HR Katie LtdHR support for founders
For journalists, editors and podcast hosts
Press and media
I'm Katie Elliott, an HR consultant who works with founders and small business owners. If you're writing a story, planning an episode or need an expert comment, you'll find what you need on this page.
Bio for media use
Short version
Katie Elliott is the founder and director of HR Katie Ltd, an HR consultancy for start-ups and small businesses in Hertfordshire and Greater London. She has 15 years in HR and helps founders feel confident about their responsibilities as employers.
Longer version
Katie Elliott is CIPD qualified and has worked in HR for 15 years. She started in recruitment, then moved into a generalist role covering every part of people management, from onboarding to supporting managers with complex issues to leading projects for senior teams. In 2021 she set up HR Katie to support founders and small business owners. Her approach is hands on, human and practical, with a focus on values-led culture. Clients work with her through The HR Hub subscription, bespoke retainers, HR packages and ad hoc advisory sessions.
What I comment on
- Flexible and hybrid working
- Hiring your first employee, recruitment and onboarding
- Handling conflict and bullying at work
- Managing different generations in one team
- Workplace policies, including social media, dress codes and handbooks
- Employment law changes, including the Employment Rights Bill
- Always on culture, switching off and burnout
- Company culture and staff wellbeing
If there's no one clearly responsible for it, it drifts.
A clear job advert with non-negotiables up front makes a huge difference.
Podcasts
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1 hour 13 minutes
Mum Means Business, hosted by Victoria Phipps
39: Demystifying HR and Leading with Heart When Life Gets Hard with Katie Elliott
I talk about moving from employment into running HR Katie, the HR problems small businesses hit as they grow, and what to consider before hiring your first employee. We also cover conflict in small teams and why onboarding is one of the most important investments a growing business can make.
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49 minutes
Psychologically Speaking with Leila Ainge
The Joy of being a Generalist (and specialist) with Katie Elliott
I talk about a career that started in recruitment and moved into HR generalist work, and why being a generalist takes real specialist knowledge of industries and types of organisation. I also explain why I set up HR Katie in 2021 to support start-ups and small businesses.
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1 hour 3 minutes
Women's Business, hosted by Nicky Denson-Elliott
#84 Sisterhood, Success and Navigating Separation with HR Katie AKA Katie Elliott
I talk about my HR career, how recruitment works from the inside, and why I started HR Katie. I also share what I'd tell anyone thinking about running their own business, including when to outsource and how to scale.
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59 minutes
Five Hour Club Podcast
I'm Katie, I'm a HR leader, and I know why flexibility works both ways
I talk about commuting full time with young children, the problem with part-time work, and how I set up HR Katie to help small businesses. The conversation is about flexibility from both sides, employer and employee.
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35 minutes
Building Your Brand, hosted by Liz Mosley
Culture is your brand's cornerstone: Lessons from HR consultant Katie Elliott
I talk about company culture and why it sits at the heart of your brand. Looking after your staff builds a stronger business. If you work alone, looking after yourself does the same job.
Recent press
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People Management (CIPD)
One in six employers have never reviewed their workplace pension scheme, survey finds
I commented on why workplace pensions get forgotten after set up, especially in small businesses where an accountant or broker handles the admin. I said employers should ask providers about charges, fund performance and member support, and look beyond cost when they review a scheme.
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The i paper
My colleagues eat tuna and boiled eggs at their desks – how can I make them stop?
I advised a reader on smells and noise in an open-plan office. Handbooks rarely cover eating habits, so I suggested raising it with the line manager as an office culture point and setting general expectations without targeting anyone.
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The i paper
My colleague is trolling me – but there's nothing I can do
I covered what to do when a colleague posts about you on social media without naming you. Opinions are hard to build a case around, so I suggested asking HR to review the social media policy, not making a formal complaint.
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The i paper
I've been monitoring my Gen Z team's lunch breaks – they take the piss
I advised a manager on long lunches. My answer was to reset expectations for the whole team, then follow up one to one if nothing changes, without policing every minute.
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The i paper
I'm sick of my Gen Z team dressing too casually in the office – it's inappropriate
I explained why dress codes are the employer's job to set and enforce, and why written guidance such as a "dress for your day" approach prevents most of these arguments.
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The i paper
My Gen Z colleagues are always on holiday – I'm sick of picking up the slack
I argued this is a workload planning issue, not a generational one. I covered annual leave as a legal entitlement, early holiday rotas and how to raise workload with a manager.
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The i paper
A colleague is spreading lies about me – I'm worried it'll cost me my job
I advised a reader whose colleague had complained about them. I covered staying calm, resolving things informally before they become a grievance, and keeping a record.
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People Management (CIPD)
Majority of jobseekers say applications are ignored, report finds
I commented on the growing gap between how candidates apply and how hiring managers handle applications. Small businesses often run recruitment on top of everything else, so the process slips and candidates hear nothing.
Earlier national press
Some of these publications limit free access, so I've summarised what I said under each one.
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The Telegraph (Telegraph Money)
Employment Rights Bill: the changes you should know
I commented on whether employers can contact staff outside working hours. There is no explicit law against it, but the expectation that people are always on is "a hot topic in HR" because of the link to stress and burnout.
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The Telegraph (Telegraph Money)
10 ways to convince your employer to let you work from home
I contributed advice on making a flexible working request stronger. I said to point to past achievements from remote working, and to look at why earlier requests were turned down so your case lines up with company objectives.
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Daily Mail
'The squeeze is unlike anything I've experienced before': Inflation-hit Britons reveal their struggles paying mortgages, feeding their children and filling up their cars as Bank of England hikes interest rates to 4.5%
I spoke about the cost of living squeeze and how I cut costs in my own business, including moving meetings online.
Media enquiries
Working to a deadline? Email me with your topic, your deadline and where the piece will run. I'll reply as quickly as I can.