About | Practicepeople

Insight.

Welcome to our Insights section, offering insights into professional services operations, strategy, human resources and recruitment with a particular emphasis on law and accounting practices and professionals.

Review time is one of the most important opportunities for engagement

by Nigel Richards • 8 September 2023

Review time is one of the most important opportunities to maximise #employeeengagement within your #team , set #targets , gain important #feedback from your staff and drive #continuousimprovement for your professional services business. This should be well underway, #360reviews sent out and collated, meetings in progress. However if you need a gentle nudge and some useful tips, we hope this helps. It's not too late. Please feel free to contact us directly if you need assistance setting behaviours, expectations, goals and managing the overall #employeeretention and engagement process. The @practicepeople team, unrivalled experience within #professionalservices .

Work together to build a mentally healthier workplace

by Nigel Richards • 4 August 2023

Creating a supportive and #psychologicallysafe working #culture will have major benefits for the #mentalhealth of your workforce, creating a happier and more productive environment across the board. In today's fast-paced world, fostering a psychologically safe workplace is not just a luxury (or dare we say just common decency); it's now a legal requirement impacting Middle Management, Senior Leaders, Practice Directors and even Board Members. 👥 Let's encourage communication AND prevention and work together to build a mentally healthier workplace. 💪 Follow us to stay updated on the latest strategies and resources, or contact us is you'd like to discuss your firm strategies!

The Four-Day Working Week Dilemma

by Nigel Richards • 30 July 2023

🚀 Latest Research Findings from WFH Research: The Four-Day Working Week Dilemma 🕒 As remote work and flexibility redefine our work lives, the allure of a four-day workweek is undeniable. But do employees really embrace it? Their August 2023 survey dug deep to find out: https://lnkd.in/gJ3dQ-A4 💼 57% of respondents preferred a four-day workweek with ten-hour days, while 43% stuck with the traditional five-day, eight-hour grind. For some, daily downtime trumped the extra day off. 💰 Here's the kicker: Employees valued a compressed working week as much as a 4% pay bump, on average. However, opinions vary widely. 🤔 What's the lesson for employers? Balancing fewer work days with longer hours or more intense tasks won't please everyone. Striking the right chord is a challenge worth tackling. The future of work is evolving, and understanding these nuances is key to keeping your workforce engaged and motivated. Please feel free to comment or DM me to arrange a confidential coffee to discuss your workplace strategies!

Our Founder and Managing Director, Nigel Richards

A senior executive with over 25 years' experience leading and servicing professional services businesses including law firms, consultancies (traditional and digital), accountancies, recruitment and executive search businesses.

His roles have encompassed all facets of business including strategy and planning, operations and risk, IT systems and infrastructure, marketing and business development, finance and budgeting, and most importantly people and change.

Nigel also sits on the boards of not-for-profit Perth International Jazz Festival as Board Member, and Attadale Primary School as Board Chair, both of which are passions very close to his heart.

Prior to Practice.People., Nigel ran a leading multi-practice law firm for almost 5 years (encompassing business, government and private clients) and was also on The Law Society's QPS committee as well as a Board Director of AustLaw.

“Practice.People. was borne out of the necessity for clients to focus on a growth driven culture, to stay abreast of an ever changing working environment.

People are the lifeblood of a professional services business however the makeup of a firm's operations and culture is essential in order to create a working environment that is geared towards a growth mindset and success, both for the business and (most importantly) for their employees.

We believe that success is not just built on attracting great talent, it’s also about providing a working environment for employees to thrive.

If your employees thrive, your clients thrive, and ultimately your business thrives.”