Welcome to DOHR

The multi award-winning HR practice that actually does HR for business owners who care about their people, makes the workplace a better place to be AND saves employers time, money & stress.

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Experience teaches us that a lot of SMEs don’t take HR seriously. Which is fine, as long as you’ve never had an issue with your staff, and you’re 100% confident that you never will.

Hands up if that describes you?

Thought as much!

You see, the reality is that if you’ve got staff or you’re planning to take staff on anytime soon, HR isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity.

At least it is if you’re serious about protecting everything you’ve worked hard to achieve and you’re quite keen on staying out of employment tribunals.

For over 14 years, we’ve focused on enabling businesses to thrive whilst remaining compliant with employment law and we’ve helped countless UK business owners to do just that.

And we can help you too. Our clients have told us that these are the key reasons they use us:

  • I wasn’t sure I was doing things right when it came to managing my people
  • I felt like I was being told what to do and prevented from running my business the way I wanted to
  • I wasn’t 100% sure that I was protected when it came to our HR practices
  • I was fed up with reactive support and a call centre environment
  • I wanted to be treated as an adult, informed about the risks and enabled to make my own decisions
  • I needed an extra helping hand, as I lacked the knowledge, skills and time our team deserved
  • The business had grown and we needed to professionalise our people management

If any of the above sounds like you, we should talk.

Give us a call on 01923 866040 now for a free, no-obligation chat about your business, alternatively you can email us at [email protected]

