Pennine HR

Outsourced HR support from Huddersfield for businesses in the North of England

Pennine HR is a human resource consultancy based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, that positions itself as an external HR department for small and medium-sized businesses. The firm states that it serves companies across the North of England and combines commercial management experience with technical HR knowledge, with the aim of giving owners the confidence to manage their staff effectively. It describes its advice as accurate, timely and, above all, practical, and says its support is tailored to how each client wants to run its business.

The consultancy was founded in February 2010. It reports year-on-year growth and says it has continued to grow despite the impact of COVID-19 on the UK economy, attributing this to service quality and long-term client relationships. It also states that it will keep investing in resources to support clients and maintain its capacity for growth.

Three areas of work

Pennine HR frames its activity around three broad areas:

• Embedding the essentials: staff handbooks, contracts, and policies and procedures, described as the foundation of any business.
• Troubleshooting problems: support covering disciplinaries, grievances and dismissal, as well as recruitment, redundancy, performance and absence management, and reward and remuneration.
• Planning for the future: aligning people strategy with financial objectives, including change management, organisational structure and planning for commercial success.

HR support and strategic HR

The HR Support service is presented as an alternative to an in-house HR department, ranging from basic administration such as contracts and handbooks to more complex people-management issues, delivered by what the firm describes as a team of qualified and experienced professionals. The Strategic HR line focuses on how a workforce is organised, managed and engaged, aligning people management with business goals and then supporting implementation and delivery.

Training and development

The third service line addresses management teams, on the premise that managers need the skills to manage effectively to drive productivity. The courses are described as practical, drawing on real-world management experience and tailored to each business.

Free HR health check

The firm offers a free, no-obligation HR health check that reviews three areas: documentation, legislative compliance and HR process. According to the site, a report is delivered in less than a working week.

Team and client feedback

The site names two HR consultants. Leonie Whittaker is described as having over 15 years of HR and management experience in the manufacturing and finance/professional services sectors, is CIPD qualified and is a trained Mental Health First Aider. Nicola Sheriff is described as having several years of HR experience gained with a national retailer and manufacturer. The site also publishes client comments, including from Go Shred, Pressure Tech, Eden Telecom and James Robinson Speciality Ingredients, praising the responsiveness and practical value of the support; these are individual testimonials rather than an aggregate rating.

Blog and employment law updates

Pennine HR maintains a blog with HR news, including bulletins on the Employment Rights Bill, advice for employers during public disturbances, Labour's planned employment legislation and new employment legislation for 2024.