A MOTHER-OF-ONE has launched her first app with an investment of £120,000 after discovering a pent-up demand from distressed employees needing access to advice.
Stephanie Robinson, a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), spotted a gap in the market for a platform that employees could reach out to for quick, clear and impartial advice tailored to their situation.
Now the 38-year-old is on a mission to empower employees with instant HR and legal advice with her app, HR Solver, which connects employees with qualified HR experts and provides them with a raft of free resources and articles.
Since its beta launch in October last year, the bootstrapped app has already made HR advice accessible to more than 2000 users.
Robinson, who lives in East Calder, West Lothian, said: “For me, it’s all about enhancing employees’ dignity and knowledge and ultimately improving their experiences at work – when this is achieved, both employees and employers win.
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“Employment issues are hard to handle and fraught with emotion for employees and employers. The key to resolving these issues fairly is following procedures, adopting a non-judgmental approach, and helping employees get to grips with all of the employment rights available.”
HR Solver is Robinson’s second foray into business, following in the footsteps of her first successful company Solve, which she set up in 2011, providing commercially sound, ethical HR guidance to employers.
She added: “I realised just how many employees are in desperate need of discreet and accessible advice, and very few have any options besides costly lawyers, citizen’s advice or unions.
“I’m passionate about building a platform which empowers people and helps them with any HR issues they might have.
“It’s extremely rewarding to see instances where we’ve helped someone achieve a positive outcome for someone who’s not being treated fairly – especially in situations where they’re worried about losing the job which supports their family.”
Robinson employs a team of qualified HR experts and her app is free to download for iPhone and Android.
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