DOHR Limited
5.0
Based on 49 reviews
powered by Google
Jude Habib
Jude Habib
21:30 17 Mar 24
I have worked with the team at DOHR for several years. As a small charity having trusted external HR support has been... vital. They are knowledgable, their staff have been supportive, empathetic and go above and beyond in how they've provided the advice needed in the organisation. I highly recommend them.read more
lewis collinson
lewis collinson
09:52 26 Feb 24
Could not work without you GuysIn a nutshell excellent . Thanks for all you do .
Sarina Jesudason
Sarina Jesudason
11:05 16 Feb 24
Donna and her team (especially the amazing Kim) have helped us out when were in a tight spot. We were down on resource... and had lots of recruitment coming up - DOHR stepped in and provided a proactive and passionate service resulting in us placing a record amount of candidates in such a short time. Donna has also supported on other employee issues, always very professional.read more
Winkworth Golders Green
Winkworth Golders Green
15:23 23 Jan 24
Rose and Laura incredibly helpful and attentive throughout our recent disciplinary action. Both provided clear guidance... and support ensuring that everything was handled smoothly and efficiently with the least amount of disruption necessary. I was most impressed with their professionalism and communication and should we require DOHR's services in the future it will be without trepidation. Thank you.read more
Graham Smith
Graham Smith
19:46 09 Jan 24
Very thorough and professional throughout. Looking forward to working more closely as we expand even further.
Jeff Botterill
Jeff Botterill
19:38 17 Dec 23
Laura and Rose at DOHR have provided excellent advice promptly and clearly when needed. Top notch service.
Anya Gardiner
Anya Gardiner
13:59 15 Dec 23
We have worked with DOHR for years and have always found them to be a top rated HR agency, always on hand to support... and assist. They have a wealth of experience and as a result we have always been on the right track with our employees, thank you.read more
Rick Parmar
Rick Parmar
23:34 08 Dec 23
Great work by Laura for all our HR requirements. DOHR are the perfect HR company for SME's who need help with... everything HR for their business. Super fast and super effective service delivered by super friendly people.read more
Peter Lurie
Peter Lurie
14:21 27 Oct 23
When it comes to HR there is really only one place we go. Donna and her team are exceptional. They virtually wrote the... handbook for the employer. Very happy to endorse and recommend. Keep up the great work.read more
Jane Kaushal
Jane Kaushal
06:36 17 Sep 23
I am a sole trader employing someone for the first time and Laura has been very helpful hand-holding me through the... process of putting a contract together. She is skilled, patient and generous with her time. Thank you.read more
Chantalle Coombes
Chantalle Coombes
20:37 31 Jul 23
I absolutely love te team at DOHR. It's nice to know you have a team of HR experts who aren't afraid to give you... scenario specific advice, contracts and guidance for managing staffing issues. I've used DOHR for advice over the years and now subscribed to the annual support. What are you waiting for?read more
Ben Hillier
Ben Hillier
11:31 12 Jul 23
Excellent company, very informative and massively helpful. Highly recommend!
Georges Verdis
Georges Verdis
22:18 30 Jun 23
I had the opportunity of working with Rose from DOHR. She was able to support us and advise us on how to handle an... employee due to poor performance and how to carry out effectively a disciplinary hearing. Without Rose's support we will not be in this great place where we are today. Thank you for helping us to protect our business. You did an amazing job. Highly recommended.read more
Adrian Willson
Adrian Willson
15:28 28 Apr 23
Rose at DOHR was introduced to us by our legal firm who highly recommended their services. This particular HR incident... needed to be managed with the utmost professionalism, diligence, care and attention, and I have to say Rose and her company excelled on all levels from start to finish. I would highly recommend DOHR's services requiring all or any aspects of HR support.read more
Simon Shaffer
Simon Shaffer
07:58 24 Apr 23
Unfortunately we needed to part company with a member of staff and Laura at DOHR was great. She held our hand all the... way through the process making sure that everything was done correctly and compassionately.read more
Oliver Milestone (Oli)
Oliver Milestone (Oli)
16:52 20 Feb 23
I have been using DOHR for well over 10 years. Donna has always been extremely knowledgable and helpful with all of our... HR needs. I highly recommend them.read more
Tim Downs
Tim Downs
22:45 10 Jan 23
Prompt, friendly, expert service. It's really comforting to know my business HR is in such great hands and I have all... the tools and help I need to hire and properly look after my staff. I highly recommend DOHR to anyone looking to outsource their HR needs.read more
Steve Wright
Steve Wright
12:00 05 Sep 22
Donna and her team always give very helpful and clear advice, including on some complicated HR matters, which required... significant expertise.It’s always an absolute pleasure dealing with the team at DOHR , in particular Rebecca who is always on hand to help with any queries.I have nothing but great feedback when dealing with DOHR who offer a friendly and professional service.I would thoroughly recommend!read more
Andrew Wilson
Andrew Wilson
09:07 01 Sep 22
Excellent level of HR and employment law services. I would definitely recomend DOHR to any business owner trying to... navigate their way through the hiring/firing process.read more
Narendra Arjan
Narendra Arjan
09:14 15 Aug 22
Very knowledgeable and helpful. Thoroughly understood our company needs and advised in an appropriate way. They made a... daunting task fairly simple!Would highly recommendread more
Noah Bier
Noah Bier
12:02 13 May 22
