Case Study: HR Audit and building an HR function at JWS Research
Growth, on purpose at JWS Research
JWS Research is a well-established market research company with around 20 employees. As the business grew, the leaders understood it was time to turn their attention to managing HR matters effectively and ensuring HR legislative requirements are met.
The solution
Businessary began by conducting a comprehensive HR audit, focusing on six key areas: Compliance, Talent, Performance, Culture, Strategy, and Planning. The audit included on-site reviews of documents and systems, as well as conversations with staff to better understand the existing practices and identify areas for improvement.
From the findings, key actions were identified and prioritised, including:
- Digitising employee records: moving from paper-based files to digital records for easier compliance and better organisation.
- Creating key policies: developing essential policies, such as those covering bullying, harassment, and discrimination, to ensure compliance and continue to foster a respectful workplace.
- Establishing an onboarding and induction program: introducing a structured process to help new employees settle in smoothly.
- Creating a performance management framework: rolling out an annual performance management process, complete with guides and training, to support employee growth.
- Developing a recruitment toolkit: providing hiring managers with useful resources like interview guides, a question library, and onboarding templates.
- Building a competency framework: laying the foundation for a skills-based competency model, inspired by the Universal Competency Framework, to support professional development and performance reviews.
Businessary presented the audit findings to the JWS Research leaders, and a prioritised approach of building and implementing refreshed solutions to systematically address the areas identified for improvement. One of our HR Managers also provides support for employees onsite fortnightly.
The results
JWS Research has received positive feedback from employees, particularly around the onsite HR presence if employees have queries, and the new performance management process. The clearer policies and processes have also improved understanding of expectations across the team, creating a more organised, compliant, and positive working environment.
This experience highlighted the value of conducting a detailed HR audit to uncover gaps and strengthen HR foundations. For JWS Research, the process underscored the importance of structured HR practices that not only ensure compliance but also align with their strategic goals and support employees’ success.
Having the right policies, tools, and onboarding in place has provided more consistent recruitment practices with reduced turnover and improved employee engagement.