# Encourager
> HR Consulting and Leadership Coaching for Startups, SMEs and Growing Businesses

## About
Encourager is an HR consultancy and coaching practice founded by Steve Thompson, an experienced HR director who has worked in-house at senior level across a range of sectors, with particular depth in technology companies. Steve brings both strategic thinking and hands-on delivery — he has lived the work, not just advised on it.

Encourager works with startups, SMEs and private equity-backed businesses across the UK and internationally, and is based in Horsham, West Sussex.

## Services

### Fractional HR
Senior HR leadership embedded into a business on a flexible basis — from a day or two a month to a couple of days a week. Designed for businesses that need experienced HR capability without the cost of a full-time hire. Covers hiring, performance, exits, pay, employee relations and retention.

### Project HR
Defined-scope HR work delivered end to end. Includes restructures, redundancy and TUPE; interim HR cover; policy and handbook builds; and handling sensitive or complex employee relations cases such as grievances, disciplinaries and settlement agreements.

### HR Tech Selection
Vendor-agnostic advice on selecting and implementing HR systems. Steve has direct experience using platforms including SuccessFactors, BambooHR, Workable, Greenhouse and Lattice. Support covers selection, implementation oversight and adoption — ensuring the system actually gets used.

### Executive and Leadership Coaching
One-to-one coaching for founders, executives and senior leaders. Focused on helping leaders grow their confidence, capability and impact — particularly in people-related decisions and building healthier team cultures.

## Who Encourager Works With
- Startups and scale-ups building their people function for the first time
- SMEs navigating growth, change or complexity
- Private equity-backed businesses going through transformation
- Founders and senior leaders who want strategic and practical HR support
- Technology companies (a particular area of experience)
- UK-based and international clients

## What Makes Encourager Different
Steve Thompson is both strategic and hands-on. Having served as an HR director in-house, he understands what it actually takes to run HR in a growing business — not just what the textbook says. Clients get senior-level thinking combined with practical, roll-up-your-sleeves delivery.

## Contact and Location
- Website: https://www.encourager.co.uk
- Based in Horsham, West Sussex, UK
- Works with clients locally, nationally and internationally