DOHR have been our outsourced HR team for almost two years. They are always easily contactable and offer good advice... and support. Would recommend working with Donna and the team if you are not looking to carry out thee tasks in-house.read more
Colin “Gwizz” Kippin
Colin “Gwizz” Kippin
09:49 31 Mar 22
We have used the services of DOHR for a couple of years now. We are a fairly small company and do not have the backup... of our own HR Dept so reached out for help and assistance. DOHR have proved invaluable to us in dealing with all sorts of matters in this period and I would recommend them without hesitation.read more
Molly Jenner
Molly Jenner
11:10 17 Mar 22
DOHR have been brilliant for us over the years. From getting us set up properly through HR in a Box to the ongoing... support to this day they have been kind, prompt and importantly... knowledgeable. We will continue to be clients for the foreseeable.read more
Denis Sansome
Denis Sansome
06:16 09 Feb 22
An excellent service, we have been working with DOHR for five years and the team at DOHR have helped us to be more... effective and fair with our team of 300 staff.read more
Marie-Helene Cuckow
Marie-Helene Cuckow
12:05 07 Feb 22
DOHR are Harkalm's one-stop shop for all matters HR.The team are professional & personable and provide excellent... up-to-date information, documentation and guidance.A service we would be happy to recommend onwards.read more
Martin
Martin
11:07 04 Feb 22
Like many companies as you grow you realise you are spending an increasing amount of time involved in HR. We’d used an... external advisor over the years on an ad hoc basis.The impact of Covid has compounded on normal HR issues and we found that we’ve been increasingly embroiled in much more complex HR needs.Of course, it’s often only when you have a more time consuming and involved situations, that you stress test what you have in place. then you realise what and where you are lacking.It was time to get some dedicated support.We spoke to DOHR to discuss our needs. The result was a clear and comprehensive recommendation from them as to the steps needed firstly to bring us up to speed. Plus a plan, not just to deal with any current situation, but also a comprehensive roadmap for ongoing requirements.We’ve engaged DOHR services with the fabulous Rose taking the lead with us. You’ve heard the phrase, ‘we wish we’d done it years ago’ well it’s very much applicable here.DOHR really have made us feel like we have an in-house service despite being outsourced. Professional, knowledgeable, calm, patient, and helpful.From our perspective DOHR have also helped to remove a lot of the stress associated with managing staff HR issues whilst trying to run our business.DOHR's service has freed up our time to concentrate on other things within our business. I would highly recommend DOHR as an excellent solution to other SME’s for all their HR needs.Thank you !read more
Andrew Harris
Andrew Harris
16:39 26 Jan 22
Great service and very professional throughout the whole team.
Barbara Ball
Barbara Ball
13:44 23 Nov 21
The service from DOHR has been consistently outstanding. The whole team are knowledgeable, helpful and all at a very... reasonable cost. They have helped out on every HR matter we've raised, returning calls and emails promptly and taking time to explain exactly what's needed.read more
Daniel G
Daniel G
10:33 18 Nov 21
Great agency that have supported us during our continued growth. Recommended,
Juliette stone
Juliette stone
16:45 14 Oct 21
I’ve always found Donna at DOHR to be professional, knowledgeable and trustworthy. A true expert in her field. Always... at the end of the phone to assist with queries and I’ve always been treated with care and attention. She simply is nothing short of fantastic in every way, a little like Mary Poppins 😊. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her to friends and family.read more
Saul Conway
Saul Conway
12:25 11 Oct 21
DOHR have looked after us for many years now and they are always caring , diligent and thoughtful or our needs.
Lee Rhodes
Lee Rhodes
12:31 26 May 21
I needed an employment contract drafted last minute. I contacted Donna @ DOHR who took the matter in hand immediately,... put me in touch with one of her senior advisers and between them had a first draft over to me within a day or so.The final result was excellent and I can’t thank Donna and her team enough for such a quick turn around but also great piece of work.As I grow my business further, DOHR will be my “go to” for all HR matters.read more
Andrew Rhodes
Andrew Rhodes
14:24 09 Mar 21
Donna and her team are excellent people to deal with and provide an extremely good balance of legal, commercial, and... human psychology to our HR issues. I rate them 10 out of 10.read more
Charlie Hanbury
Charlie Hanbury
14:35 20 Jan 21
DOHR have been a lifesaver for me. They are my external HR department and they save me stress and more importantly my ... time. Their staff are extremely knowledgeable and always there to help. I have also recommended them to many friends and colleagues and all have been delighted with the service and level of advice received.read more
Molly Snell
Molly Snell
10:48 18 Sep 20
I regularly use DOHR to support with my client's HR queries, employment agreements, redundancy cases etc. Donna and her... team are always efficient, knowledgeable and an absolute pleasure to deal with. They give the feeling of an in-house HR resource with the outsourced expertise!read more
Lorraine Ashover
Lorraine Ashover
21:08 31 Jan 19
I have always found Donna extremely approachable and, importantly for me, someone who gives pragmatic advice. She... takes time to get to know the company and the individual circumstances in order to give the right advice. A member of the same business group I am part of, Donna is always very generous in supporting other members where she can. I would certainly recommend talking to Donna if you have any HR issues no matter how small and simple, large or complex they are.read more
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We DO HR, but we’re a little bit different…

