HR Training
Meraki HR are a fantastic business who we would turn to for all things HR related. Emma recently ran a course for us on equality diversity and inclusion. The course was excellent, the pre-course comms were great too. Would have no hesitation in recommending Emma and the team. I consider Meraki a long-term partner for our firm and an extension of our own expertise and ethos.
Roger Jackson
FMB
Andrew Warring
MANAGING DIRECTOR
GREEN HAT CONSULTING
Employee Engagement
Undertaking the Employee Engagement Survey with Emma and her team was an incredibly rewarding experience for our team.
The entire process lead by Emma was seamless and efficient, the survey provided us with invaluable insights into the sentiments and needs of our employees, the follow up session completely exceeded my expectations, our team was attentive and truly committed to the engaging way in which Emma skilfully navigated us through the survey feedback. Merakis ’ expertise in survey administration and action planning was evident throughout the process, as they guided us in developing tailored strategies to address any identified areas for improvement.
The actionable recommendations provided by Meraki has empowered us to take meaningful steps towards enhancing employee engagement. We have already witnessed a remarkable transformations within our organisation as a result of implementing these strategies. morale has improved, communication flourished, and our team became more motivated and invested in their work.
We cannot thank Emma and the Meraki team enough for their exceptional support and guidance throughout the entire survey and action planning process. Their Employee Engagement Survey and action planning will undoubtedly help us to continue to cultivate a thriving and engaged workforce.
Recruitment Support
Initially I was uncertain about whether it was right to ‘outsource’ this recruitment. Previously I’ve done all the recruitment directly and managed all aspects, so this was quite a leap for me. I’m happy with how it has gone, and it was really good to work with you on this.
I really liked the candidate pack you created to send to people who were being pre-screened by you, and this reflected the Trusts in a way that would really resonate with prospective candidates. This is a great idea and it was really well put together.
The pre-screening done by you, was good to have you do and the notes you made were helpful and informative, so thank you for doing these.
In particular I’m grateful as I just don’t think I’d have had the capacity to get this important recruitment work completed during the period it fell which was a really busy time, so thank you to you and the Meraki HR team.
Helen Carter
DIRECTOR
THE SCOTT FOUNDATION
Breathe HR
When we first decided to go with BreatheHR I was initially concerned it would involve a lot of work getting it all set up and getting used to working our way around it, but that was not the case at all!
The implementation was simple, fill in the required spreadsheet with all your information and they do the rest for you, everything is easy to find and understand and there are even helpful tips within the software if you are unsure on how to do something.
It has saved us so much time from initially logging holidays on formulated spreadsheets. We can easily keep track of holidays/sickness, have quick access to our employees HR information, set up one to ones, send company announcements etc.
I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Real experts on employee engagement. Clear, effective and pragmatic advice on how to manage our results and a fantastic action planning session that Emma facilitated.
We are now working on things that matter to our team. Would highly recommend.
Breathe HR
I am delighted to recommend Breathe as a very user-friendly online HR system, which is cost effective too. The support we received from Rachel of Meraki HR in terms of implementing and using the system was exemplary from start to finish.
Celia Deeley
ESTATES DIRECTOR
HELMINGHAM ESTATES
A very friendly and professional service. We really enjoyed working with Emma, Melissa and the team and were delighted with the outcome of our recruitment process.
Pippa Smith
EXECUTIVE OFFICER AT SIR JOHN FISHER FOUNDATION
Mathew Pritchard
EVAN PRITCHARD CONTRACTORS LTD
I met Emma Browning MA, FCIPD last year as she attended my networking events with The Empowering Entrepreneur, and we hit it off straight away! I was looking at ways to improve my business and really invest in the care and growth of my team. Emma is such a great fit for my business and for me, she just ‘got us’, the vision and what I was trying to achieve with IMS Independent Mortgages, Lettings and Property Solutions.
I was looking for an extension of my business with HR, not just for policies but for actual hands on confidential sessions with my team, so they could have that safe space to talk about anything, that remains just that………confidential. It really has done wonders for the business, we were a very close knit team before but now we are stronger than ever.
If you are a business owner and haven’t got something like this already in your business that you are offering your team, then honestly start investing in them, it will pay huge dividends!
I would highly recommend Emma Browning MA, FCIPD for these services, she is incredible at what she does!
CEO & FOUNDER AT IMS PROPERTY GROUP LTD
Ian Blake
FOUNDER AT iB ARCHITECTS LTD
Emma provided straightforward and clear advice, her documentation covered everything we needed it to and was tailored to fit our branding and formatting requirements.
Meraki were prompt and efficient with their service.
Excellent HR expertise with a common sense approach.
Emma originally approached me on LinkedIn, introducing herself and Meraki HR Solutions. The timing was perfect so I arranged an initial call with her to explore the areas where we needed support. We agreed to an initial audit of our HR policies which was conducted speedily and in a very thorough manner, followed by a detailed discussion on the key areas we needed to focus on as a business.
It was almost impossible to think how we might address these areas, without Emma’s support so it was a ‘no brainer’ that we should then commission her and Meraki HR to provide us with the solution we needed.
