The Compliance & Governance Risk Review
A six-week programme helping recruitment business owners identify and manage commercial, contractual and employment risks.
Working with Alison Humphries, you’ll review how your business operates, prioritise areas of exposure and put practical processes in place to manage risk more confidently.
How Confident Are You In The Way Your Business Manages Risk?
Recruitment businesses operate in a complex environment. Contracts, employment practices and day-to-day decisions all carry responsibilities, and it isn’t always easy to see where gaps might exist.
This programme helps you take a practical look at the risks within your business and what you can do about them.
Does any of this sound familiar?
- You’re unsure whether your contracts and agreements reflect how your business operates today.
- Your managers aren’t always confident handling employment or performance issues.
- Policies are in place, but you don’t know whether they’re being followed consistently.
- Responsibilities for checks, documentation and risk management aren’t always clear.
- You’re concerned that a contractual or employment dispute could prove costly.
The Compliance & Governance Risk Review helps you identify areas of exposure, prioritise the issues that matter and establish clearer ways of managing them.
Understand Your Risks. Take Practical Action.
How Exposed Is Your Recruitment Business?
From client agreements to employment practices, potential risks can sit across different parts of your business.
The Compliance Check helps you consider how your business manages key contractual, operational and people-related responsibilities. Answer 10 questions to identify areas you may want to explore further.
What’s included?
The Compliance & Governance Risk Review combines recruitment sector experience with a practical examination of your business. Alison will work with your leadership team to identify areas of exposure and agree the next steps.
Week 1: Risk Profiling
Build a picture of your business, the way it operates and its main areas of exposure.
• Review your service lines, worker engagement models and client sectors.
• Identify relevant contractual, operational and employment risks.
• Review existing policies, insurance and key agreements.
• Consider how risk management responsibilities are allocated.
Weeks 2-3: Targeted Examination
Look at how your processes work in practice and where gaps may exist.
• Review a sample of contracts and operational records.
• Explore how consultants and managers apply requirements in their work.
• Identify inconsistencies between written policies and everyday practices.
• Prioritise risks that could lead to disputes, financial losses or reputational damage.
Weeks 4-5: Remedial Action
Work with your management team to address priority issues and strengthen controls.
• Improve selected processes and internal procedures.
• Strengthen record keeping and clarify responsibilities.
• Provide targeted support or training for managers.
• Identify matters that require a solicitor, tax adviser or other specialist.
Weeks 6: Governance & Handover
Give your leadership team a clear plan for managing risks going forward.
• Create a risk register and prioritised action plan.
• Agree who is responsible for each risk and action.
• Establish reporting and escalation processes.
• Set a timetable for reviewing risks and controls.
What you’ll take away
By the end of the programme, you’ll have:
• A recruitment-specific risk assessment
• A risk register
• A prioritised corrective action plan
• Revised selected operational procedures
• A management briefing
• A governance review schedule
What practical Change can achieve
A small specialist recruitment business was losing money on uncommitted permanent roles and needed a clearer approach to client agreements.
The challenge
A specialist recruitment business had declining profits and lengthening debtor days. The owner believed the challenges were affecting the whole sector, but the business also had opportunities to improve how it used its resources.
The approach
Alison helped the owner refocus on retained business, review agreements and make more informed decisions about suppliers and fees.
The result
The owner credits Alison with saving tens of thousands of pounds across legal costs, unsuitable supplier choices and previously uncollected fees.*
*This was a previous client project, not the six-week Compliance & Governance Risk Review. Results will vary depending on the business and the changes implemented.
Investment & commitment
A Defined Programme, With A Clear Commitment
- £5,500 + VAT for the six-week programme
- Approximately three to four days of Alison’s direct involvement
- Designed for UK recruitment agencies with approximately 5–25 employees
- A combination of remote and in-person support, depending on business requirements
- Based on one UK operating entity and an agreed scope
The programme includes a limited document sample and a defined recruitment model. It identifies practical improvements and matters that may need specialist advice.
Extensive contract redrafting, a full international legal review and regulated legal or tax advice require separate specialist instruction.
Alison Humphries
Hon (FREC) | Strategic Consultant to the Recruitment Industry
Practical advice grounded in Recruitment Experience
Alison Humphries Hon FREC brings over 40 years of recruitment industry experience, including director-level roles at Hays Plc, Robert Half International, BNB Plc and Penna Plc.
Her background spans commercial leadership, learning and development, HR, legal and compliance, across recruitment models including contingent, retained, temp and contract, RPO and Statement of Work.
Having advised recruitment business owners and leaders for nearly 20 years, Alison combines strategic perspective with a practical understanding of how to make change happen.
Client results
Avoiding Unnecessary Costs And Building A Stronger Commercial Approach
A small specialist recruitment business was losing money working on uncommitted permanent roles in the UK. After reviewing its approach, the business decided to focus on winning retained work from US companies.
The business needed effective terms for executive search and interim provision, but some clients insisted on using their own agreements. The owner was also dealing with job orders and candidates that disappeared during the process.
Alison supported the owner in scrutinising agreements, making more informed supplier choices and addressing previously uncollected fees.
The owner credits Alison with saving tens of thousands of pounds across legal expenditure, unsuitable supplier choices and previously uncollected fees. The move into the US became profitable within six months, supporting more consistent revenue and growth.*
*This was a previous client project, not the six-week Compliance & Governance Risk Review. Results will vary depending on the business and the changes implemented.
Ready To Understand And Manage Your Business Risks?
Together, you can explore the challenges your business is facing and whether the Compliance & Governance Risk Review is the right fit.