Making redundancies can be the hardest part of the process when you need to streamline your business. It can sometimes feel as though you are in a nightmare of potential litigation.
Making sure you follow the rules can not only protect you from costly tribunals, but make the whole process less emotional for all involved.
Your number one consideration is to ensure that your employees are informed every step of the way. Failure to consult with employees, or their representatives, during the procedure not only results in uncertainty and fear within the workforce: it will almost certainly render any redundancies unfair – opening up the possibility of expensive tribunals.
Secondly, it is important to remember that it is the job that becomes redundant – not the person. Whether it is because a manual operation has been superseded by technology, or simply that a particular function is no longer necessary, the job itself must disappear when the employee leaves. Contrary to popular opinion, it is perfectly legal to take on new staff whilst others are being made redundant. It may be that the skills needed to take your company forward cannot be found in your existing workforce -so as long as the new recruits are taken on to fill different functions, this is a perfectly legitimate process.
Once the need to make redundancies has been established, there are several stages which the employer will need to go through in order to ensure that their obligations are met.
Establishing The Criteria For Redundancy
The objective of redundancy should be to create an effective, streamlined workforce that are best able to take your business forward. Establishing well defined criteria for selection is the most effective way of ensuring that all employees are treated equally, and their benefit to the company is properly assessed. The criteria you use may include:

• Adaptability – this is especially important if your company is moving into a new sphere or market in order to progress: you will need to retain those employees who can cope best with change and have the ability to adapt.
• Skills ” maintaining a good cross section of skills will assist you in maintaining a balanced and effective workforce.
• Performance ” it is a wise move to retain your hardest-working employees. You will require documented evidence to support your decisions to avoid potential complaints of unfair treatment.
• Attendance – this is a valid criterion if applied fairly and consistently. Remember that you cannot use lack of attendance due to maternity, paternity or adoption leave.
  In an ideal situation, to make sure that the selection process is as fair and equal as possible, a combination of the above criteria should be considered.
  Consultation
  Consultation is a vital part of the redundancy process. This is because it will minimise the likelihood of unfair dismissal claims and it will also ensure that you retain those members of the team who are motivated through your transparent communication.
  If you are planning on making more than 20 positions redundant within a 90-day period, you will also need to inform the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
  Rumours and speculation are unavoidable in times of change such as these. It is extremely important, therefore, to be as open and honest as possible so as to avoid unnecessary confusion. You should let those at risk know at the earliest possible point the reasons for the redundancies, the positions and departments affected, the likely number of employees at risk and the specific criteria you will be using in the selection process. You should also make sure that they are informed of timescales.
  Contact each employee who is at risk of redundancy, detailing your reasons for the decision and arrange for a meeting to talk about the situation. If you fail to do this, it will automatically make any dismissal unfair.
  If you continue to communicate openly with both at risk staff and those who will be staying behind throughout the process, it will help to keep negative emotions to a minimum and reduce the possibilities of claims of unfair dismissal.
  Assistance
  Whilst you are not legally required to do so, it is thought to be good practice to give as much practical assistance to those who have been chosen for redundancy as possible. This could be in the form of offering help regarding looking for alternative employment, guidance on CV writing and interview techniques or advice on financial planning in the meantime. Offering such assistance will help to maintain good relationships even with those employees who are leaving: once again, minimising the likelihood of complaint or legal action.
  The procedure of making redundancies can be a very difficult task, particularly if you are not aware of its emotionally charged nature or of the possible legal ramifications.

The UK recruitment industry is one that is characterized by high levels of competition and the frequent entry of new firms. All this means that there is a large number of both small and large firms who vie for percentages of the market. Whilst there are many competitive recruitment firms, there are also those recruitment agencies that lack the expertise and experience to provide effective recruitment solutions. A job applicant who is looking for a career in recruiting would find it beneficial to pursue a career with a recruitment agency that has a good reputation and track record within the industry. This is because such recruitment firms offer candidates better long-term career prospects. It can be said that Quanta is a good example of a recruitment agency which has both specialist knowledge and a wealth of experience in the industry. As such Quanta has become one of the leading recruitment agencies in the UK and Europe.

