£78k ARR, 87% adoption (and growing) - Why The HR Dept trusts the Breathe Partner Programme

“The Breathe Partner Programme and The HR Dept is a great partnership. If I ask our account manager for anything, I get an instant response. We’ve been a Breathe partner for seven years and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Kirsty Hammatt, Director of HR Services, The HR Dept NES, K&W  

 

Who is The HR Dept?

The HR Dept is the UK’s largest network of outsourced HR professionals, supporting more than 6,000 SME clients through 50+ consultancies across over 120 territories in the UK and Republic of Ireland.  

They’ve been part of the Breathe Partner Programme since 2018 and today, 87% of the network are active Breathe Partners. The partnership has become an integral part of how they build stronger client relationships, save time and grow their businesses, generating over £78k ARR on average across the network each year.  

The HR Dept’s local experts provide tailored, practical advice to SMEs, helping them navigate everything from everyday HR admin to complex people challenges. With people at the heart of what they do, they’re all about helping businesses thrive by supporting the people behind them.  

At a local level, consultants like Omar Rashid (Managing Director, HR Dept Birmingham and Wolverhampton), Kirsty Hammatt (Director of HR Services, HR Dept North East Surrey, Kingston & Wimbledon) and Alison Reid (HR Advisor, HR Dept South London) are feeling the benefits of being Breathe Partners every day, for their consultancies and their clients.  

The start of a true partnership

The Breathe Partner Programme is designed for HR consultants who work with small and growing organisations, giving them the tools, support and rewards they need to strengthen client relationships and grow their businesses.

Today, over 1,000 UK consultants are part of the programme, and together, they support more than 8,000 businesses - nearly half of Breathe’s customer base.

The HR Dept’s journey with Breathe began when Kirsty (HR Dept North East Surrey, Kingston & Wimbledon [NES,K&W] and a handful of other early adopters saw the impact of the Breathe Partner Programme first-hand, not just for their clients, but for their own franchises’ growth and efficiency.

Over time, more and more consultants within The HR Dept decided to join the Breathe Partner Programme.

From simplifying holiday requests and centralising documents to supporting compliance and performance management, Breathe now helps 87% of The HR Dept franchises deliver everyday value and build longer, stronger relationships with their clients.  

And it doesn't stop there. Consultants who are part of the Breathe Partner Programme get hands-on training, dedicated account managers, and real commercial value. The programme has unlocked an additional revenue stream for them, one that grows as their clients do.  

Plus, they get so many other benefits:

• Community events like the Breathe Partner Summit
• The Partner Panel to explore and develop insights with the Breathe Leadership team
• Visits from the Breathe Partner team to consultant offices  
• Regional visits
• Joint marketing opportunities

And more!

Partnering with Breathe has also given The HR Dept consultants a centralised client database with clear visibility and access across the network. This has made it easier to manage the scale of The HR Dept network and client base nationally, without losing the local and personal service that defines The HR Dept’s franchise model and support for SMEs.  

The difference Breathe has made

Consultants across The HR Dept often have small businesses come to them with no processes or HR software in place. This means day-to-day HR admin is manual and time-consuming. But with Breathe, consultants can manage client documentation, data and requests in a digital, centralised system.   

For Omar and the team at The HR Dept Birmingham and Wolverhampton [B&W], locating client documentation before Breathe was a real challenge.  

“Previously, the biggest challenge was trying to find documentation. What Breathe’s allowed us to do is keep it all very central and be very precise in regards to who has access.”

Omar Rashid, Managing Director, The HR Dept B&W

Kirsty saw similar struggles in her territory. Many of her clients had no structure for HR processes or were relying on outdated tools.  

“The biggest headache that clients came to us with was lack of process. But now Breathe has become that source of truth for them. They can manage holidays quickly and efficiently and have all their documents in one place.”

Kirsty Hammatt, Director of HR Services, The HR Dept NES, K&W

And at The HR Dept South London [SL], Alison still had some clients managing performance reviews and absence records on paper – a system that left room for mistakes, delays and stress for everyone involved.  

“Breathe has helped me and my clients to be so much more organised with employees and their paperwork, and everything else.”

Alison Reid, HR Advisor, The HR Dept SL

Benefits and results: Why the Breathe Partner Programme works for The HR Dept 

For The HR Dept, the Breathe Partner Programme offers far more than just software. It’s a genuine partnership built on shared values and real support. 

