A matter of trust

If a client has put their trust in you, the least you can do is be trustworthy.

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This may sound like an obvious, universal truth, but it’s not always the case.

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Soon after I started my business (in 2019), one of the earliest things I learned was to get support around me, primarily for things that weren’t my forte.  This came in the form of a business coach, a VA, and an accountant - and, soon after, marketing support too.

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CHOOSING THE RIGHT ONE

Behind almost every successful business is a network of trusted suppliers helping to deliver products, services, and expertise.

When I speak to business owners and senior leaders about growth, one of the most common barriers is money – as in, it’s often simpler to do a job yourself rather than paying someone else to do it.  However, that comes with a number of risks, not least that you can’t be an expert in everything.

Whether it's IT, legal, finance, or marketing, the suppliers a business owner chooses can have a direct impact on the quality of service you provide to your own clients.

For HR consultants, this is especially important. Clients place significant trust in us to provide guidance on people-related matters, compliance, employment law, training, and workplace culture. That means we must be equally diligent when selecting the organisations and professionals we work alongside.

Unfortunately, I recently had to find a new supplier due to the current one suddenly and unexpectedly closing their business.   Although this supplier wasn’t customer facing, the fact that they ceased trading had a massive impact on my time (particularly the time I have available to deliver support for my retained clients).

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REPUTATION MANAGEMENT

A business’s reputation is one of the most valuable assets.  I am in a great position that I can choose to work with people (clients and suppliers) with whom our values align – this is important to me.

However, if a supplier fails to deliver – either through providing poor-quality work, missing deadlines, or simply disappearing altogether – it can reflect badly on your business, even if the issue isn’t directly your fault.

Working with reliable suppliers helps ensure consistent service standards and protects the trust you've worked hard to build.

OUTCOMES ARE KEY

The right suppliers bring expertise, innovation, and specialist knowledge that can enhance your business.  For example, an accountant would keep you on the right side of the law, whereas a marketer would ensure your business is being seen by the right people.  

Similarly, with the suppliers that I use that support my clients – such as the Breathe HR software or CIPD membership – their success is often reflected in the services I provide. Strong partnerships often result in better solutions, improved efficiency, and a more seamless experience for clients.

RISK MANAGEMENT

In areas that are key to HR – such as business compliance, data protection, payroll management, and employment law – mistakes can have significant consequences.  Thorough supplier selection helps to reduce operational, financial, and reputational risks.  In such cases, the suppliers have multiple end users, so deeper due diligence becomes imperative.

Overall, good suppliers don't just fulfil a contract – they become strategic partners who understand your business, support your goals, and help you grow sustainably over time. This is partly why my HR clients are all retained.  Being able to work with your business long-term means that my business is agile enough to deal with your needs quickly and effectively.

HOW DO WE CHOOSE?

How do we choose decent suppliers?  At first glance, all businesses are great.  We can read websites and see a list of services, and perhaps even compare on price. However, trust is hard to build.

As I mentioned, I recently had to find a new supplier when my old one closed their business and, unfortunately, left me in a bit of a bind (with not much time to fix things).

However, when searching for a new supplier, I was in a better position than most.  For me, it was a combination of getting to know people through networking, and word-of-mouth recommendations.

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After over seven years in business, one of the constants has been networking – getting out and meeting fellow business owners, and getting to know, like, and trust them over time.  I am currently a member of two main networking groups – BNI and FindaBiz – and, thanks to many years of networking, I was able to call upon my network for support.

Not only did I find a new supplier, but they found a variety of issues (which had legal implications) left by the previous one, which they quickly sorted for me.

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DO YOUR DUE DILIGENCE

When working with my retained clients, I often have the conversation about business growth, and sometimes the stop-gap before taking on more employees is to hire suppliers in key areas of the business.

Choosing suppliers isn't something we should take lightly. You should follow a structured process designed to ensure any organisation that you work with shares your values and commitment to quality.

Before engaging with any supplier, I always suggest carrying out thorough research. This may include reviewing their website, reading case studies and testimonials, assessing their industry credentials, and having a look at their online presence to gain a clearer understanding of their experience and expertise.

Recommendations and referrals are the most telling signal.  When choosing a supplier, I often start by seeking recommendations from trusted contacts, clients, and my professional networks (as mentioned above).  First-hand experiences can provide valuable insight into a supplier's reliability, professionalism, and service quality – and these help to accelerate the decision-making process.

As I mentioned, assessing core values and workplace culture are important to me.  Technical and professional capabilities are important, but cultural fit can be a deal-breaker. Looking for suppliers who share your commitment to professionalism, integrity, transparency, and excellent customer service is a must.

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PERFORMANCE REVIEWS

As a HR specialist, performance reviews are second nature.  Yes, this usually means employees and team members, but in the case of growing your business with the right team, you need to manage them on an ongoing basis.

Supplier selection isn't a one-time activity.  You should regularly review supplier performance to ensure standards remain high and clients continue to receive the best possible service (either you as their client, or your clients if they are customer-facing).

As a supplier to a range of retained clients, my job is to be trustworthy, to be the authority in my subject (HR), and to ensure that my clients never have to worry about anything.

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I appreciate that this isn’t a universal ethos and, even with all the due diligence in the world, things can still go wrong – but, hopefully, major issues are a rare occurrence. In my business, we have enough to worry about.

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BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS

The strongest supplier relationships are built on trust, communication, and shared objectives. By investing time in selecting the right partners, businesses can reduce risk, improve service quality, and create stronger outcomes for their clients.

For me, finding trustworthy suppliers isn't just about simple procurement – it is about ensuring that every organisation I work with helps me and the team to deliver the high standards that our clients expect and deserve.

GET IN TOUCH

When advising clients on recruitment, training, employee wellbeing, payroll, contracts, employment law, or workplace culture, I recognise that recommendations carry weight.  That's why I apply the same level of scrutiny to our suppliers as we encourage our clients to apply when making important people decisions.

If you would like to discuss your business’s HR requirements, particularly as part of wider conversation about your long-term growth plans, please get in touch today to arrange an informal, no-obligation chat about how me and the team here at AJB HR Consultancy Services can support you.

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