Emma is a truly consultative HR professional, who comes with a breadth of experience from the corporate world, coupled with a common sense approach. Her knowledge is extensive across many critical areas of business, and this all combines to give you a high level of confidence in her ability to provide, up-do-date, valuable HR Support.
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER AT QUALIFICATION CHECK
As a fast growing tech company, Oxbotica had a requirement to perform a business wide reorganisation and process transformation to set us up for the delivery of customer contracts – all in the middle of lockdown.
Emma and the Meraki team provided the support we needed to supplement our internal HR function during this incredibly busy time. Emma’s experience and guidance on all things People and HR proved to be invaluable, ensuring we completed the exercise both on time and with the minimum impact on day to day operations.
I would highly recommend Meraki to anyone needing external HR support, the friendly and knowledgeable service is second to none.
INTERIM CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER AT OXBOTICA
We started working with Meraki in March 2020, and they have been fundamental to our growth over the last few months. Not only do they have extensive HR experience and know-how, they are also the type of people that can clearly see when you’re up against it and how / when to offer extra support. Emma’s heart is genuinely in the place of wanting to see good people and good businesses thrive and will do all she can to help with that, including challenging you in healthy ways if you need it (which we did!). The team are flexible, responsive and quick when it comes to meeting last minute and urgent needs and their advice is always backed by extensive experience and research. Whenever we had an odd query, concern, missing documentation or when we’ve just needed a sounding board, they’re always there and never make you feel like ‘just another client’.
Having Meraki as a partner enabled our core team to focus on really giving time and care to the wider team and individuals, that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.
I would recommend Meraki to any business looking for an authentic, experienced and ‘human’ HR partner.
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER AT VANTI
Abdel Azzam
MANAGING DIRECTOR AT NUDGE
We’re a very people focussed and purpose-driven business that’s growing fast, which means navigating plenty of change. Collaborating with Emma and her team allows us to navigate this change in a highly effective way that aligns to our values.
Emma helped us manage a restructure in line with legislation, guidance and best practice; and in a way that looked after our people throughout. She simplified a potentially complex process and her level of organisation and preparation ensured we moved through every stage of the process with real confidence.
We were incredibly impressed with the knowledge, expertise and responsiveness of Emma and her team and it felt like a true partnership from the outset. We’ve already begun working with Emma and her team on new projects that allow us to put our people at the forefront of everything we do.
As a small business it does not make sense to staff a dedicated HR position but as people are our most important asset, it is really important that we have the professional guidance to ensure that we nurture them. It is also critical to ensure that we navigate employment law and put in place the best practices to help protect and grow the business.
We have been working with Emma and the Meraki HR team since June 2019 which has helped us with the flexible support to address these requirements. I have plenty of experience of working with highly competent HR professionals in larger companies through my career and would rate Emma second to none. She has proven to be highly professional, extremely knowledgeable, and very responsive which is extremely important for when you have those unexpected problems where you need to seek expert advice. I have no hesitation to recommend Emma and her team.
Peter Jenkins
PRESIDENT & CEO AT INFINITESIMA
Caroline Turner
OPERATIONS MANAGER AT AURORA ENERGY RESEARCH
Aurora Energy Research engaged Emma and the Meraki HR team in the spring of 2019, we were embarking on a group wide benchmarking exercise and required expert advice to help us source the relevant data, and deliver a detailed report for our board of directors.
We are a high growth, energy analytics company, with offices in Oxford, Berlin and Sydney and Emma was able to get up to speed very quickly with our particular requirements and clearly understood the scope of our requirements, including the challenges. She is incredibly knowledgeable and was able to help us navigate what would have been an extremely time consuming exercise for our small in house HR team.
The benchmarking report Emma and the team delivered, was incredibly thorough and well researched and has been critical to the review of our global pay scales and pay philosophy.
Emma and the team are an absolute pleasure to deal with, they have provided expert advice and guidance and I would not hesitate to recommend Meraki HR to other businesses. We look forward to engaging with Emma and the team on other initiatives as we continue our growth!
We have been working with Meraki HR since 2020, when they initially came in to conduct an HR audit of everything we do. The Audit has helped us to ensure we are first and foremost a legally compliant employer, and we are also now working with Meraki HR on a retained basis which includes a once a month visit to us in Witney with Rachel Sherson, as well as HR support when we need it via phone or a Teams Meeting. Rachel has built great relationships with both the managers and the employees, to ensure we are nipping things in the bud before they ever become a problem as well as helping us to create a great place to work.
We’d like to thank Meraki HR for their support over the last few years, and we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to other SME’s in the STEM sector.
Chris Busby
MANAGING DIRECTOR AT ICEOXFORD
Melinda Kenneway
CEO AT KUDOS INNOVATIONS
As a start-up, we’ve required a variety of HR support over the early years of our growth, from the basics of putting good recruitment policies and plans into place, through to building an appraisal system from the “bottom up” – with whole team involvement to create a process that everyone has had a voice in creating.
