It occurred to me this week that much of the work I do has parallels with England’s run to the Euro 2021 final.

Not so much the technicality of playing the game, obviously, but certainly in terms of the success journey the team went on, the way the side was led, the breadth of skills that got them as far as they did, and – crucially – the challenges they faced.

I’m not going to spend much time talking about the despicable racism aimed at the three amazing young men who missed their penalties in the final shootout.

If the executive or leadership team in the business are taught through the financials to always see HR as a cost to the business, it’s understandably easy – though foolish – to look at an HR team or consultant and reach the conclusion that if they weren’t there the business would enjoy better margins.

There’s a perverse logic to that, I suppose: turnover minus HR costs equals greater profit.

But that ignores all the hidden costs a business encounters without having someone to implement and guide its HR strategy.

Here are six questions I’d ask businesses that have never invested in HR:

For some businesses it’s a thorn in their side, for others it’s a catalyst for innovation, and in 2020 it was a necessity for more or less everyone. So just how do you manage flexible working – and what are the benefits (and disadvantages)?