International HR expertise for the Isle of Man . isleofman.com Business News

A SERIES of HR ‘skills workshop’ training courses will be held on the Isle of Man early next year, hosted by an expert whose background includes worldwide HR management experience and probably the most important HR recruitment task ever undertaken in the Isle of Man.

When Gail Yeowell was trusted with the enormous task of recruiting all the staff for the opening of the new Tesco store in Douglas it was testimony to the skills she has acquired - and also a big feather in her cap to have the country’s biggest supermarket chain choose her for the job.

“It was a huge challenge,” she said. “I started on day one working out of a portacabin with the store manager and quickly set up a recruitment centre to recruit over 220 staff in four months. The vast majority of staff training was carried out off the Isle of Man.

“We chartered planes backwards and forwards to the Isle of Man and visited several Tesco stores in the UK before finally achieving a successful opening of the store – and at the busiest time for the Island – Practice and TT Week. It was challenging to say the least. A huge project, but extremely rewarding”’

Having worked in the HR industry for nearly two decades where her experience has covered many global jurisdictions, Gail has now set up SmartHR in the Isle of Man, offering her expertise to all sizes of companies, not just giants like Tesco.

Smart HR was created by Gail Yeowell to provide her with a better work / life balance, but it’s a decision which is a major bonus for the Isle of Man’s business community, bringing such expertise to the Island.

Gail has already been contracted to provide consultancy for the hugely successful PokerStars operation on the Island, taking advantage of her knowledge of global HR procedures and international employment issues - something vital today in the Isle of Man where there is an increasing number of companies doing business all over the planet.

“Different jurisdictions have completely different HR requirements and I’m fortunate to have worked for a wide range of international businesses during my career, including group HR director positions for multinational companies.”

Gail is now planning to expand her Isle of Man operation by staging various ‘skills workshops’ in January and February next year at the Empress Hotel which will target different HR topics and are suitable for all sizes of companies.

She added, “The aim is to help companies meet business objectives and improve performance via the effective management of people.

“Knowing that you have expert HR support and guidance will reassure you that you are complying with employment legislation and will allow you to focus your time on other activities such as growing your business, developing new products or services, or identifying cost savings.”

SmartHR also offers a comprehensive range of over 250 template employment documents available to download from the ‘E-HR Shop’ on the company’s website, covering every aspect of HR management which will be of major interest for small to medium sized businesses which may not have their own HR departments.

“Working with SmartHR can be like having your own HR Department, or an extension of your existing HR team, providing you with resources and expertise when you need it.

“We can act as your specialist HR Advisor, retained HR Manager, or act in a non-executive HR Director capacity depending on the needs of your business, enabling you to benefit from our knowledge and skills where it may not be feasible for you to employ a full time senior resource.”

Gail Yeowell offers customised employment contracts for new or smaller businesses, supporting HR documents, an employee handbook and can provide ongoing advice, guidance and support, onsite and offsite as required, meaning a cost-effective way to benefit from the experience of a qualified professional.

For larger companies, SmartHR can review existing HR practices, policies and procedures and identify priorities and deliver effective solutions, specifically for a company’s needs. This includes interim projects and also internal initiatives which will enhance the skills and competence of staff.

For such companies, SmartHR offers a retained service or even a part-time management resource which provides support onsite and offsite as required.

In all cases, Smart HR is highly conscious that there are ongoing issues regarding employment legislation which are changing all the time and taking up valuable management time. By using SmartHR’s services, companies remain ahead of HR issues whilst being left to concentrate on running a profitable business.

The SmartHR workshops are as follows:-

Thu, 13 Jan 2011

Managing Performance