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You built a business. Somewhere along the way, you also became the HR director.
Most owners and MDs of growing businesses reach the same point. The team is bigger than it used to be. People decisions are more complicated, higher stakes and more time-consuming. And somehow, in between running the business, you have become the person who handles all of it.
You are not an HR professional, and you shouldn’t have to be. People Puzzles gives you a part-time, Board-level People Director who takes ownership of the people side of your business; embedded in your team, working alongside you, at a fraction of the cost of a full-time hire.
What issues do most growing businesses face? Tell us if this sounds familiar...
The people decisions that used to be straightforward are not anymore. Someone is underperforming and you are not sure how to handle it without making things worse. A key person has left and the team is wobbling, unsure of who’s in charge of what. You made a senior hire that has not worked out and it has cost you time, money and a lot of goodwill.
You have probably got an HR manager or an administrator keeping things running. But what you actually need is someone who can tell you what your leadership team should look like in two years, how to structure the business for the next stage of growth, how to upskill your emerging managers, and how to keep hold of the people who matter most. That is a different role entirely.
The reason most owner-managed businesses don’t have that person is not because they don’t need them. It is because the traditional answer – hire a full-time HR Director – feels like a leap the business is not quite ready for. So the gap stays, and the problems gradually compound.
A Board-level People Director in your business. Without the full-time hire.
A People Puzzles People Director works with your business part-time – typically one to two days a week – embedded in your team and accountable for the people side of your business in the same way a full-time hire would be. Not a consultant who hands you a report or a giant to-do list and leaves you to it; a genuine part of your leadership team, for as long as you need them, who stays and delivers the plan.
As part of our UK-wide team of 85+ People Directors, they bring the breadth of experience of a much larger organisation to a business of your size. They have navigated the situations you are facing – and the ones coming next – many times before, so they can derisk as well as prepare you for the next stage of growth, accelerating commercial results and performance.
What your People Director will focus on:
- Giving you a people strategy that is aligned with your growth plan, not built around compliance and policies
- Building a leadership team that can manage the organisation at its next stage, not just its current one
- Sorting out the people infrastructure, like hiring, onboarding, performance and pay, before the gaps and inconsistencies become problems
- Making the difficult conversations easier: underperformance, succession, restructuring, letting people go
- Being the person your team escalates HR issues to, so you are no longer that person
- Helping you understand when and how to hire your first full-time HR person, and what that role should actually look like
You might be ready for a People Director if...
- You are still the person your team comes to with every people problem, and it is eating into the time you need to run the business
- You have had a hiring mistake in the last year that cost you more than you expected, in terms of money, time, or team morale
- Someone key has left and you are only now realising how much they were holding together
- You have an HR generalist or administrator, but no one who is thinking strategically about your people
- Your leadership team was right for the business two years ago but you are not sure it is right for where you are heading
- You are about to go through something significant – a restructure, investment, a sale process, a fast growth phase – and you know people decisions will be critical
- You are exhausted by being the final word on every HR matter, however small
- Your Board or investors have started asking people questions you cannot fully answer
If more than two of those sound like you, the case for a People Director is already there. The question is just timing.
Why do businesses ask for a fractional People Director?
Not every business needs, wants or can afford or justify a full time, Board-level people Director. The fractional model bridges the gap, giving growing businesses access to the people expertise they need, without the cost or risk of a full time hire. People Puzzles is the UK’s largest team of fractional People Directors. We have worked in this way – part-time, embedded, long-term – for over 15 years, which means we have developed it further than anyone else. Our People Directors are not making do with a few days a week. They have built their careers around it, and they are very good at it.
We match you with the right People Director based on your sector, your size, the challenges you are facing and how you like to work. If the match is not right, we fix it. The relationship needs to work, on both sides.
What sets us apart:
- 85+ People Directors across the UK: so wherever you are, we have someone who knows your market
- All our People Directors have held senior people leadership roles in significant organisations. They bring that experience to your business.
- We typically have someone in place within days, not months, as our team are already in place
- The flexibility to choose the length and nature of your engagement: it’s custom-built to match your immediate and longer term needs and can flex over time the engagement is built around what your business needs
- Your People Director is backed by the whole People Puzzles team – specialist expertise is always available, even if it sits with a colleague
One to two days a week. Enough to make a real difference.
Most owner-managed businesses at your stage work with their People Director for one to two days a week. Some start at one day and increase as the work builds. Some need more days per week for particular periods, such as during a restructure, a rapid growth phase or a senior hire, and then scale back.
