What Does a Human Resources Consultant Do?
Human resources management is a vital function of any organization that hires employees. Although large companies usually have an individual or a department dedicated to human resources, when a company is small, the administrative HR tasks often fall to a staff member with the owner handling the bigger issues. As you will see as you read this post, employers of all sizes can benefit from hiring a human resources consultant.
There are over 180 federal labor laws, in addition to federal tax laws and dozens of state and local laws that employers must follow. Hiring a human resources consultant can give you the confidence that this important function is being handled by experts.
I am often asked what I do as a human resources consultant, and although I have a very quick elevator speech ready for when that question comes, it always feels inadequate. There are many facets to human resources, and it is difficult to sum up into one or two sentences.
Typically, a human resources consultant is an outside expert who can work with you as a partner to provide direction to you and handle certain tasks. A consultant might be hired for a short-term, specific purpose (to re-write an employee handbook or provide training), or for a long-term arrangement (to provide HR services on an ongoing basis.)
In this post, I will focus on four areas of the human resources function: compliance, talent management, training, benefits.
Compliance:
Even well-meaning employers who are trying to do the right thing by their employees can run afoul of the law. A human resources consultant will make sure your organization is compliant with the various federal, state and local employment laws, thus reducing your risk of costly discrimination lawsuits. The first thing a consultant will generally do is to audit your current practices.
Some things the consultant will review and discuss with you during the audit are:
- Employee handbook/employment policies
- Employee files/recordkeeping
- Recruiting, interviewing and hiring process/onboarding
- Timekeeping and payroll procedures
- Training of employees and managers
- Evaluation and disciplinary action procedures
- Safety and security of employees
- Wages of employees
- Time off policies
- Insurance benefits and retirement plans
The audit will show areas where your business is vulnerable, and you can work with your consultant to come up with a plan to address those weaknesses. The consultant will make sure the employee handbook and policies are updated and will work with you to ensure your processes and procedures are legally compliant.
Talent Management:
A human resources consultant can provide expert assistance to help you manage your workforce. Your consultant will work with you to make sure your organizational structure is efficient and can write job descriptions for each position.
When you have positions to fill within your organization, an HR consultant is a valuable partner who can handle the recruiting tasks of writing job advertisements, posting to job boards, reviewing and screening applicants, and even conducting interviews. With these tasks off your plate, you can focus on running your business!
Your HR consultant can help you make sure your new employees have a good onboarding experience. From providing new hire documents, to creating checklists and reminders, to generating a timeline for training, your consultant will help to make sure nothing falls through the cracks during the orientation process.
Training:
Even if your organization doesn’t require specialized training, there are topics every company should consider. For example, all employees can benefit by learning more about communication and working effectively with others. Employees should also be trained on how to recognize and avoid harassment, and what to do if they are being harassed.
Management training is an investment that many companies choose to forego, but doing so can be a big risk. Your frontline managers are the face of your company to your employees, and their actions drive productivity and loyalty. In addition, an untrained manager who illegally discriminates against an employee can be an expensive liability. At a minimum, managers must be trained on how to handle harassment claims and complaints. They should be trained on how to conduct interviews and manage employee performance and discipline. A consultant can either provide or set up training in all these areas.
Benefits:
Your human resources consultant will help you craft time off policies that are competitive for your industry and within your budget. Your consultant can also guide you on mandated leave issues such as Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) and worker’s compensation leave.
If you provide health insurance for your employees, your consultant can help you design the plan, handle enrollments, and manage COBRA. Your consultant may also be able to recommend and set up other medical benefits such as flexible spending accounts and supplemental insurance or retirement benefits such as a 401(k) plan.
Summary:
Hiring a human resources consultant to help you through this highly regulated field can reduce your risk of lawsuits, help your managers be better trained and your employees more engaged. Outsourcing human resources functions can save you time and make your company more productive and profitable.
Future blog posts will cover many of these topics in more detail. Be sure to subscribe so that you don’t miss anything!
