March 2015
Experience in handling employees during a handover of contracts between employers is rare and qualified experts can be difficult to source within an organisation.
North Star is campaigning to raise the awareness at a boardroom level of the need for experienced personnel to be used to mitigate any issues relating to the HR fundamentals.
Catherine Noah, a senior consultant at North Star, is a human resources professional with a track record of delivering change for a variety of companies predominantly within the transport sector. She has worked on many projects displaying high levels of analysis, flexibility and pragmatism to meet constantly changing needs in complex environments including the Metronet and London Overground bid and mobilisation teams.
Catherine Noah said: “It is imperative to make sure you identify the right number of appropriately skilled employees to deliver the contract you are bidding for and you can use their development as a differentiator in a bid. During a contractual change it is essential to consider employee communications and relations, trade unions, relocation, recruitment, remuneration and pension schemes. If possible, build a relationship with the outgoing company to ensure a smooth transition and to meet all the safety requirements of business change with no adverse impact on performance.”