The engagement is flexible. What does not flex is the calibre of your People Director. They operate at Board level, attend your leadership meetings, and are accountable to you for the people side of the business. They don’t dip in and out – they are engaged, present, and fully invested in where the business is going.
From founder-led to future-ready.
House of Harmony is one of Suffolk’s leading independent kitchen and bathroom specialists, founded in 1981, owner-managed by MD Chris Beale, with an exceptional reputation built over more than four decades. With ambitious plans to grow from £1.6m to £7m turnover, the business had the commercial foundation it needed. What it did not have was the structure, strategy and people infrastructure to get there.
The challenge was a familiar one for businesses at this stage: almost every significant decision still flowed through the MD. Reporting lines were unclear. The organisational structure would not scale. Communication rhythms were inconsistent. The team was good, but the business was not set up to grow with it.
What People Puzzles delivered:
- Strategy on a page: a clear growth roadmap to £7m, with purpose, vision and values defined
- Organisational redesign: structure built for scale, leadership roles defined, reporting lines clarified
- Two new key leadership roles defined and recruited
- The Harmony Way: company values and culture framework defined and embedded across the business
- Power90 management development programme launched for the leadership team
- People infrastructure built: appraisals, onboarding, HR compliance and workforce planning
- Operational processes mapped, inefficiencies addressed, management dashboards established
The result: an MD who can now spend his time working on the business rather than in it, a leadership team with genuine accountability, and a platform built for the growth ahead.
When you’re running a growing business, it’s easy to become the bottleneck without even realising it. We knew we had ambitious plans for House of Harmony, but we needed more structure, accountability and clarity if we were going to achieve them. In just 15 days, Mark helped us take a step back and look at the business properly. Together we developed a clear strategy, defined our values, improved our structure, clarified roles and responsibilities and created a roadmap for growth. What impressed me most was how quickly he understood our business, our people and our culture. This wasn’t about introducing HR for the sake of it. It was about building a stronger business.
Chris Beale, Managing Director — House of Harmony
FAQs
I've managed this far without an HR Director. Why do I need one now?
Most business owners manage without one until something makes the cost of not having one very clear — an expensive hiring mistake, an employment tribunal, a key person walking out. The businesses that bring in a People Director before that moment tend to avoid it altogether. The right time is not when you are in crisis. It is when you can feel the gap starting to open.
I already have an HR manager. Is a People Director on top of that too much?
No — and this is one of the most common setups we work within. Your HR manager runs the day-to-day: contracts, admin, policies, keeping things ticking. Your People Director provides the strategic layer above that: people strategy, leadership development, organisational design, the difficult senior decisions. They make your HR manager better, not redundant.
How is this different from using an HR consultant?
A consultant typically comes in, does a piece of work, writes a report, and leaves. A People Director is an ongoing, embedded part of your leadership team. They know your business, your people and your culture. They are there for the Monday morning phone call when something difficult has happened, not just the quarterly review. The relationship is the difference.
What does it actually cost?
The cost depends on the number of days per week and the seniority you need. It is significantly less than a full-time salary at this level — typically a third to a half of the equivalent full-time cost, with none of the employer NI, pension, benefits or recruitment cost on top. Contact us and we will give you a clear picture based on your specific situation.
How quickly can you get someone in place?
Usually within days. Because our People Directors are already part of our team, we are matching rather than searching. We take care to make the right match — sector, size, culture fit — and that process is fast because we have 85+ People Directors to draw from across the UK.
What if it does not work out?
We take the match seriously from the start, but if the relationship is not working, we fix it. You will not be locked into a contract with a person who is not right for your business. That is not good for anyone.
At what point should I consider hiring a full-time HR Director instead?
Most businesses do not need a full-time People Director until they are well over 250 people, or going through something that genuinely requires a full-time presence. A good fractional People Director will tell you honestly when that moment is coming — and help you design the role and find the right person. We do not hold on to engagements past their natural end. That would not be good for you.
The people side of your business deserves the same quality of thinking as every other part of it.
You have invested in good finance, good legal, good technology. The people side of a growing business is just as important — and just as possible to get right, without a full-time hire. Tell us where your business is and what is keeping you up at night on the people front. We will take it from there.
See what our clients say!
Clyde has been instrumental in taking BEAR Scotland from 'good to great'
Iain Murray, Managing Director, BEAR Scotland
Working closely with Clyde Marwick we developed a five-pillar framework addressing our goal for a high performing HR function including employer branding, recruitment innovation, and reward enhancement. We have navigated complex employee relations challenges while building strategic capability across our HR team. We now have the people infrastructure to match our operational excellence.