You’re probably sitting there thinking, ‘Yeah, how different can HR be, it’s all the same old boring stuff’, and don’t worry – we get it.

HR can be boring.  Especially when it’s the same old ‘policy, processes, procedures’ and all that jazz.  The thing is, HR is important.  It can be the difference between the life and death of an organisation, the difference between success and failure.

The trouble with most HR consultancies is that they’re too ‘by the book’.  Now, don’t for a second take that to mean that we don’t do what’s necessary to keep businesses protected and legal.  What we mean is that most HR consultancies simply can’t be bothered to put in the time and effort to find bespoke, business focused, solutions for their clients.

With DOHR, there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach.  We take the time to get to know your business, and by doing this, we understand which solution is right for you, and the work that needs to be done to arrive at that solution.

Where we’ve come from

DOHR was established in 2007 by managing director Donna Obstfeld.  Donna has over 25 years of experience in HR and management and has worked with a variety of small and medium businesses as well as large companies like TK Maxx, Hewitt Associates and Securicor.

After a career in the corporate world, Donna realised that although there were plenty of ‘HR consultancies’ out there; precious few of them actually listened to what their clients’ businesses needed and built bespoke solutions to meet those needs.  So she decided to do just that.

Now, DOHR is a established multi-award-winning one-stop-shop HR practice with a fantastic reputation – click here to read what our clients think of us.

Where we’re going

We’re on a mission.  A mission to make the lives of our clients more stress free and enjoyable.  It’s a weighty task, but we’re fully committed to it.  From the moment you pick up the phone to us, to the minute we finish completing a task for you, our mantra will always be the same – we’ll be trying to make your workplace a better place to be.

Call us now on 01923 866040 to find out how we can make your life that little bit easier. alternatively you can email us at [email protected]
or visit our get a quote page.

How we do what we do

Your business is our priority, so we allocate an HR advisor who gets to know your business and your managers. In most cases you will speak to your HR advisor for all your day to day queries. If they are not available, one of the team will be able to help.

In addition, we are able to resource projects or assignments based on the best person for the task. If you need an HR administrator – you’ve got it! If you need a heavy hitter – you’ve got it! You want some training – we give you a trainer! You want some recruitment – we give you a recruiter.

We don’t outsource your support, unless it is very specialist i.e. fire warden training, mental health first aid training or occupational health.

We ask a lot of questions!

How can we possibly advise you if we don’t understand your specific situation? We do not provide you with an off the shelf solution, everything is customised specifically for your business. This might be based on your sector or industry norms, but it might be based on your company aims, objectives, culture and values. Other factors we will take into consideration is what your policies and procedures say (you don’t want to be in breach of your own rules), what the legislation or best practice suggest, what your desired outcome is and what your attitude to risk is.

We are not led by an insurance policy, we are led by you and your business needs.

Who we do it for

We support employers; people who care about their people.

Employers who want to do the right thing, but need some help doing it.

Employment legislation is the same regardless of your sector or company size, but it is what you do from there which makes you different. It is your culture, your ethos, your values and your leadership which makes your business different and special and enables you to attract, recruit and retain the talent your business needs.

We help you to become and remain compliant, but we also help you to become an employer of choice.

The Changing Face of Human Resources

HR has gone through many guises over the years. Dating back to the social reformers of the nineteenth century such as Lord Shaftesbury and Robert Owen, the need was identified for a more caring workplace which moved away from the concepts of ‘the survival of the fittest’ and the mass exploitation of workers for the benefit of business owners. Change was slowly forced upon the factory owners when society began to shift and criticisms were levelled at those getting rich off the back of the misery of their employees. The first welfare functions were set up within businesses but their battle was uphill and hard.

There are some very famous examples of early welfare led businesses such as Cadbury, Rowntree and Lever Brothers where the Christian ethos of these Quaker families was heavily filtered into business life. Subsidised housing, sick pay and unemployment benefit was all part of the progressive packages these companies offered their staff.

The Institute of Welfare Officers was first established in 1913. Known today as the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, it is a worldwide organisation, supporting 160,000 members and is the only awarding body for chartered Learning, Development and Human Resources (HR) professionals.

All of our team are CIPD qualified and ensure that our Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is updated on a weekly, monthly and annual basis.

Over the last two years, HR has changed dramatically. This is in part due to covid, but also due to Brexit, societal changes and the Millennials entering the workplace with a much greater expectation of their rights, corporate social responsibility, environment and culture.

Still not sure exactly what HR is?

They say a picture paints a thousand words and therefore:

Many of these elements are discussed in our 52 top tips for employers videos which can be found here.

So now you need to figure out if you actually need HR for your business.

The short answer to this is: If you employ staff, you need some sort of HR.

How you get that support will vary based on your expertise, capacity and budget.

Your options are:

  • Buy it in – Outsource
  • Bring it in – Recruit
  • Do it yourself – DIY

Here’s one of our FAQ’s which might help you decide.

Call us now on 01923 866040 to find out how we can make your life that little bit easier. alternatively you can email us at [email protected] or visit our get a quote page.