The tools your business needs

Great HR doesn't happen by accident. Behind every well-run people function is a set of systems and processes that make the day-to-day manageable, keep the business compliant, and give leaders the confidence to make good decisions about their people.

For many growing businesses that infrastructure simply isn't there yet or it's been built piecemeal over time and nobody has ever stopped to check whether it actually works. That's where Saltwater HR comes in.

Whether you need the right HR software in place and properly embedded, an honest assessment of how your systems and processes stand up, a quick health check to make sure your HR is compliant and your GDPR obligations are being met, or a clear picture of whether your reward package is competitive enough to attract and keep the right people, Saltwater HR gives you the expertise, the independence, and the practical support to get it right and keep it that way.

The right system makes everything easier

HR SOFTWARE IMPLEMENTATION

The right HR software can save your business hours every week but with so many options on the market, choosing the right one is harder than it looks. And choosing it is only half the battle. Getting it set up properly, configured to your business, and actually adopted by your team is where most implementations fall down.

Saltwater HR provides impartial, expert advice on HR software selection and manages the full implementation process on your behalf. We have hands-on experience across a wide range of HR systems, including Breathe HR, People HR, Bamboo, Bright HR and Cezanne, which we implement regularly for SMEs looking for a straightforward, powerful people management platform, as well as specialist software for performance management, learning management systems, and wider people operations.

We start by understanding your business, your size, your budget, how your team works, and what you actually need the system to do. We then recommend the right solution, manage the setup and configuration, make sure your data is migrated cleanly, and train your team so they get the most out of it from day one. We stay involved until you're confident everything is working as it should - because a system nobody uses is a system nobody needed.

Whether you're moving from spreadsheets for the first time or replacing an existing system that isn't working for you, we make the transition straightforward, manageable, and right for your business.

BREATHE HR

As a Breathe HR partner we know this platform inside out, and for most small and medium sized businesses it's the one we recommend first. Built exclusively for SMEs, Breathe is used by over 16,000 UK businesses and it's easy to see why. It's intuitive, affordable, cloud-based, and covers everything a growing business needs to manage its people properly, without the complexity or cost of an enterprise system.

At its core Breathe gives you a single, secure place to manage all your employee data, documents, and HR tasks. Holiday requests, absence tracking, performance appraisals, and HR documents are all in one place, accessible from anywhere, by the right people, at the right time. And because it's 100% cloud-based, GDPR-compliant, and ISO27001-accredited, you can be confident your data is safe and your business is protected.

Beyond the core platform, Breathe offers a suite of optional add-on modules that let you build out your HR system as your business grows - including Breathe Learn for employee training and e-learning, Breathe Rota for shift scheduling and time and attendance tracking, Breathe Expenses for simple expense management and approvals, and Breathe Recruitment for managing your hiring pipeline. You can start with what you need and add more as your requirements change, which makes it a genuinely scalable solution for a growing business.

Pricing is based on the size of your business rather than per employee, starting from as little as £24 per month (or less for an annual subscription), making it one of the most cost-effective HR platforms available for SMEs in the UK. And with a 14-day free trial available, you can see whether it works for you before committing to anything.

As a Breathe HR partner we manage the full implementation on your behalf, configuring the system to your business, migrating your existing data cleanly, setting up your team with the right access levels, and training your people so they get the most out of it from day one. We stay involved until you're confident everything is working as it should.

OTHER SOFTWARE

As much as we rate Breathe, we know it isn't the right fit for every business. If your requirements are more complex - a larger workforce, more sophisticated performance management, specific payroll integrations, or a need for advanced analytics and reporting - there are other platforms that may serve you better. We have hands-on experience across a wide range of HRIS platforms including BambooHR, People HR, HiBob, and Bright HR, and we'll always take the time to properly understand your business before making a recommendation.

But HR software goes well beyond your core HRIS. Depending on your business we can also help you select and implement specialist software across a range of people functions:

Performance Management — dedicated platforms that go beyond basic appraisals to support continuous feedback, goal setting, 360 degree reviews, and development planning.

Learning Management Systems (LMS) — tools that allow you to create, assign, and track employee training and development, from compliance e-learning through to full development programmes.

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) — recruitment platforms that manage your entire hiring pipeline in one place, from job posting and application management through to offer and onboarding. Our preferred ATS partner is Hireful, which we use as part of our fixed fee recruitment service but also have experience with alternative platforms.

Employee Engagement & Wellbeing — platforms that help you measure how your people are feeling, identify issues before they become problems, and demonstrate that you take employee wellbeing seriously.

Whatever software you need, our approach is the same; we understand your business first, recommend the right solution, manage the implementation properly, and support your team until they're fully confident using it. Our only interest is finding the system that truly fits your business, not the one that's easiest for us to implement.

Fees are based on our standard day rate and scoped per project — get in touch for a no-obligation conversation about what your implementation would involve.

Fix the gaps before they become problems...

HR AUDITS AND HEALTHCHECKS

Most businesses don't know what their HR gaps are until something goes wrong - a tribunal claim, a data breach, a failed audit, or simply a situation they're not equipped to handle. An HR audit gives you the honest picture before any of that happens, so you can fix what needs fixing on your terms rather than someone else's.

We offer three levels of audit depending on what your business needs, from a quick high-level sense check through to a full compliance audit based on the ISO 9001 standard.

THE FREE HR MOT

Think of this as your starting point. A high-level review of your HR fundamentals; are the right things in place, are there any obvious gaps, and are there any issues that need immediate attention? It's fast, it's free, and it gives you a clear sense of whether your HR foundations are as solid as you think they are.

It won't go into detail, but it will tell you whether you need to. And if everything looks fine, you'll have the peace of mind of knowing that.

THE HR HEALTHCHECK

A more in-depth review for businesses that want a proper picture of where they stand. We go beyond the surface level, reviewing your HR processes end to end, your record keeping and documentation, your employment contracts and policies, your GDPR compliance and data management practices, and how your day-to-day HR is actually being managed in practice rather than just on paper.

You receive a clear written summary of findings, highlighting what's working well, what needs attention, and what poses the greatest risk to your business if left unaddressed - with practical, prioritised recommendations on what to do next. Typically completed in half a day, this is an affordable, focused way to get a genuinely thorough picture of your HR compliance position without committing to a full audit.

Fees based on our standard half day rate, get in touch to book.

THE FULL HR COMPLIANCE AUDIT

Our most comprehensive audit option; a rigorous, structured review of your HR systems, processes, and documentation against the ISO 9001 quality management standard. Conducted by Nicky, a qualified ISO 9001 Lead Auditor, this is the same standard of review your business would face in a formal certification audit - which is exactly the point.

This service is particularly valuable for businesses that are considering ISO 9001 certification for the first time and want to understand where their gaps are before committing to the full process, those approaching recertification who want to address any areas of non-conformance before the formal audit takes place, and businesses that simply want the confidence of knowing their systems and processes are genuinely robust, whether they pursue certification or not.

We review your quality management systems end to end, identify any areas of non-conformance or risk, and provide a detailed, prioritised action plan so you know exactly what needs to be addressed and in what order. We provide an expert, independent assessment of where you are and a clear route to where you need to be.

Because every business is different, fees for the full compliance audit are agreed on a case by case basis. The time required depends on the size and complexity of your business and the current state of your systems, but we'll always give you an honest estimate before any work begins so there are no surprises.

NOT SURE WHICH LEVEL IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

Start with the free HR MOT - it costs nothing, takes very little of your time, and will tell you everything you need to know about which level of audit your business actually needs. If it turns out everything is fine, brilliant. If it doesn't, you'll know exactly what to do about it.