Do you work independently?
Are you making use of your local Special Interest Group?
If you are a sole trader or small business providing HR support and services to clients, then you may already be aware of the existence and activities of the Independent HR Practitioners’ Special Interest Group (IHRP).
This is a sub-group of the Hereford and Worcester Branch which was set up some years ago to focus on the particular needs of the many independents operating within the branch. Its main objective is to provide a forum for members to network and develop the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed on their own. For example:
• Working independently, often spending much of your time in the home office, can be a lonely existence and one which HR professionals often find difficult – IHRP offers you the opportunity to meet with others in a similar situation, sharing ideas and using each other as a sounding board just as you will have done in the corporate world
• Working on your own or in a small business means you have limited resources – IHRP enables you to develop associate relationships with other independents so you can lend each other mutual support through the peaks and troughs of work or combine your different specialisms to meet a particular client’s needs
• You’ll be concerned to keep your skills up to date – and may need to develop new skills if you’re just setting up a business – but training courses, seminars etc can be an expensive option for the small business. IHRP offers you a programme of informative meetings on topics relevant to independents, where you can learn both from our speakers and other members.
Towards the end of last season we held a couple of excellent meetings on marketing topics, both of which provided real interest and practical value for the independent HR professional (see details below). This month we plan to host a informative and informal evening on a range of topics designed to inspire the independent HR Professional.
You will by now have seen our programme for the next 12 months and I hope there will be something there to interest all independent practitioners (and perhaps some who work in employed roles too). We aim to keep the meetings short and focused – it’s not easy listening to speakers after a long day at work so we ask our presenters to make their sessions as interactive as possible.
We have two meetings scheduled before Christmas:
Tuesday 5th October at 6.30 p.m. for 7.00
New to Working Independently?
Venue: TBC
An informal and informative evening of discussion and advice on a range of topics from websites to taxation. We’ll have experts on hand to cover areas such as financial and legal issues as well as some of our own members who will share their experience of working independently over a number of years.
If you’re new to working independently or just wondering whether it might be right for you, come along and hear it from the horses’ mouths. It will also be a great networking opportunity!
Please note also our November meeting:
Tuesday 23rd November at 6.30 p.m. for 7.00
The Instinctive Marketeer
Jan Golding, Chief Executive Roots HR cic?
Venue: The Swan at Whittington, Worcester
Jan Golding set up her social enterprise in 2009 to provide HR consultancy services to voluntary and community groups and to other not-for-profit organisations. Eighteen months on, she has successfully established a unique offering in a sector which of necessity makes prudent use of external resources and she believes that instinctive and empathetic marketing has been the biggest factor in her success. Jan will tell us how she developed the Roots HR proposition and share some of the ups and downs she experienced during start-up and beyond.
Events can be booked by emailing me direct as below or by using the online booking system on the CIPD website. All branch members are welcome to attend.
On the subject of networking, the IHRPG is really paying dividends now for those who have been active in the group for some time. As well as leading to the establishment of the group of HR Consultants who operate under the HR-in Action banner providing a service through the local Chamber of Commerce, it has also led to a considerable amount of referral and associate activity.
Rather than feeling that we’re in direct competition and therefore reluctant to share too much information about our businesses, many of us have discovered the value of having other professionals on hand - for example when a client needs some specialist expertise we don’t have or when we just don’t have the capacity for a piece of work but don’t want to turn the client away.
Come and meet us and share in the benefits this group can offer.
Regards
Deirdre Myers
IHRP Group Co-ordinator
Deirdre.myers@btinternet.com
Previous Events
In April, Chris Perks of Blue Ethos gave us an insight into the value of using social media as marketing tools – I’m pretty sure those who attended and were not previously on LinkedIn have now signed up (though personally I’m finding that joining a LinkedIn group has an alarming effect on the Inbox!).
In May, Helen Dowling of Exceptional People covered a wide range of marketing tools and techniques in little more than an hour. Both speakers gave informal presentations tailored to the interests of the audience and feedback at the end of the meetings showed that this approach was really valued by those attending.