Liz's support was instrumental in us delivering a successful consultation
Director of Finance, National Hair & Beauty Federation
Following the completion of our restructure, I wanted to get in touch to say thank you. Liz's support was instrumental in us delivering a successful consultation. We are extremely grateful for her measured and sound advice, helping us to navigate such a sensitive situation, and we look forward to working with her again in future .
Lynn guided me out of my comfort zone to help me achieve my goals
Samantha Freeman, Management Accountant, Wirtgen Group
I could not recommend Lynn more, she guided me out of my comfort zone to help me achieve my goals and to think about things from an alternative perspective. I have also had a few people comment on the positive changes they can see in me which is a result of our sessions.
Sarah is a trusted advisor and sounding board to both me and my team.
Claire Watkin, Managing Director, Trendsetter
Working with People Puzzles has enabled me to step out of the day to day running of the business and concentrate on our future strategic direction. Sarah has helped us focus on how we develop our future leaders, cross team collaboration, and enhance overall business performance, as well as supporting the achievement of B Corp status.
The achievements of the People Strategy made a measurable difference.
Craig Bennett, Chief Executive Officer, Sigma
I can't thank Paula enough for all her support over the last 3 years. Her time with us turned out to be much longer than any of us expected but I guess this reflects the extraordinary events and circumstances we’ve encountered since 2019. The achievements over this period made a measurable difference to engagement and has helped Sigma transition our people policies from that of an SME into market leading large corporate. Thank you.
Lynn was always positive and listened when it mattered
Coaching Client – Wirtgen Limited
I cannot give Lynn enough thanks for the help that she gave me to better understand myself and help me find the answers to some tough questions. Lynn was always positive and listened when it mattered, Thanks again Lynn.
I have been able to build a proactive relationship with Pauline
Amy Fisher, MD, Doby Verrolec
I have been able to build a proactive relationship with Pauline. I came into this role last year with an agenda for growth and we have been working together across employee engagement, contacts and policies.
Pauline developed our people strategy with a robust methodology
Jeremy Royle, MD, YourNRG
Pauline’s hands on approach helped us to build on the work we have already taken and develop our people strategy with a robust methodology to meet the current needs and future growth of the business.
Working closely with one local and very knowledgeable person
Amy Fisher, MD, Doby Verrolec
The real benefit of People Puzzles is that your business and industry sector needs are matched with one of the People Puzzles Directors. This means you work closely with one local and very knowledgeable person who can quickly understand the people needs of the business.
Working with Sarah has been a rewarding, productive and an educational experience
Chief Operating Officer, Salford Primary Care Together
We wanted to understand more about what was driving our organisational culture, key risks and issues, what our priorities should be, and to understand what we could achieve with our limited resources. Sarah brought commitment, pragmatism, and positivity to our challenges which helped us achieve many of our goals including organisational restructures, re-design of several key HR processes and upskilling of our teams.
Pauline has very quickly gotten to grips with Your NRG.
Managing Director, Your NRG
Pauline has very quickly gotten to grips with Your NRG, and has brought to our attention some processes that need our focus as a result of our recent rapid growth. We are pushing on with the more pressing operational day-to-day strategies and initiatives whilst also educating the SMT on their overall understanding of ‘cradle to grave’ employment. Pauline continues to work diligently and tirelessly for Your NRG and I am delighted to have her ongoing support alongside us as we continue on our journey to realise our levels of ambition.
Changed the way we approach our senior meetings and develop our strategy.
Chair, Regular Cleaning
Shaun worked closely with me and the senior team and taught us a lot. Shaun dedicated time for each team member and encouraged, educated and guided them to be the best they can be. We achieved so much in the time we worked with Shaun and he has helped to change our focus from working in the business to working on the business giving us time to dedicate to the progression of the teams that make up the rest of our family.
Jill has worked on many projects as our part time HR Director.
Founder, Aura
One was around sick days which she has now reduced by 75%. This has significantly minimised the disruption it was causing.
Stewart's work has been a major factor in helping us achieve our ambitious targets.
Gerry Simmonds, Safpro
Stewart helped to align our senior team around business goals and implemented clear people plan has been a major factor in helping us achieve our ambitious targets. We have grown 20% over the past two years and with the team we now have in place this growth is set to continue.
Lynn's work as our trusted HR consultant and my mentor has been absolutely invaluable.