Consultants across the network are actively helping shape the future of Breathe. Their insights directly influence product development and priorities. 

And the Breathe Partner team regularly share helpful tools and resources with the consultants. It’s an ongoing two-way dialogue grounded in trust, mutual respect, and a commitment to supporting SMEs.  

“I have a very good relationship manager that regularly checks in. The support is really fantastic. I’m not just a consultant. I’m not just a number that sells Breathe or promotes the platform. I am a partner.”

Omar Rashid, Managing Director, The HR Dept B&W 

It’s a partnership that works for everyone, and the numbers prove it.  

• The HR Dept consultancies generate over £78k ARR on average each year from clients using Breathe.  

• 87% of The HR Dept consultancies have chosen to join the Breathe Partner Programme. 

• There’s £9.9k on avg saved annually per client on HR admin across The HR Dept network. 

As The HR Dept’s clients have grown and moved onto higher subscription tiers, revenue for The HR Dept consultants has grown too. It’s turned software into a genuine driver of long-term business growth and client retention.  

Plus, the connection between Breathe and ELMO UK (both being part of the wider ELMO Group) means that The HR Dept can support clients at every stage of their growth. When SME clients become medium or larger-sized businesses, ELMO UK serves as a viable mid-market solution with more advanced HR tech, payroll or recruitment functionality. 

For The HR Dept, it’s a seamless way to stay with their clients as their needs evolve, without disruption, starting over or switching between separate, disconnected systems.  

How Breathe helps The HR Dept’s clients thrive 

For many of The HR Dept’s clients, Breathe is their first step up from manual processes to an HR system, and it makes a lasting impression.  

“Any client that I’ve introduced Breathe to are really keen to use it in all aspects. I’ve even had ex-employees of my clients reach out asking for a referral to Breathe because they were so happy with the system when they were using it previously.”

Alison Reid, HR Advisor, The HR Dept SL

Breathe becomes a trusted part of everyday business, helping reduce admin and boost compliance.  And because it simplifies day-to-day HR, The HR Dept consultants can focus on what really matters: providing the strategic support and personal advice that helps their clients learn and grow.  

The simplicity of the Breathe system is one of its biggest strengths. Tasks that used to take hours now take minutes. The HR Dept consultants and their clients have felt the difference straight away.  

“My clients are now able to process leave requests, sickness requests and store documents on their own. And you can get somebody set up in half an hour. As soon as I’ve got them on, they can just start using it.”

Alison Reid, HR Advisor, The HR Dept SL 

Breathe also gives The HR Dept consultants and their clients vital peace of mind by giving them a more structured and simple way to stay compliant and keep on top of key HR responsibilities. This includes meeting Home Office requirements for sponsorship visas.

“If the Home Office were to come and do an audit, or even if you get an email from them, you want to be in a position where you can confidently say ‘Yes, we’ve got this in place’. And Breathe allows us to do that. You've got reminders, you’ve got your audit trail and everything’s where it should be.”

Omar Rashid, Managing Director, The HR Dept B&W

And of course, Breathe makes good business sense for The HR Dept’s clients too. 

It’s affordable, easy to use, and because it can be packaged together with The HR Dept’s core advisory and support services, there’s no need to source and pay for separate HR software elsewhere. Clients avoid the extra cost of adding consultant access to their software bill, and there’s no delay or learning curve with a system their consultant doesn’t know.  

“Our clients get a good HR software system that’s at a decent price and has a lot of functionality.”

Alison Reid, HR Advisor, The HR Dept SL

Looking ahead: a partnership built to grow

After seeing how Breathe is helping their peers grow their businesses and better support their clients, even more consultants across The HR Dept network are looking to become Breathe partners. And not just for what the system can do, but for the relationships, the practical support for SMEs, and the commercial benefits that come with it. 

It’s a partnership both sides are committed to growing - keeping the dialogue open, sharing feedback and making HR easier for SMEs.  

If you're an SME who needs a helping hand with your HR, The HR Dept supports small to medium businesses across the UK with expert, local HR advice, backed by the tools they trust, like Breathe. If you're ready to take the weight of HR off your plate, get in touch with your local consultant today.

*of those surveyed.