HR audit services for companies expanding into Europe

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Preparing your business for European expansion can prove exciting, successful, overwhelming, and stressful — often simultaneously. If you’re a US or UK business owner, the current policies and procedures you currently have in place for your employees may not comply with the labor laws of countries in Europe.

Compliance with the European Union (EU), national, and regional employment regulations and labor laws is vital to ensure your company’s successful growth. Whether you choose to hire remote teams or inhouse staff, you need to build a solid Human Resources (HR) foundation to create a healthy, thriving workplace.

Outsourcing HR audit services and other fundamental HR tasks for companies expanding into Europe may provide numerous benefits. Let the knowledgeable team at Europe HR Solutions conduct your HR audits so that you can focus on the big picture and grow your company.

What you need to know about HR audit services

If you’ve already launched a small or mid-sized company in the US or UK, then you know that HR audits are a vital component to reflect on your company’s best practices and opportunities for growth.

A well-managed, yearly company audit can be the difference between struggling or flourishing in the European expansion of your business. Let’s take a look at the definition and importance of HR audits, the different types of HR audits, how Europe HR Solutions can help, and whether or not you should outsource your HR audit services.

What is an HR audit?
Different types of HR audits
Why HR audit services are important for European company expansion
How Europe HR Solutions can help
Why you should outsource HR audit services
HR audit checklist for companies expanding into Europe
Contact Europe HR Solutions

What is an HR audit?

Every business requires HR tasks, and you should ensure that your US or UK business has well-established HR practices in place before you expand your operations to Europe. However, the nuances in each country’s culture and business practices may mean you need to make some changes to the practices you implemented at home.

An HR audit is a way to objectively look at the policies and procedures you’ve created and how they contribute to the success or stagnation of your company. However, you’ll have to determine what type of HR audit you need to correctly assess your employees and internal practices.

For example, if you primarily employ remote talent, your policies and procedures may look vastly different than if you have a full in-person team.

Different types of HR audits

At Europe HR Solutions, we understand that you may need custom HR audit services that will allow you to assess specific areas of your company so that you can address any concerns or necessary changes.

Some of the different types of HR audit services you may need include:

Best practices audit

A best practices audit allows you to compare the practices you’ve implemented as your company expands to Europe.

Whether you outsource this type of HR audit or choose to have an inhouse HR department conduct it, it will analyze, compare, and contrast your practices with other companies in your market operating in the European countries where you’ve chosen to expand.

Compliance audit

Compliance audits are among the most important audits for your company. Your outsourced or inhouse HR team should regularly conduct a compliance audit to ensure your company adheres to the employee regulations and labor laws in place in any European country you chose to establish your business.

Labor laws can constantly evolve, and if you fail to comply, you could find your business the target of lawsuits, legal sanctions, or even closure.

Culture audit

An HR culture audit allows you to see the strengths and weaknesses of your workplace culture and find ways to improve it or enhance the positive aspects of your work environment. Outsourcing HR for a culture audit can allow you to gain an important outsider’s perspective.

Function-specific audit

You may find that as you establish the European expansion of your company, you need to focus on one specific area of HR to audit.

For example, perhaps you feel your benefits implementation or payroll practices need to be audited. An outsourced HR team can perform a function-specific audit for you.

Job description audit

If you find that your job descriptions need constant updating or don’t contain enough appealing keywords to attract top-tier talent, you may need HR professionals to perform a job description audit.

Policies audit

Your internal policies should remain consistent and customized for the type of workforce you employ. As your company grows from a small to a middle-sized business, you may find that additional operational policies need to be implemented.

An HR policies audit can pinpoint where your employee handbooks and procedures need to be changed or enforced.

Strategic audit

A strategic audit is a comprehensive look at all of your HR practices and needs. This audit will help you to determine how your HR policies are currently implemented and where you need customized HR solutions in the future.

Recruitment (talent acquisition) audit

It’s important that you have a plan to help you attract the best talent fits for your company needs. An HR team can perform a talent acquisition audit to discover where your open position promotions and hiring processes may need improvement.

Consult with legal counsel or HR professionals to tailor this checklist to your specific needs.

Why HR audit services are important for European company expansion

In order to position your US or UK company for expansion into Europe, you need to have excellent HR management in place. Strategic HR solutions should be shaped around your company’s mission and values, comply with European labor laws, and should give your employees a clear vision of their job duties.

HR audits can accurately assess the specific areas where improvements or changes in procedures are necessary. An inhouse HR department can perform audit services, and many large companies turn to their HR department heads to implement audits. 

However, outsourcing HR audit services for US and UK companies expanding into Europe may provide fresh sets of eyes and an unbiased perspective. Assessments of specific culture and operations needs, labor law compliance, and policies and procedures should be conducted at least once per year.

