Managing HR in a publishing firm

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Managing HR in a publishing firm

Veruschka Selbach is the Managing Director of Pluto books, an independent left-wing publishing firm based in London. Pluto Books was first founded in 1969 and is a currently a small, but fast-growing team.

citrus HR was already implemented before Veruschka joined the Pluto Books team five years ago, and as a company that really value their staff, having a solid foundation for HR is key. Veruschka said,

“The previous MD implemented citrus. Coming in, it was really good to have everyone’s information in one place and accessible. I didn’t need to trawl through paper files. I had all the policies and templates to work with from the start.

“citrus HR fills a role in the team we don’t currently have. It provides the handbook with all policies and allows my managers and I to see departments and staff really easily. It’s also straightforward to get any info like sick days, holiday etc., and it makes figuring things out – quick questions that you need answers to – easier.”

Regular software and legal updates

“Receiving regular email updates from the citrus HR team has been invaluable. Updates during COVID were particularly helpful; trying to navigate such a tough time, with everyone confused about furlough and where they should or could be working, meant the information was really helpful to us!”

Veruschka added, “I also find the monthly updates useful as they are quick to read, and it’s always great to be made aware of software changes, or changes in employment law. They’re always clear and let me know what to be aware of, or if I need to update any of our documents.”

Reliable support and consultants

Pluto books currently have a small team of 18 and haven’t had too many HR issues in the past five years. However, Veruschka said,

“We don’t use the support service side very often as we are quite a close team and big issues rarely happen, but occasionally we do need that type of advice.

“The consultants are always quick to get back to me and give great service. When things go wrong, you just want any issues to get solved, and the consultants definitely help achieve that.”

Veruschka added, “HR can be a minefield, so having access to advisors and a system that can help you navigate that is very useful, and well worth it. You might think you don’t need it, but when you do, you really do.

“I haven’t wanted to change to a different HR supplier at all – I would pick citrus HR again and have recommended to other publishers that I know.”

Find out more about Pluto Books here.