultural, social, and environmental issues that they care about, and demonstrably support their employees’ physical and emotional health.” As the firm’s client base grows, it has responded by growing its team of dedicated HR Consultants and expanding into new locations. Fitzgerald HR is now an established HR outsourcing company with a team of experienced HR Consultants, who provide excellent outsourced HR support to organisations of all sizes from a network of local offices across the South East and South West. It is this growth and success that helped clinch the title of HR Consultancy of the Year 2021 – Southern England for the firm. “We have ambitious plans for our continued growth, with several new HR Consultants joining our team over the coming months. We are investing in technology to enable us to deliver more online resources for our clients, including on demand webinars and a digital learning environment to deliver training.” Contact: Lucy Fitzgerald Company: Fitzgerald HR Web Address: www.fitzgeraldhr.co.uk May21839