How Europe HR Solutions can help

At Europe HR Solutions, we have provided HR audit services to countless US and UK companies expanding to Europe. We understand the HR and legal nuances that vary from country to country, and can provide the customized solutions you need to ensure your company’s successful growth.

If you outsource your HR audit services to Europe HR Solutions, we can do the following:

  • Ensure highly-trained HR professionals are conducting your audits
  • Provide an assessment and baseline for your current operations and HR policies
  • Identify the excellent HR practices you already have in place and any areas in need of improvement
  • Point out any compliance issues with local employment regulations and labor laws
  • Discover and list any workflow issues
  • Discern if your company has any outdated or ineffective policies and procedures
  • Provide detailed suggestions on how to adhere to and comply with labor laws
  • Perform stand-alone or strategic HR audits

Why you should outsource HR audit services

HR audits are key elements to the success of US and UK companies preparing for European expansion. Regardless of which professionals you choose to conduct your audits, the end result should reflect necessary changes and room for operational growth.

Outsourcing your HR audit services offers you an outside, unbiased perspective that an inhouse team may be more reluctant to share. An outsourced HR team may be more apt to concretely point out constructive criticism that points toward actionable steps your company can take to succeed.

An HR audit checklist is a valuable tool for ensuring that your human resources practices and processes are in compliance with legal requirements and aligned with best practices.

HR audit checklist for companies expanding into Europe

An HR audit is imperative as you expand your company beyond your US or UK borders, as it will help you successfully launch your European operations. Before you conduct an audit, it’s important to discern what practices and procedures you should focus on.

 A checklist can help you prepare, and if you’re outsourcing your HR audit, allow you to contract for your specific needs. Although the checklist may vary for function-specific audits, a general, strategic audit questionnaire can help get you started.

Here are some of the standard questions that should appear on your audit checklist and be answered with each audit:

  • Do your HR practices adhere to your company’s mission statement and overall values?
  • What employee training programs do you have in place? Does each new employee undergo training?
  • Are your practices compliant with the labor laws in each country where your company operates?
  • How does the chain of communication operate within your team?
  • What is your recruitment process? Have you attracted the best talent to fit your needs? What is your employee retainment rate?
  • How do your recruitment processes and employee benefit packages compare to similar companies in your industry? Are they competitive?
  • Are your job descriptions accurate, appealing, and compliant with Europe labor laws?
  • Do you have an accurate employee handbook? Do you implement changes in the handbook when necessary?
  • Do you have HR policies in place that are in alignment with the specific culture and laws where you operate?
  • Do you have competitive salaries for each position within your business?
  • What benefits packages do you offer and how easy are they to access?
  • Are performance expectations clearly communicated?

Contact Europe HR Solutions

Europe HR Solutions has helped fill the HR needs of many US and UK companies that expand into European countries. We’re well-versed in EU, national, and local labor laws and can help your company to meet compliance and remain within legal regulations.

We are passionate about helping you realize your dreams and seamlessly grow your global operations. Our professional team conducts HR audit services for companies expanding into Europe, and can provide the solutions you need for all of your HR needs.  

Whether you just need yearly audit services, or are looking for consultants to manage your overall HR, we can help. Let us alleviate your stress and take care of the compliance of your policies and procedures, onboarding and offboarding, talent acquisition, and employee training so that you can focus on the growth of your company.

Contact us for an initial consultation on HR audit services, and check out our blog for the latest tips and insights into HR in Europe.

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    Our Client Testimonials

    We are proud to have worked with numerous UK- and US-based businesses as they have started their operations in Europe, including startups, acquisitions, and expansions.

    Here is what some of them have to say:

    Christina Lambourne
    Europe HR Solutions have been vital to the HR journey of our business. To begin with we had two...
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    Christina Lambourne
    Europe HR Solutions have been vital to the HR journey of our business. To begin with we had two small acquired businesses and one newly founded company which all needed some structure and a lot of knowledge as a good foundation. Inez’ team in UK, Germany, France and the Netherlands have been hugely supportive and were fundamental to put in place the solid policies and the processes we now have in place. Their highly professional approach in combination with true empathy and flexibility was a breath of fresh air. We had a true partnership for over 18 months now and know we can rely on the team in day to day as well as critical and more challenging situations. Europe HR Solutions have supported us with recruitment, general HR advisory, policies, TUPE, Coaching, redundancies, and everything in between. As the CFO for the business, I’m eternally grateful for all the very practical and human support I have received to date and look forward to continuing this relationship.
    Katie Rink
    Inez and her team at Europe HR Solutions are a delight to work with. I first met Inez back...
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    Katie Rink
    Inez and her team at Europe HR Solutions are a delight to work with. I first met Inez back in 2015, and at that time, she helped me navigate hiring my Company’s 1st employee in the Netherlands. In 2024, I found myself in a similar situation, and once again, I needed guidance to help navigate employment law, this time in France and Germany. Inez was quick to respond, easy to schedule time with, and she did a fabulous job listening/learning about my Company’s current state and our need. Quickly, she connected me with the country specific consultants from her team, who were both personable and knowledgeable, and I look forward to the next time I get to reach out to them again. Inez and her team are amazing resources that I am lucky to have as part of my network.
    Elke Taylor
    Europe HR Solutions delivered employee handbooks for multiple countries in English and also local language. They provided local expertise for ...
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    Elke Taylor
    Europe HR Solutions delivered employee handbooks for multiple countries in English and also local language. They provided local expertise for those countries and were able to answer the multiple questions from the business and employees. Their responsiveness, quality of expertise & knowledge, output on deliverables was excellent therefore I have already worked with them on further projects and hope to do so in the future again.
    Scott Rude
    Europe HR Solutions are talented, experienced and creative professionals. When we needed expertise in the European market for our personnel ...
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    Scott Rude
    Europe HR Solutions are talented, experienced and creative professionals. When we needed expertise in the European market for our personnel needs we experienced exceptional service and insight from them. They know the market and have the resources/network to get answers to the tough issues facing a U.S. company like ours, who does not have a core competency in Europe. Europe HR Solutions has my highest respect and appreciation for their service to our company. I would be glad to provide insight on their skills at any time. Scott Rudi, snrude@yahoo.com
    Paul Grafham
    Europe HR Solutions has consistently delivered high quality work in all of the projects that she has been involved in. ...
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    Paul Grafham
    Europe HR Solutions has consistently delivered high quality work in all of the projects that she has been involved in. The professional approach that they display is combined with a very personable manner, which has helped integrate them into the AngioDynamics team, and their expertise has assisted significantly in the growth of the international business. I would not hesitate to recommend Europe HR Solutions and the consultancy services offered, and believe they would be an asset to any organisation.
    Ignasi Vivas
    I had the pleasure of working with Inez at different levels at American Medical Systems. Inez was able to provide ...
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    Ignasi Vivas
    I had the pleasure of working with Inez at different levels at American Medical Systems. Inez was able to provide us a Strategic view of what Human Resources can provide to an organization by being a true partner. With her as a leader, we were able to build processes as well as development plans, that helped us to move from a small to a mid size company. She guided us to always focuse on people, which lead us to become a stronger and bigger organization.
    Michelle Simpson
    Working with Inez and her team of partners in HR Europe has become a valuable partnership to Cold Jet. Their ...
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    Michelle Simpson
    Working with Inez and her team of partners in HR Europe has become a valuable partnership to Cold Jet. Their response time is excellent and the care they take in their response to our team has been appreciated. HR Europe has been a great resource for us to quickly address employment matters that cross many European borders. They make business a pleasure and they have quickly become an extenstion of our team. We look forward to continuing our relationship with them.
    Michelle Simpson
    Michelle Simpson
    Melanie Girardin
    Europe HR Solutons is my go to organization for anything related to employment matters in the Dutch market. They are ...
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    Melanie Girardin
    Europe HR Solutons is my go to organization for anything related to employment matters in the Dutch market. They are one of the most talented and efficient HR professionals I've ever met. This is a great pleasure to work with them. They are creative problem solvers, and trustworthy Advisors. Their recommendations are well thought out and clearly articulated. I give them my highest recommendation, without reservation.
    Ann Beckers
    Since a few months, Inez coaches me in creating my own vision, my purpose and my goals, as well in ...
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    Ann Beckers
    Since a few months, Inez coaches me in creating my own vision, my purpose and my goals, as well in my professional, as in my personal life. As a result, I feel much more confident, focused and relaxed. I have learned to know Inez as a very special person. She is one of those rare people who have the extraordinary gift of being a good listener. Do not expect abstract discussions about your career or your future. You can expect immediate results of a dedicated professional coach, who will support you to focus on the challenges and the goals that are really important to you.
    Andy Brown
    Europe HR Solutions have provided exceptional service consistently over a number of years to Genea Biomedx in Europe. As a ...
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    Andy Brown
    Europe HR Solutions have provided exceptional service consistently over a number of years to Genea Biomedx in Europe. As a business head quartered in Australia with no inhouse HR support on the ground in Europe this has been invaluable, not only during the start-up phase but also as the business has expanded. I highly recommend them.
    Check out our testimonials page to hear from more of our happy and satisfied clients! 

    Why choose Europe HR Solutions?

    Speed
    Our HR services professionals can start immediately and send answers to your needs within 24 hours or less.

    Immediately Operational & High Quality
    Our human resources consultants in Europe have many years of expertise. Our team will be able to help you immediately with your questions and projects.

    Flexibility
    We are HR experts who serve on an ad hoc basis, interim basis, project and retainer basis from a few weeks, months up to several years.

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