An ambitious human resources company has invested in a new Darlington office as part of expansion plans that will see it double in size.
Outsourced HR was set up by people management expert Sasha Warr after a career in London handling the HR needs of big corporates including Toshiba UK, Renault and Inchcape Motors.
A move back to her native North East in 2010 saw Sasha put down roots in Darlington, where she steadily grew her one-woman consultancy to support local businesses and organisations ranging from GP practices to construction companies.
Following a surge in demand for her services from local SMEs during Covid, Sasha decided to grow the business, recruiting two new HR experts. Now, the team has moved into a new office at Business Central, where it plans to double its headcount to six as part of its growth plans for the next year.
“There was a real step-change in demand for our services during Covid,” Sasha said. “Our clients said we stood shoulder to shoulder with them through tricky times.
“They could focus on running their business safe in the knowledge that their HR needs were looked after. Our business has gone from strength to strength ever since.
“Our next phase of growth will come increasing our SME client base and working with larger companies. At the moment, we mainly focus on helping SMEs but we plan to target more larger corporates who need an HR director service or who are looking at their people management strategy.”
The Outsourced HR team has a combined six decades of HR experience within household name organisations and take great professional pride in the fact they’ve not lost an employment tribunal those 60 years.
The company offers flexible packages ranging from ad hoc pay-as-you-go advice to a regular on-site HR presence with HR software installed if required. The business’s latest service development focuses on supporting local SMEs with mandatory changes to the law regarding equality, diversity and inclusivity.
Sasha said the company’s move to Business Central has always been her dream.
She said: “I’ve had my eye on Business Central for years! I always knew I wanted to be here and I’m so glad to have finally made it. It’s a really exciting time for the business and this is exactly where I want it to happen.
“Our office is in a fantastic spot right next to reception so we’re plugged right into the busy community that already exists here. We’re already making business contacts within the building and really enjoying getting to know our fellow residents”.
Business Central Manager Vanessa Wood added: “It’s fantastic to have the Outsourced HR team join our thriving business centre and we can’t wait to see what’s next for this ambitious company.
“The Central Park business community has a real momentum behind it with exciting developments happening every day and I’m sure Outsourced will benefit enormously from the chance to be part of this.”
Business Central and neighbouring sister site Innovation Central are owned by Darlington Borough Council and are managed by the North East BIC. They provide a connected business community at the heart of the town’s Central Park development, offering a choice of coworking, office and lab space along with meeting rooms, events and shared services designed to help today’s entrepreneurs to innovate and thrive.