Limelight HR

Limelight HR Helping businesses tackle the challenges of HR while preparing them for a bigger and brighter future.

Our story is simple; we’re built on a passion for bringing fun and laughter to the workplace that creates happy, productive employees and, of course, happy bosses. Your people are your biggest asset, and their well-being and performance directly affect the success of your company. At Limelight HR, we’re passionate about working with creative, forward-thinking companies and media businesses to crea

te an individual approach to HR. We work with you to identify the methods, solutions and best practices that best allow you to deal with any issues, manage your workforce and support your company in reaching its full potential. Your company is unique; we take the time to get to know the ins and outs, so that we can provide expert advice that’s tailored to the needs of your company. And you’ll be supported by us from start to finish, allowing you to sit back and focus on what matters most; running your business. Limelight HR has a wealth of experience to offer; our founder, Sally Bendtson, has over 10 years’ experience in the field, and has worked for high-profile brands including the BBC, Red Bee Media, Guardian News Network, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and MTV – as well as in the hospitality, finance and property investment sectors. Companies within the creative media and production industry come with additional challenges, but we have that covered. Building on Sally’s past experience in media and the arts, we have worked with many media agencies – it’s our speciality and we love it. HR may have a reputation for being boring; and it’s true, it can be dull – but not the way that Limelight does it. We aim to have fun, and create an approach that’s truly personalised to your company. Say goodbye to rigid processes and confusing jargon, and hello to truly personalised, creative solutions that allow your people – and your company - to thrive. If you like the sound of how we do things, then we’d love to hear from you. You can get in touch by phone on 01423 206909 or email at [email protected].

August is a funny old month at work.One person is in Spain.Someone else is at Center Parcs.Three people appear to be cov...
10/08/2026

August is a funny old month at work.

One person is in Spain.

Someone else is at Center Parcs.

Three people appear to be covering everything. And nobody can remember who knows THE password.

Before someone goes away, ask:

What genuinely needs doing while you’re off?

What can wait?

Who needs to know what?

Where is the information someone might need?

That’s usually enough.

And please, please please check in with the people who are still there.

Being reliable shouldn’t automatically earn you everybody else’s workload.

I always smile when someone tells me:"We've got loads of employee benefits."My next question is always..."Which ones do ...
07/08/2026

I always smile when someone tells me:

"We've got loads of employee benefits."

My next question is always...

"Which ones do your team actually value?"

Tumbleweeds follow.

A lot of businesses build a benefits package based on what other companies offer.

Or what they think people want.

Or what was trendy three years ago.

Instead of peeing this money up the wall, just ask.

If you had a small budget to make working here better, what would make the biggest difference?

You might hear:

Flexible hours.

Extra annual leave.

Training.

Health support.

Better coffee.

(You'd be amazed how often it's coffee.)

The best benefits are the ones your people genuinely appreciate and use, so ask them what those are.

So ask what would actually make a difference, be of support, be more fun and see what you can do.

Someone returning from maternity leave has enough on their mind.Worrying about where they can express milk at work shoul...
05/08/2026

Someone returning from maternity leave has enough on their mind.

Worrying about where they can express milk at work shouldn't be one of them.

If someone tells you they're breastfeeding when they return, take a little time to plan ahead.

Is there somewhere private they can use?

Have you reviewed any health and safety risks?

Does their manager know what's been agreed?

Have you actually asked what support would help?

None of this needs to be complicated.

Most of it starts with a conversation.

When people feel supported coming back to work, they're much more likely to settle back in quickly and stay for the long term, so please ask them what support they need and do what you can to facilitate that.

When did you last ask "why"?Not "why did this go wrong?"Earlier than that.Why do we approve holidays this way?Why does e...
31/07/2026

When did you last ask "why"?

Not "why did this go wrong?"

Earlier than that.

Why do we approve holidays this way?

Why does every decision have to come through me?

Why are we having this meeting?

Why does only one person know how to do that?

Why does this role still look exactly as it did three years ago when the business has doubled?

Some of the biggest drains on a business aren't dramatic enough to demand attention.

They're just mildly annoying.

Every day.

For years.

You work around them so often that eventually you stop noticing them.

Pick one this week.

One process.

One recurring frustration.

One thing everyone complains about but nobody changes.

Ask why you're still doing it that way.

You don't need to overhaul the whole business.

You might just find one small change that makes everyone's working day a bit easier.