Oktawia Ellis, HR Manager, We Seal
I have the distinct pleasure of working with Lynn at People Puzzles. Her work over the last few years as our trusted HR consultant and my mentor has been absolutely invaluable. Lynn is an expert in her field, she is very knowledgeable, encourageing, supportive, and an effective leader. She is also really funny and a pleasure to be around! I learned a lot from Lynn and I would strongly recommend her.
The impact Lynn has had on our challenges are beyond my expectations
James Laxton, Managing Director, Laxtons
She has engaged with all our staff and her approach is a breath of fresh air for the business. The support she has given me has made some difficult issues appear straight forward and she has given a new lease of life in the business. We would not have been able to get to where we are now without her wealth of experience and hands on people approach and I am excited to see what the future brings working with Lynn.
Every team leader can now make decisions in line with the vision
Roy Bowie, Managing Director, GreenBlue Urban
I used to have the view that HR was managing difficult cases and moving people on with occasional recruitment support. But what People Puzzles does is so much more than that. It’s about the development of the business and its people as a whole which has been the biggest eye opener for me.
Working with Gill has helped us develop a People Plan which goes beyond compliance
Bernard Sellars, Managing Director, Lindum Packaging
Working with Gill from People Puzzles has helped us develop a People Plan which goes beyond compliance – it has helped us as a team to achieve greater alignment and engagement with the business strategy and goals.
I found the personal development coaching I received from Lynn to be very beneficial.
Alex Calvert, Marketing and PR Account Manager, Intandem Communications Ltd
I found the personal development coaching I received from Lynn to be very beneficial. Lynn helped me to work on some very clear objectives with a good balance of supportiveness and knowing when to challenge and push me out of my comfort zone!
We are now in a strong position from a people perspective, to leverage the future
Craig Bennett, CEO, Sigma Group
Paula developed a clear People plan and road map, which has significantly moved us on. She has developed the existing HR team, and ensured that we progressed quickly on all the initiatives that we identified. I’m confident that based on the last 6 months, with Paula’s input and contribution, we are now in a strong position from a people perspective, to leverage the next 6 months and beyond.
A very professional team
Chris Morling, Founder & CEO, Money.co.uk
It’s been brilliant to have such knowledgeable consultants help us to empower our people. Stuart and Sophie were incredibly flexible, adapting their services to our business and existing culture. I’d highly recommend People Puzzles.
Shifted my view of HR!
Gavin Pooley, Managing Director, Liquidline
I used to think that HR was all about employment law compliance and managing the administration basics. I didn’t get the hugely positive impact strategic HR could make to the business – I do now!’
Transformed my understanding
Managing Director, B2B Supplies and Support Services
Having Alison on the team is like having another MD/MBA in the business. She has totally transformed my understanding of HR.
Fantastic support!
Kerry Berry, Director, S&K Berry Associates LLP
Lynn has been a fantastic support to us and an ongoing fountain of knowledge. If you have a business and/or staff you need to take care of, you need a Lynn on your team!
Such a detailed process
Sue Ford, Director, Bridge Case Management
Lynn ran a detailed process and I wasn’t allowed to get away with anything – All relevant issues were included and dealt with objectively.
We’ve accomplished a lot!
Joseph Carr, Managing Director, Carrs Pasties
This is an inspiring story and it’s all true. I can’t believe it’s about us! We’ve accomplished a lot over the last 18 months.
Helping us shape the business
Stuart Hill, CEO, WNDirect
Carole has helped me and the business massively and added real value while helping us shape the business.
Vee has delivered a huge amount for the company
Bertie Kerr, Managing Director, Albany Associates Ltd
Vee started with a baseline study of where we were. She then presented a work plan to deliver over the coming months and while some priorities have changed it is impressive to look back and see how much has been achieved. She has become a trusted member of the senior team, providing advice and guidance on difficult topics and is regularly consulted by staff for her input.
Alison joined Valleys to Coast on an interim basis and 18 months later is still with us!
Joanne Oak, Chief Executive Officer, Valleys to Coast Housing
Alison has been instrumental working with me to recruit to a permanent role. Alison’s approach has been one of partnership, contributing as part of the strategic leadership team, which has been critically important given the turbulence the organisation has been through. Alison is always available, responsive and I would highly recommend her for expert HR support
Over the last 3 years, People Puzzles has helped build a very strong people culture
Phil Dupont, Director, RVT Group
We now have a clear Vision for the Companies 5 Pillars, In-house manager, leadership ‘Power 90’ Training and a rhythm of key meetings throughout each year. This has had a direct contribution to the significant growth of the company in the last 3 years… With this support from People Puzzles continuing, the company continues to grow both financially and culturally for the benefit of all.