Emma and her team have been on hand to help – always responsive, professional and reliable. Emma has also helped us through challenging phases for the business too – ensuring both the needs of management and staff are fairly represented. We’ve been hugely impressed by everyone we’ve met from the Meraki team and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them.
During a year of sadness, confusion and frustration, your kindness, guidance and accessibility has helped us immeasurably to deal with the convolutions of furloughs and redundancies in a manner that has demonstrated to our staff that we are considerate employers. Frankly we could not possibly have got through this process without you!
Stella Mannering
STELLA MANNERING & COMPANY
Becky Murphy
MANAGING DIRECTOR AT BABELQUEST
We wanted to build a long term relationship with an independent HR specialist as we grow our business. We wanted to make sure that we have the right people policies and processes in place to ensure that we are meeting employment legislation as well as being able to attract, retain and develop the best people for our business.
We chose to work with Emma as she seemed to just understand what we were looking for, and has been responsive and supportive with all of our needs to date. We plan on continuing to work with Emma on more challenging people projects as the business grows.
Reviewing our Business Plan, and the reasons it wasn’t quite happening, I realised we had not properly engaged our most important asset – our people. When I started working with Emma it was immediately apparent that she has a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of people and how their performance at work can be improved. She has coached me, as well as key members of my team, and in a short period we have learnt a great deal. Emma is very engaging, very hands-on – she challenges, but is always professional when she does so. With Emma’s help we are developing a ‘people strategy’ which I am confident will enable us to deliver our business goals.
Chris Brown
MANAGING DIRECTOR AT APPLETON WOODS
Mark Ashbridge
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT ASHBRIDGE PARTNERS
I met Emma at a Soho Farmhouse presentation she did to entrepreneurs. I was immediately inspired and impressed by her understanding and knowledge of how to recruit and retain the best people.
As a part of this she also articulated the importance of ensuring all your team ‘live the values’ and know what we add to the world by doing our job. As a result we asked her to lead a team workshop to establish our values and our what, how and why. This was inspiring for all the team and helped us to collectively understand what we are about and why we are different from our competitors. We will definitely use Emma again for the next phase of our business journey.
On the 1st April 2018 my company bought a business from a large German motor manufacturer, this included the TUPE transfer of all 36 staff; 90% of whom were Trade Union Members. I could not have dealt with this process without the professional and friendly help from Emma and her team.
Emma and her team simplified what felt like a complicated process from a due diligence stage, to the actual takeover itself and are now supporting us in our business on an ongoing basis. Thank you Emma!
Alex Andrea
MANAGING DIRECTOR AT FASTLANE PAINT AND BODY GROUP
Nicola Watts
DIRECTOR AT JANE SMITH FINANCIAL PLANNING
An effective and happy team is a key element of running a successful business, but equally we need to ensure that we are meeting all our legal obligations.
Emma completed a full audit for us, identifying areas for action and improvement. She has worked with both management and the team to implement various elements for a more structured HR process, including a new appraisal system, fully engaging the team in what that should look like and then training both management and employees on how to get the best out of the process.
It’s been a delight to work with Emma – she’s highly knowledgeable, she does what she says she’ll do and all in a professional, yet friendly and approachable manner
Emma has been extremely helpful in guiding me through the process of employing people after recently growing my business. After several years working with freelancers, I needed help employing permanent staff.
I wanted to ensure I had done everything in accordance with current regulations and standard practice. It has given me peace of mind working with someone so knowledgeable as well as lovely. I could not recommend her more highly.
Anoushka Feiler
FOUNDER OF BESTIQUE
Diane Harris
FORMER HR MANAGER AT INLAND HOMES
Emma has delivered several people management training courses for our managers and they are always well designed, tailored to meet our specific needs and highly engaging. Emma also makes herself available to participants either at lunch time or the end of the training day to talk over issues related to the training she has delivered with the delegates which is very much appreciated by them.
I’d like to also add how much we enjoy working with Emma!
As a small but expanding business, it is very important for us to seek specialist advice when we are taken outside our own areas of expertise. Emma has been on hand to support us, answering the various queries and issues that have arisen over the past year or so, and more recently in helping us to overhaul our employment contracts and encouraging us to think about our HR policies going forward. It is great to have such an efficient and approachable person like Emma on hand when we need them; we would not hesitate to recommend her services.
Liz Devine
BUSINESS MANAGER AT LELAND MUSIC
I can’t thank you enough for all your support – it’s really improved my line management skills and has meant that a complex and stressful people matter became something much more straightforward to deal with. I’m very grateful to you for that!
It’s been really great working with you and to know that we’ve got someone to turn to with HR situations where we just need more expertise.
Victoria Larkin
DEPUTY DIRECTOR AT OCM EVENTS
Here at Meraki HR our goal is to make every business we work with a great place to work and we do that using the 100+ years of practical, real life, hands-on experience that our team have under their HR belts. This experience includes roles as HRBPs, HR Managers and HR Directors allowing us to get to the nub of any problems or people related issues that maybe stopping you from achieving your business goals.
