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A motivated and efficient workforce is essential to raising standards in teaching and learning. This means effective HR management, which is why working with the right HR partner is so vital. We’ve put together the key considerations that a School should be looking to satisfy when contemplating a move to a new HR provider.
1. How does your current HR provision compare to competitors?
It’s important to review your outsourced services on an annual basis, in order to ensure that you’re still happy with the service before you renew. This may sound simple, but many Schools opt to stay with their current provider, due to the perceived hassle of building a new relationship, even when they are unhappy with the service and suffer with on-going issues as a result.
2. Are there any onboarding or other hidden costs?
Ensure that you are aware of any additional costs that you may incur during and at the end of your contract. It’s not unusual for there to be onboarding costs and/or exit fees. Some providers charge the School just for onboarding, whilst others may charge an exit fee. It’s important to ensure that there are no hidden costs before you sign a contract. As such, it would be sensible to ask for a copy of the contract well in advance of making any final decisions.
3. How much support is available?
Be clear on whether support is unlimited or capped, if support is available out-of-hours and, ultimately, whether this equates to a higher cost. Again, it is not unusual to see a cap in HR provider contracts, either in days or hours, which means that if additional support is required (and is over and above the capped days/hours), it could be an expense that you weren’t expecting.
4. What is the level of access to a team of education HR experts?
Ensure that you understand how the service will be delivered and the HR provider’s approach. Will you be provided with a dedicated team of education HR experts, a single account manager or a call centre helpline? If you are limited to a single account manager, what happens if that person leaves or if they are absent? How will the provider ensure continuity of service? Are they experts in HR matters in Schools? Alternatively, if you are provided with a dedicated team, will you have access to a range of experts? If so, will this enable you to tap into highly experienced HR Managers for complex cases? It is also worth clarifying the methods of communication. Will you be provided with named emails and direct dial numbers, or a general helpline number?
5. What is their experience and expertise?
Some factors to consider include:
- Is the provider a sector specialist?
- How established is the company?
- Is your account manager and/or wider team CIPD accredited?
- What professional development is offered?
- How experienced is the person/team supporting your School/Trust?
- Are they familiar with your current Terms and Conditions?
It is also worth asking each provider which Schools they currently support in your local area. Request references from these Schools so that you can gain a first-hand insight into their experience.
6. How does your current SLA compare to competitors’ SLA?
It’s easy to assume that one HR Service Level Agreement (SLA) is very much like another, but there can be huge variations between. Ensure that you are comparing ‘apples with apples’. It's worth reviewing alternative provisions and undertaking a tabled specification comparison to see what competitors have to offer. By doing this, you can determine whether your current provision still meets your requirements and nothing is missing from your current SLA that you would expect to be included.
7. Are there any cost saving benefits?
Budget optimisation continues to be a critical concern for Schools, so it can be tempting to choose a provider based on the lowest quote. However, this can provide a false economy and result in poor service and gaps in the SLA, leading to unexpected costs. Again, look for service caps on days or hours.
Some Schools consider ‘pay-as-you-go’ models, in the hope that HR support will be minimal. However, this gamble does not always pay-off and may force your School far beyond your allocated budget. The key lies in finding a quality, but cost-effective, provider to strike the right balance between cutting costs and maximising business value.
8. Consider integrating HR and Payroll & Pensions
There are countless benefits to managing HR and Payroll through the same provider. Doing so allows you to: manage all queries via a single point of contact; prevent the use of multiple systems; and save countless hours of duplicate data entry. When reviewing new HR providers, consider whether they provide Payroll & Pensions in addition to HR. Just ensure that their service provides you with everything that you are looking for and don’t be tempted to combine both services if the offering doesn’t quite hit the mark.
