The case for HR

One of the questions we often get from founders or business owners is ‘So what does HR actually do?’. There’s a view that HR is the rule or fun police, only focused on policies and compliance. Or that HR is only there for hiring and firing employees.  

These perceptions are outdated and don’t reflect the strategic and proactive support we provide businesses of all shapes and sizes. And while those activities are a tiny glimpse of what we do, they’re not the whole picture.  

Supporting Start-Ups, Scale-Ups and SMEs

We proudly partner with the owners, founders and leaders of SMEs. In the Australian economy, 98% of businesses are SMEs, and every business that hires employees has to navigate Australia’s complex employment landscape and find the best way to engage its people. SMEs have the potential to move Australia forward, and we’re excited about the role we play with the many clients we work with across Australia and Asia Pacific.

We’ve been fortunate to support a number of businesses since we founded Nine Yards in 2020, right through to today. We’ve advised them through the challenges of COVID, helping them to adapt to what was needed then and now, as well as supporting them with their growth plans.

Likewise, we’ve partnered with businesses that flourished through COVID, but now, with the latest challenging economic conditions, are having to rethink their business and what size and structure is right for them. Having trusting relationships with these business owners and supporting them through these really difficult decisions is what we pride ourselves on doing. 

Leaders often don’t have access to experienced advisors, especially in the people space. People costs can be as much as 70% of a total business operating expenditure and making poor decisions in this area can determine a business's chance of success. We know that the majority of new businesses fail within their first five years and we’re passionate about supporting businesses on their journey to reaching their potential.  

Depending on the business, this may look like hiring their first people, to creating the policies that will set them up for success, right through to creating and implementing their people and culture strategies. Often businesses invest in people systems or platforms without the expertise to integrate it into their people processes, Nine Yards can support this too so you get the ROI on your investment.

HR teams (HR for HR)

Prioritising great employee experiences doesn’t get any easier in larger organisations with dedicated HR roles or teams. Throughout our careers, we’ve seen (and experienced!) super stretched HR teams with a heavy agenda, struggling to keep up with demand. That’s why we also proudly partner with HR teams in some of Australia’s most successful businesses, supporting them with projects or an extra pair of hands alongside their People and Culture teams.

Working with HR teams (being HR for HR) means teams get experienced, hands on support from people who’ve ‘been there, done that’.  

A tailored solution

There is no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to great employee experiences or running a successful business. We achieve the best outcomes from really understanding each situation and meeting our clients’ businesses wherever they’re at on their journey.

The experience we strive for is always one built on authentic and trusting relationships.

Our clients rely on us to provide credible and thoughtful advice on how they can create the best employee experiences for their team. We ensure we listen, learn and implicitly understand who they are and the unique journey they’re on, in order to create solutions and experiences that are right for them. We love being a true extension of their team, and never just an outsourced consultancy. 

Nine Yards tip - invest in your people (whether you’re a start up, scale up or SME, or in a HR team) because research shows there are positive impacts on culture and performance.  Finding the right people to support you on this journey is critical.  

The case for HR is clear - if you need support in shaping what this looks like for your team, reach out to Nine Yards.