Dxcover

Our client

Glasgow-based Dxcover is a 20-strong clinical-stage liquid biopsy company developing tests for the early detection of multiple cancers. The company has pioneered the early detection and identification of cancer, employing infrared spectroscopy of circulating pan-omic biomarkers. The company has generated compelling clinical data with high accuracy detection of Stage I and Stage II cancers.

Our Challenge

AAB first began working with Dxcover during its high growth phase in 2021 as an HR admin support function. Since then, the start-up team of researchers, scientists and tech experts has doubled in size, and since 2022, our role for Dxcover has progressed to that of a more integrated, ongoing HR partner. The management team sought to increase our HR input so that we could deliver a more proactive function visible to, and used by, all staff as the firm’s demographic profile widened and more diverse needs emerged.  

Not only would AAB manage day-to-day HR admin and all personnel and management software tools to deal with personnel admin such as holidays and sickness, but they would now lead on a larger scale HR projects that Dxcover didn’t have in-house capacity for. 

AAB have worked closely with operations director David Eustace to create a trusted partnership-based source of HR expertise that is open to all employees and available to oversee and respond to a diverse range of people management needs. These have ranged from assessing and upgrading benefits and reviewing contractual set-ups to helping Dxcover apply for a sponsor license to enable them to take on a work placement master’s student from Spain on a permanent basis.  

Our Solution

AAB reviewed the existing HR set-up at Dxcover and, as a result, created a refreshed HR Plan advising on the best structure for moving forward with a growing team. 

Our ongoing ‘internal’ HR Presence was increased and made visible to all employees, who were given a direct email address for Fiona and encouraged to be in touch with any individual HR queries or requests.

Fiona also reviewed and updated the HR handbook to comply with changing legislation and ensure that it was fit for purpose and user-friendly. She advised on enhanced parental leave benefits and created new policies in relation to this to be included in the handbook. She managed a company-wide roll-out of the revised handbook to take senior managers, scientists and support function staff through the main changes and let all employees know they can access support at any time. It covers employee benefits, including a newly enhanced paternal leave provision, contracts and offer letters, holidays, performance management, employee relations issues and general onboarding. Our role also involves conducting employee surveys around vital basics like display screen risk assessments. We interview the staff, compile results and make recommendations.  

Fiona also maintains all aspects of Dxcover’s internal HR Information System and regularly reviews how it is managed and used, ensuring that all relevant employment documents are uploaded, new employees are added and offering any general management and advice as needed.  
 

In 2023, AAB helped advise on the process and detail involved in Sponsor Licence applications for employing overseas workers, drafting the supporting documents and guiding the management team through the application journey. Going into 2024, AAB continues to act as a trusted collaborator, adviser, source of HR expertise and always-there sounding board for the Dxcover team.

Our Impact

Operations director David Eustace values AAB’s proactivity and specific subject expertise.

 

“Working with AAB makes my life easier, and it makes life easier for our business. It means I know we are doing things right. We’ve seen a high consistency of performance from every member of the team who’s supported us. All the consultants are adaptive, friendly, approachable, competent, and very proactive. They’re excellent communicators and it’s clear that they want to do the right thing for us.”
 

“We don’t have the capacity to analyse the impact of legislative changes, so we need this service to help us take the purpose of HR as seriously as we want to.” 

 

“Overall, they save us so much time and their depth of knowledge of HR policies is excellent. Small high growth companies like ours rarely have capacity to know how to handle every HR need that arises. Our regular calls with AAB show their real understanding of our needs and are incredibly helpful in giving us valued nudges in the right direction.”