Sally-Ann hails ‘leap forward’ as her Basingstoke HR consultancy grows to 30 staff in acquisition

Basingstoke’s Reality HR has acquired HR Initiatives to form one of the UK’s largest independent people management and learning and development consultancies.

Founded in 2004, Reality HR provides HR consultancy and management training services to small and medium-sized enterprises.

The deal with HR Initiatives brings the company’s combined headcount up to 30 – of which 22 are CIPD-qualified HR professionals – and its client base to around 280 businesses.

Sally-Ann Hall-Jones, CEO of Reality HR, said: “I’m immensely proud to be taking this leap forward for Reality HR.

“Our business has consistently grown in the two successful decades since it was founded, and for some time we’ve been looking to complement this growth with an opportunity to expand through acquisition.

“As a consultancy with people at the heart of everything we do, it was important to find a business that was a good cultural fit and shared our ethos of partnering strategically with businesses to help them succeed and grow.”

Laura Davis, chair of Reality HR, added: “HR Initiatives has a team of experts which sits perfectly alongside ours, with a shared commitment to developing long lasting, close partnerships with clients.

“Our combined consultancies now offer both sets of clients an even wider pool of experience and expertise to support business owners and managers in getting the best out of their people, overcoming HR challenges and growing their businesses.”

The HR Initiatives team, mostly based in and around Hertfordshire, will continue to work with their client base across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Essex and London.

Its clients are set to benefit from Reality HR’s recruitment services and learning and development team – including an executive coach and insights discovery practitioners – as well as tailored training solutions and development programmes for business leaders and managers.

Emma Williams, managing director of HR Initiatives, will remain with the business to ensure a smooth transition for her team and clients.

She said: “Just like us, the team at Reality HR are committed to helping businesses achieve their potential by putting people at the centre of their success.

“I’m delighted that our exceptional people will be joining Sally-Ann and her team, and I know they’re looking forward to playing an integral part in the future growth of Reality HR, HR Initiatives and the businesses we partner with.”

Reality HR was advised in the deal by Clarke & Son Solicitors, with accountancy support from Langdowns DFK.

HR Initiatives was advised by Machins Solicitors and Jones Hunt Keelings accountants.

• realityhr.co.uk