KFC

KFC are one just one brand of the largest restaurant company in the World – Yum brands.

Based in Woking, Surrey, they have approximately 7,000 employees based in store operations and 700 stores across the United Kingdom, about 270 of which are company owned.

Dana Humphries, Head of HR UK&I with KFC, explains why they chose to turn to Croner for support initially, and what has convinced them to continue doing so over the
years.

"We’ve built up a great relationship with Croner now. We find that the restaurant managers ring up and will ask for specific consultants by name because they like and enjoy working with that particular consultant.

“I would say it has become an extension of our HR Department. They provide a friendly, professional support and advice to our restaurant managers.”

As KFC utilise Croner Professional, they are able to access round the clock advice, meaning that the support reflects the extensive hours of the organisation.

“As HR Business Partners, we found that we couldn’t offer our restaurant managers 24-7, 365 days a year service, and when they need help they need the help immediately,” Dana says.

“If a HR Business Partner was dealing with another aspect of their role, this could prevent them from being immediately available.

“The service offered by Croner enables the restaurant managers to make that call and speak to somebody almost instantly, if that’s what they need to do, and they have access to that 365 days per year, which is a great benefit.”

Finding a HR solution to support their different sites nation-wide could have proved relatively difficult, but with Croner Professional, the business’ needs were met.

Croner Professional is able to track ongoing cases from multiple locations, bringing them together via an online platform, giving transparency and insight for employers.

By using Croner to compliment their existing HR function, the HRBP’s were able to dedicate more time to develop the business and commit to their organisational goals.

“For me, on a personal level, it’s enabled me to deal with more strategic issues, which will then enable me to add further value to the operational business,” Dana explains.

“It’s a great comfort for ourselves that we’ve got a specialist to go to, to double-check and to seek clarification, so that legally we know we’re making the right decisions.

“Certainly as HR Business Partners, it’s great to be able to have a sounding board, and the Croner Team provide that support to us as HR professionals.

“For the Line Managers, they’ve got somebody they know is qualified, has got the experience, and that legally they are getting the right advice from. They will literally take cases with them from the cradle almost to the grave.

“From start to finish they will be able to work through a case with Croner. The restaurant teams are comfortable and don’t feel that they can only call once, they are made to feel they can call as many times as they feel they need to be able to handle any case, and they are then able to get the support that they need to be able to deal with cases, so we know that the situation is going to be dealt with in-line with the law and successfully.”