Recruiting and retaining staff, paying them on time, implementing new employment law and managing maternity leave: these are just some of the people-related issues that UK businesses face today.

While it is true to say some of the responsibility for this rests with line managers, the majority of large organisations have the luxury of an HR department to offer support and guidance.

But most small businesses do not have the resources to employ a full-time HR professional so it is important that they seek expert advice to make sure their policies and practices are not falling foul of employment law. There are a few options and these include using an HR consultancy or training line managers.

Empowering line managers to take responsibility for recruiting and retaining employees, managing absence and motivating staff is popular and can work but there will be times when small businesses could benefit from seeking expert advice; for example, the age regulations that came into force left many businesses worrying about recruitment practices. Expert advice enabled them to check policies and practices were in line with new legislation.

You might not need a consultancy to advise on every people-related activity but there are times when expert advice is a must. Take payroll: it's essential to pay staff on time and meet tax regulations so organisations cannot afford to get this wrong and expert advice is worth the investment.

HR consultancies are not exclusive to small businesses. Often large organisations turn to consultancies for help on particular projects, for example when running change programmes. But before recruiting a consultant or consultancy it is important to think about their role and exactly what they will be required to do. When assessing the best consultancy, there are lots of things to consider. These include:

Experience: Consider how long the consultancy has been in business and who they are working with. Don't be afraid to ask about their experience and their previous clients; this is something that most employers would do if they were recruiting someone on a full-time basis

Culture: Ensure the provider has experience of your industry sector, so it can appreciate the challenges that may arise. The advantage of choosing a partner that works across a broad range of industries is that it can introduce learning from one sector to another, constantly improving its service offering

Service: Check the provider can tailor services to reflect any special circumstances that may affect the company

If you do chose to seek the advice of a specialist consultancy make sure you set clear objectives. This will help to set clear boundaries so that the consultancy is clear about their role and what they are expected to achieve. It will also enable you to select the most suitable consultancy: some HR consultants might have more experience in employment law or change management so it is important to use someone with the skills that are relevant to the project.

Last, but by no means least, it is also important to develop a good relationship and clear communication with the consultancy if they are going to achieve business objectives. You will need to build a working partnership focused on your issues, your budgets, your timescales and your people.

Whether you empower line managers to do some of the people-related work or employ an HR consultancy it is important that someone takes ownership of people related issues in order to avoid fall foul of the law.

Whatever form of expert advice businesses seek, it should help them keep up-to-date with challenges facing HR professionals. Putting people-related issues at the top of the business agenda will help businesses succeed in an increasingly competitive economy. Employers need to capitalise on the initiative and willing contribution of people at all levels of the organisation.

Kelvin Grimwood is a manager at Moorepay. For more information visit www.moorepay.co.uk/solutions.php?pageId=66 [1]