What Does an HR Consultant Do?
An HR consultant delivers all aspects of the human resource department as an external provider. The tasks delivered include handling contracts, client development, and client management. An HR consultant is a small business owner which must have the same qualities as any other entrepreneur. These traits include:
- Possessing basic management skills, such as customer service, office management, and accounting
- Have the ability to efficiently and effectively work independently
- Posses market services skills
- Have the expertise required in specific industries or broad expertise as a generalist
Nature of an HR Consultant’s Work
HR consultants offer a level of expertise to an organization that is often not found in your existing team. These professionals are able to adapt to your customized needs with their wide range of expert services. Whether your company needs to hire them for a specific project, or you are looking for them as a yearly retainer, they will fill any HR gaps in your business. Some of the duties these consultants can provide include:
- Handling your payroll
- Recruiting new talent
- Training new and existing employees
- Compensation issues with your employees
- Benefits packages for your employees
- Employee retention strategies
With the services of an external HR consultant, you create a more stable workforce within your business with lower turnovers. Studies show external HR consultant services can benefit your company’s retention rates:
- Without these services, your business is part of the 55% of U.S. businesses reporting employee retention as a significant problem
- Almost 25% of newly hired talent leave their new position within 45 days, however, with HR consulting services, your company can lower this rate
- HR consultant services can reduce or eliminate your risk of hiring the wrong candidate
- With the HR consultant’s onboarding program, your chances of retaining new talent increase by 60%
HR consulting firms have extensive knowledge in onboarding new talent, recruiting new talent, human resource procedures and policies, reporting and recording compliance, and are able to create an effective human resource function for new and growing businesses.
How HR Consultants Assist Existing Human Resource Department
A human resource department is responsible for communication between the administration and employees. It is this department’s role to ensure the communication remains solid regarding following federal guidelines when terminating or hiring employees as well as a variety of other tasks related to communications within a business structure. HR consultants can relieve these internal departments from a variety of tasks so they are able to focus more on these communications.
An HR consultant is able to assist your human resource department by streamlining the more time-consuming tasks they are responsible for, so they can perform the more critical work. These professionals can also offer your business specialized services such as audits or creating policies, organizing your business structure, or creating e-Learning or live training programs, workshops and materials to support your management and staff.
A Final Thought
While HR consultants do not always do all the logistical work, they are there to advise you on how to properly implement policies and plans and can recommend the best strategies to make your company more successful.
