For the Club Secretary, James Nairn and the board at Crowborough Beacon Golf Club, it was not only important to engage the services of a human resources specialist but one who has detailed and specialist knowledge of the golfing industry.
“Without a doubt both golfing and HR knowledge are important. We have nine full-time employees spread across three different categories. There are office staff, house staff and green staff all with different requirements and having someone who understands that from the off makes it very easy.”
Working with staff can throw up new challenges almost daily, which can catch organisations unawares especially if they don’t have access to HR advice. Even the best employers in the world who are totally supportive of their staff can come unstuck without a professional HR capability.
A recent HR matter that James and Crowborough experienced was a workplace injury, a complaint that can present a tangle of issues and laws to navigate. Fortunately, they could turn to Golf HR for help.
“An employee raised concerns about a hearing-based industrial injury he felt had occurred and Golf HR gave us a step-by-step guide as to what we should do to make his working environment as comfortable as possible and to ensure there was no follow-on.
“This included speaking to his medical experts and making sure we were doing everything to assist the employee. That we were following this formal advice reassured the employee as much as it did us.”
For James, having specialist golfing HR support on tap not only fulfils the desire to do things properly but brings peace of mind and huge time savings.
“There are many facets to the roles of club managers and club secretaries. One minute we can be emptying the bins, the next dealing with a member’s complaint and the next looking at staff contracts. These take up a huge amount of time so having someone with the knowledge and understanding of the golfing environment behind you is very reassuring and helpful.”
James Nairn
Club Secretary