And I'll take that as a win.

A client rings you up absolutely raging about someone on your team.They want them taken off the account.Immediately.And ...
30/07/2026

A client rings you up absolutely raging about someone on your team.

They want them taken off the account.

Immediately.

And It’s so tempting to say yes.

They’re the client. You want to protect the relationship.

But you’re also an employer.

A complaint is something to investigate, not an instruction to sack someone.

Hear the client out.

Speak to your person.

Get the facts.

Keep notes.

Then decide what actually needs to happen.

Sometimes it will be a disciplinary matter.

Sometimes it will be training.

Sometimes there are two very different versions of what happened.

You can take a client complaint seriously without throwing your own person under the bus.

That’s usually better for everyone involved.

Does everybody know whose job it is?"We all muck in."I hear this a lot in small businesses.And I love the spirit behind ...
24/07/2026

Does everybody know whose job it is?

"We all muck in."

I hear this a lot in small businesses.

And I love the spirit behind it, I really do. One big happy family, doing what needs to be done for the greater good.

Until "we all muck in" becomes:

"I thought Sarah was doing that."
"No, I thought James had it."
"I didn't know that was mine."

Annnnnnnd deadline missed.

Having a flexible team is brilliant.

Having a team where nobody quite knows who owns what is considerably less brilliant.

People need to know:

What am I responsible for?
What decisions can I make?
Where does my role stop and someone else's start?
Who owns this when something goes wrong?

A little clarity saves a whopping amount of duplication, frustration and awkwardness.

You can still muck in.

Just make sure someone knows who's meant to be doing the mucking.

The people who cause the least fuss are very easy to forget.They turn up.They do their work.They don't complain.They rar...
22/07/2026

The people who cause the least fuss are very easy to forget.

They turn up.
They do their work.
They don't complain.
They rarely ask for anything.

So managers naturally spend more time with the people who need help, have performance issues or make the most noise.

Meanwhile, your dependable person quietly gets on with it.

And then one day, they hand you their notice.

And everyone says:

"I had no idea they were unhappy."

Don't mistake quiet for happy.
Don't mistake capable for not needing support.
And don't save your attention for whoever shouts loudest.

Make sure the easy-to-manage people get just as much conversation as everybody else.

Check in, ask them how they are!

They will have been waiting for you to ask.

Who's allowed to make a mistake in your business?I know that's a question with a bit of a sting in its tail. But when so...
20/07/2026

Who's allowed to make a mistake in your business?

I know that's a question with a bit of a sting in its tail.

But when someone in your team makes a mistake, what happens next?

Do they tell you?
Do they try to fix it?
Or do they spend three days freaking out, hoping nobody notices?

That tells you quite a lot about your workplace.

People make mistakes. Managers make mistakes. Business owners definitely make mistakes.
The important bit is what happens in the aftermath.
If people feel able to say, "Gaaaaaaaaah I've messed this up and I need some help", you can usually sort things much sooner.

If they're frightened of the reaction, small problems get hidden. Then they become much bigger problems.

Creating that kind of openness doesn't require a new policy.

It starts with how you respond the next time someone says:

"I need to tell you something..."

One of the best questions you can ask yourself as a manager and/or a business owner is:"If this person was off tomorrow,...
17/07/2026

One of the best questions you can ask yourself as a manager and/or a business owner is:

"If this person was off tomorrow, what would stop?"

Not because you're expecting anyone to leave, but rather because every business has little pockets of knowledge that only one person holds.

The password only they know.
The client relationship only they manage.
The report only they can run.

And summer holidays have a sneaky habit of exposing those gaps.

So now is a good time to get ready before the hols hit.
A simple handover document.
A shared folder.
A quick walkthrough with a colleague.

None of those take long, and they make life easier for everyone.
Nobody should feel they have to carry the whole business on their shoulders.

Business owners often ask me whether they're "allowed" to say no.I mean, sure you can!I think a better question is:"How ...
15/07/2026

Business owners often ask me whether they're "allowed" to say no.

I mean, sure you can!

I think a better question is:

"How did you get to your decision?"

That applies to flexible working.
Performance.
Annual leave.
Recruitment.

People don't always agree with decisions, but they're much more likely to accept them when they've been listened to and understand why the decision was made.

Good HR really isn't about saying yes to everyone.
It's about making fair decisions that you can stand behind.

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Harrogate
HG12PW

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Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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