HR Partnership: ATL Composites
ATL Composites is a Brisbane-based epoxy formulator and leading supplier of advanced composite materials, with over 40 years in the industry serving marine, automotive, architectural, and civil markets. Their Brisbane-based workshop and office serves as the base for approximately 25 employees, with the business managed by two directors.
The Challenge
The directors at ATL Composites are actively involved in business operations, each juggling multiple roles and business functions. Overseeing a team of around 20 people, one director was handling the HR responsibilities of the business on top of their day-to-day role.
With increasing HR demands, like keeping up with evolving workplace legislation, managing HR compliance, and overseeing people management, they recognised that they needed some extra help to give the HR function the amount of time and focus it needed.
ATL made the decision to outsource their HR to Davy Partners to take care of HR compliance and processes, and provide the business with HR support and guidance when needed.
Our Solution
ATL partners with Davy Partners through a monthly 20-hour HR support membership. Our HR Partner, Gemma, has worked with ATL since 2022. Here’s how we made an impact:
1. Creating solid HR foundations
We kicked things off with a full audit of ATL’s HR documentation and processes, including policies, position descriptions, performance reviews, and onboarding/offboarding procedures. While ATL did have policies and key documentation in place, they were originally designed with a key focus on compliance and ISO requirements, and there was an opportunity to make their policies easier to understand for the whole team.
Our goal was to make HR information more accessible. We streamlined and reduced the number of individual policies, cut unnecessary content, and removed any overlap, making them clearer and easier to navigate, all while ensuring everything was up to date with legislation and compliance. Templates for key HR processes like onboarding and performance reviews were also revamped to focus on sharing meaningful information and actionable feedback rather than just ticking boxes.
2. Clarifying roles and expectations
After looking at the overall team structure we wanted to make sure everyone, at every level, had a clear idea of the role they played in supporting the business. Through a deep dive into position descriptions (PDs), we found that many roles had evolved over time, but the PDs hadn’t kept up.
Working closely with managers and team members, we updated PDs so they more accurately represented the reality of their current roles. We also made the shift from a task-list-style template to outcome-based descriptions. This meant each area of responsibility was clearly defined and directly linked to success measures for that specific area, giving both employees and managers a better understanding of expectations and performance goals.
3. Manager coaching and upskilling
Before partnering with Davy Partners, one director handled all people management-related tasks. We saw an opportunity to shift some of these responsibilities to team managers, giving them professional growth and development while equipping them with the skills and confidence to play a more active role in managing their team.
Gemma guided managers through key HR processes, helping them navigate performance conversations, onboard new hires, and handle any team issues as they came up. Having a dedicated HR partner on hand meant managers could ask questions and get support when needed, making the transition smoother.
4. Ongoing HR support
With our HR Partner Gemma operating as ATL's outsourced HR manager she takes care of core HR functions and serves as the first port of call for any HR-related queries.
Fortnightly site visits allow for time to check in with managers, address any team concerns, and provide face-to-face support when needed.
The Results
- By upskilling their managers, the workload involved with people management has been shared more effectively.
- Clearer processes and well-structured templates mean managers now have a roadmap for handling HR procedures and having a dedicated person in the HR role means they have someone to go to for support to help manage their team confidently.
- Having a HR partner as the go-to for any employee related issues has meant they are addressed quickly and in line with best practices.