14 July 2017

Developing greater interactive and flexible support in your region

Additions to BPIF team to support members on more proactive basis. Two new members of staff are joining the BPIF and will be enhancing member service support and engagement.

Nadia Providence joins in September as a new addition to the SE and EA team as HR business support advisor and Peter Scott has recently joined to support new member development and member support.

The BPIF's specialist HR advisers work with owners, directors and managers on a face to face basis across all HR issues, some of which are strategic and involve longer term change management or Transfer of Undertakings projects and some involve unplanned situations which need immediate advice input and support. The BPIF have the support structures in place to handle any requirement and are also adding an additional field-based HR adviser to our team. The H&S specialists are similarly involved ensuring an environment of safety and reduced risk is coordinated on an ongoing basis as well as responding to unfortunate accidents and incidents.

The BPIF HR advisers are increasingly working with businesses on larger and more intricate strategic change projects as companies shift their business models into new areas where new skills are required and different and more flexible ways of working are required. This links into our training and skill development and a more holistic ongoing cycle of support is required. We have some great case studies of working with companies we can share with you.

Over the next few months our HR advisers are being inducted and trained into thinking and delivering a business partner solution, to provide members who want it a more holistic, integrated and extended lifecycle support as the market is driving businesses to more ongoing proactive change.

As part of this development and our recognition that some business want greater but flexible interactivity we are now working with members using latest communications technologies such as zoom and WhatsApp.

Many members want scheduled updates and discussions which provide flexibility of timings but cannot commit to a face to face appointment. Many management teams want updates and discussions to formulate a plan and input ideas and options but cannot commit to getting a management group altogether at the same time for slightly longer time frames. Senior employees want a face to face discussion but have only a small amount of time. By using technologies like zoom and WhatsApp we can still have high quality face to face or team to team discussion/interaction, share data and information where time frames are tight.

If any of our team are required on site then this can be scheduled to suit. The objective is simply to work to continuously improve our service, offering a broader range of service delivery options that are fit for purpose and take account of the busy schedules that BPIF member contacts face.

We are finding some members like a ‘lunch and learn discussion' to discuss plans and ideas and gain insights to help them develop their business. Some members like to arrange a smaller schedule virtual face to face discussion which is managed around business demands rather than commit to a longer meeting that might be changed at the last minute.

If you have specific views on the above, or indeed have other examples where better use of technology has improved client interaction, please contact Marcus Clifford.