1 What are the strengths and weaknesses of the approach to managing people at Baringa?Baringa Partners was recently named the UK’s Best Place to Work among SMEs for the third successive year. A people-

centric culture forms the bedrock of Baringa, a UK‑based consulting firm. Operating in the financial services, energy and utilities sectors, Baringa has developed a great-

place‑to‑work culture that aims to inspire and guide employees to grow personally. Senior Partner Jim Haward explains, ‘Our employees deserve to be fully supported through their careers, even if they are not working in a central office . . . rather than simply being an HR formality, we have processes ingrained throughout the company’

(quoted in Politt, 2012). The following are examples of Baringa’s HR processes:

● All new starters are provided with a ‘buddy’ for the first year.

● All staff members are assigned a career adviser as part of the induction process.

● All staff have constant access to the management team with no distinction made by rank or seniority, following a flat non-

hierarchical structure