When the company was incorporated in 1992, they specialized mainly in providing IT staff to the telecommunications and finance sectors. However, from the start of the millennium year, Quanta expanded the scope of its service to include other industries like the insurance, sales, engineering, bio-tech and pharmaceutical sectors. Quanta has an extensive client-base that comprises of some of world?s best known brand names. They also have some of the most sophisticated back office tools in the recruitment industry. This implies that Quanta has a distinct edge over other recruitment agencies.

It is also worth mentioning that Quanta has a very low labor turnover rate. This point is illustrated by the fact that many of their employees have nothing but good things to say about working for Quanta. Employees also frequently renew their contracts with the company. This is one of the reasons why an increasing number of recruitment job applicants are seeking careers with Quanta.

Working for Quanta should be the first choice for an individual looking to pursue or continue a career in recruitment, as the comprehensive training and extensive support, which such applicants will receive will transform them into high-achievers. All potential Quanta employees should be able to demonstrate a high levels of motivation and the ability to work under pressure. Furthermore, they must be looking to further their career in a competitive work environment. There is no doubt that working for Quanta will guarantee a successful career in recruitment.

As a franchise sales consultant I am often asked what is the best way to start the initial process of researching and finding the right franchise business to buy. Most of these individuals are still in the initial stages of thinking about buying a franchise, and don?t necessarily have a strong opinion either way about what type of opportunity they are looking for. My answer is that there are more resources available in today?s market then at anytime to find and research franchise opportunities. Below is a list of some of the most popular methods prospective franchise buyers can use to help narrow the search process and find the franchise business that?s right for them.

Internet Directories:

The fastest and most convenient way to begin the process of finding a franchise is via the Internet. There are now dozens of franchise opportunities directories online today that offer comprehensive listings of franchises for sale, including information about investment levels, training, availability, and how to contact the franchise company for more details. These directories are also a good source for free information about the general process of buying a franchise business. You may want to visit A few different directories such as , , and because not all of then will carry the same franchise listings.

Franchise Industry Publications:

Trade publications are another good source for general information about franchises available and franchising industry news. There are magazines available such as Franchise Times and Entrepreneur, as well as multiple online venues such as and that provide a wealth of free information about finding and buying a franchise.

Trade Shows & Conventions:

There are numerous franchise opportunity trade shows and conventions held through out the year and around the world. These venues offer the chance for individuals to discover and research new opportunities, as well as the unique opportunity to meet actual representatives of franchise companies they may have an interest in. Some of the more popular shows include the National Franchise & Business Opportunities Show, and International Franchise Expo.

Franchise Consultants & Brokers:

Franchise Consultants and brokers work with as little as a few to dozens of different franchise concepts in their database that they generally have in depth knowledge about. Considering the thousands of different franchise opportunities that buyers can choose from these days, they can be effective in helping a prospective buyer narrow their search by first qualifying them, and then showing them opportunities that could be a potential good match. Since the majority of these consultants are paid a referral fee or success fee by the franchisors if one of buyers they introduce moves forward, the buyer generally has no direct expense associated in engaging a franchise consultant to help them.

Some of the potential downsides to working with a franchise consultant can include that some only represent a few or a limited menu of franchise concepts which can potentially limit the prospective buyer?s exposure to seeing all the opportunities available in the market. And like some sales people who work on commission, the motivations of the consultant may some times not be entirely consistent with the prospective buyer?s best interest or goals. But I would say overall, that the franchise consultant industry has a very good reputation for treating their clients fairly and professionally.

Business Brokers:

Many professional business brokers are also franchise consultants, and they also can be an excellent source to find existing or established franchise business for sale in your local area if you decide to go that route. Business brokers generally also have good working knowledge of how franchising works, and can often be very helpful to a prospective buyer because of their inside knowledge of the local small business market.

Hit The Streets:

Another good and obvious way to find a research a potential franchise opportunity is to scope out and visit existing franchise businesses in your local area. There is no better validation that a franchise concept works than seeing a busy store or restaurant full of customers. And if they are available and have the time, you may also want to ask the owner about how business is going, are they happy with the franchisor, and would they recommend this opportunity.