Hiring is one of the biggest investments a small business makes — and one of the easiest to get wrong. We help Sussex and Surrey employers recruit compliantly, avoid discrimination and right-to-work pitfalls, and onboard new starters so they settle quickly and stay.
You’re about to advertise a role
You want a fair, defensible selection process
You’re unsure about right-to-work checks
New starters aren’t settling or staying
Recruitment is full of legal touchpoints: how you word an advert, how you shortlist, the questions you ask, the checks you run. Get any of them wrong and you risk a discrimination claim before the person has even started — or an illegal-working penalty if right-to-work checks slip.
And hiring is only half the job: poor onboarding is a leading cause of early leavers.
That’s where MJV Consulting comes in. We make recruitment fair, compliant and effective from advert to induction.
Recruitment has a number of legal touchpoints — how a role is advertised, how candidates are shortlisted, the questions asked, and the checks completed. Handling them fairly and consistently protects your business and gives every candidate a positive experience of you.
Right-to-work checks need to be correct, and good onboarding makes all the difference to whether a new starter settles and stays. We help you get both right, so your investment in hiring pays off.
We help you write a clear job description, person specification and inclusive advert that attracts the right people, fairly.
We build a consistent, defensible shortlisting and interview process — with the right questions and scoring to avoid bias.
We make sure right-to-work, references and any required checks are done correctly, so your hire is compliant from day one.
We give you a structured induction plan so new starters get up to speed, feel welcome, and are far more likely to stay.
The framework we work through with every client — and the
version we’re happy to talk through on a free discovery call.
✓ Fair, compliant recruitment from advert to offer
✓ Guidance that keeps you clear of discrimination risk
✓ Correct right-to-work and pre-employment checks
✓ Structured onboarding that improves retention
✓ Support for one-off hires or ongoing recruitment
You must confirm that everyone you employ has the right to work in the UK, before they start, using the correct check for their circumstances and keeping proper records. Done consistently for every hire, it protects your business and is straightforward once set up. We’ll help you put a reliable checking process in place.
Fair recruitment means focusing on what the role genuinely requires, applying consistent criteria, and being mindful of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act at every stage — from advert to offer. Get the structure right and fairness largely follows. We’ll help you design a process that’s fair and easy for your managers to run.
You can, but there may be consequences depending on the circumstances — a withdrawn offer can breach the contract that an accepted offer creates, and withdrawing for a discriminatory reason carries real risk. Conditional offers give you more room. We’ll help you make and, if needed, withdraw offers the right way.
A probation period is a useful, structured way to confirm a new hire is the right fit, with regular check-ins rather than a single verdict at the end. Note that under the Employment Rights Act 2025, day-one unfair dismissal rights and a statutory probation period are expected, so probation will work a little differently. (Timings are still being finalised.) We’ll help you set it up well.
At minimum, a new starter should have their written statement of terms on or before day one, a completed right to work check, and the basics for pay and onboarding in place. Getting the paperwork sorted early lets everyone focus on settling in. We’ll give you a simple day-one checklist to work from.
More than most businesses expect. A structured first few weeks — clear expectations, a proper welcome and early support — is one of the biggest factors in whether a good hire stays and thrives. It’s where recruitment effort either pays off or leaks away. We’ll help you build an onboarding process that makes new starters want to stay.
References are a sensible, expected part of hiring; wider checks need more care, keeping them relevant to the role and mindful of fairness and data protection. Judging someone on irrelevant personal information invites trouble. We’ll help you set proportionate, consistent checks that give you useful information without overstepping.
Steer clear of anything that touches on a protected characteristic unless it’s genuinely relevant to the role — questions about age, marital status, plans to have children, health or religion can all lead to trouble, even when well meant. Keep questions focused on the skills and requirements of the job. We can help you build a fair, consistent set of interview questions.
Usually yes, provided the contract allows for it and you tell the person clearly before the original period ends. An extension can be the fair thing to do — it gives someone a genuine further chance to settle in rather than deciding too soon. We’ll help you word it supportively and keep the paperwork straight.
A probation period usually does this job more cleanly than an informal ‘trial’ — the person is properly employed from day one, but you both treat the early months as a settling-in period with clear reviews. That protects you and reassures them. We’ll help you set the length and expectations so it works for both sides.
Your employees deserve a workplace where they can thrive and so does your business. Contact MJV Consulting to explore how our workplace wellbeing solutions can transform your organisation.
