Most small and mid-sized businesses sit in an awkward spot when it comes to HR. There's not quite enough work to justify a full-time HR manager, but the issues that come up, when they come up, are too important to wing.
We've been there ourselves. Modern Award interpretation, performance management, contract updates, handbook reviews, restructures, and the occasional sensitive investigation. None of it can wait, and none of it can be handled with a generic template.
That's why we engaged Catalina Consultants, and why we're happy to refer clients to them.
What they did for us
Catalina took on three meaningful pieces of work for us:
- A review of our existing HR documentation and our exposure to employment risk
- A complete rebuild of our Employee Handbook
- Ongoing ad hoc advice for issues that come up day to day
The handbook is the piece we're proudest of. We have a deliberate culture of trust and respect at Incra, and we were worried that a standard policy library would undercut it. Catalina took the time to understand how we work and built the document around our culture rather than against it. The result reads like us, but with the legal underpinnings done properly.
Why the ad hoc model works
A lot of HR firms push retainers. Catalina offers them too, but the option we use is genuinely ad hoc. We pay for the time we use, nothing more. When something comes up, we call, get clear advice quickly, and move on.
For a business our size, this is the right fit. We don't carry a fixed cost we may not need each month, and we still have specialist support on tap when we do.
Who they work with
Catalina is a Sydney-based outsourced HR firm with a team of senior consultants. They cover the full HR function, including:
- Fair Work compliance, contracts, and policy work
- Performance management and terminations
- Workplace investigations
- Restructures and change management
- Workforce planning and culture work
- Leadership coaching and L and D
They also run sessions on what's changing in the HR landscape each year, which is a useful way to stay ahead of legislation and Fair Work updates.
When to call them
If any of these sound familiar, it's worth a conversation:
- Your employee handbook hasn't been touched in a couple of years
- You've got a performance or conduct issue brewing and want a second opinion before you act
- You're hiring fast and your contracts and onboarding feel patchy
- You're heading into a restructure or a sensitive change
- You just want someone to review your HR risk and tell you where the gaps are
How to get in touch
Katie Whitehorn, Principal Catalina Consultants
Email: katie@catalinaconsultants.com.au
Phone: 02 9251 5638
Web: catalinaconsultants.com.au
Mention you're an Incra client when you reach out.
