People change, that’s something all HR teams know all too well. What’s less recognized is that companies need to alter how they manage their people when their people change. However, how do we know when carefully curated HR processes need a redraft or if an issue is temporary? Finding the answer to that question is just one of the benefits of hiring an HR consultant.

HR consultants can give powerful insight and advice to company’s struggling to connect with their teams, as well as numerous other benefits. In this blog, we’ll discuss those benefits (and others) and also explain how an HR consultant can make your organization more productive, profitable, and cohesive.

“Having an HR consultant gives companies -especially those who otherwise wouldn’t have access to such specialized HR skills – unique, tailored insight that can truly enhance their organization’s culture and long-term profitability.”

-Rebecca Page,Director HR Services, JER HR Group

Let’s get into it.

The Role of an HR Consultant

An HR consultant can help businesses and organizations in several areas of their HR department, including help to manage their employees better. They are external advisors that can help fill skills gaps in a company’s leadership and HR teams.

The primary reasons companies hire an HR consultant include:

• Recruitment Strategy: To develop effective strategies to find and hire the right people.
• Training and Development: Develop on-going training initiatives and internal education programs.
• Compliance and Regulation: To make sure an organization meets their legal HR requirements and to align HR policies with internal company regulations and values.
• Conflict Resolution: Create long-term solutions and protocols for managing internal conflict issues.
• Organizational Structure: Advise and consult on how to build effective human resource, compensation, and corporate governance documents.

In short, HR consultants provide advanced HR advice that make workplaces run more  smoothly, more efficiently, and help build a harmonious work environment.

7 HR Advantages of Hiring an HR Consultant For Your Organization

While every organization has a unique reason to seek HR support from an HR consultant, the benefits achieved are often the same. Below are seven concrete benefits to be gleaned from professional HR consulting services:

1.Build a Safe and Equitable Workplace 

HR consultants prioritize the creation of a workplace where every employee feels safe, respected, and valued and applies to both their physical and mental safety.

They can do this by assisting in establishing clear anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies as well as implementing physical safety measures. With their guidance, businesses can foster an environment where everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive.

2.Cost-Efficient Access to HR Expertise

Instead of bearing the costs of a full-time HR department, organizations can access specialized expertise without bearing the cost and responsibility of onboarding a full-time executive. They are highly experienced and educated and can provide immense value to companies with minimal resources or capacity.

Examples of specialties an HR consultant can provide include:

• Compensation strategies
• Compliance
• Internal education programs
• Organizational structure
• HR Audits
• Governance documents

HR consulting services can range from one-time HR assessments, be a long-term solution for a specific project, or as part of an on-going consulting relationship.

3.Create an Effective Talent Acquisition Processes

Finding the right talent is crucial for any organization’s success, however common recruiting challenges make finding the right candidate easier said than done. Without an effective process to attract and engage suitable candidates businesses are likely to end up with the wrong person in a critical role or have positions sit vacant for too long.

HR consultants can help alleviate this problem. They can be used to make your recruiting processes more effective and efficient, thereby eliminating long-term vacancies or poorly positioned talent.

Additionally, professional HR consultants are experts – they can supplement an area of your HR department that’s lacking in specific expertise or knowledge.

4.Avoid Compliance Risks 

Staying compliant with ever-changing labor laws is critical to avoid costly penalties and legal problems. To prevent non-compliance or legal issues, an organization’s policies, documents, and HR managerial processes must be set up and monitored properly.

However, if your team doesn’t have the experience or skills to do this, you may be unknowingly putting your organization at risk. To avoid this risk from becoming a reality, consider investing in an HR professional.

HR consultants are well-versed in labor laws and compliance regulations and can help ensure a company’s documents and policies are always up-to-date, thereby minimizing risks and potential fines.

5.Increase Employee Retention Rates 

High turnover rates are bad for business. In addition to being expensive, they can erode employee morale and chase potential qualified employees away.Enlisting the support of a human resources consultancy firm can help prevent ugly turnover rates.

HR consultants analyze the root causes of employee dissatisfaction and develop strategies to address them. By enhancing the workplace experience, businesses can retain their top talent for longer periods.

6.Align Internal Policies with Core Values 

Every organization has its core values that make the foundation of its purpose, goals, and organizational model. However, sticking to the core values takes persistence and regular monitoring by an organization’s leadership.

When internal policies, behaviors, and culture contrast with an organization’s established core values, cracks in the foundation can quickly develop. Symptoms of this could present themselves as more people leaving the company, an increase in internal conflicts, decreased morale, – and ultimately you’ll see poor productivity levels.

To stay on track, you need a system that inherently supports and promotes your corporate’s culture and an HR professional can help you with that. HR consultants ensure that internal policies and practices reflect established values and help you create policies that match your goals and values.

7.Adapt to Evolving Workplace Environments 

The modern workplace is constantly evolving but the early 2020s has seen significant, dramatic shifts in the way we do work. Adapting to these changes has not been easy for all businesses. Many have seen a large number of their workers leave the workforce.

Understanding how to create welcoming, fulfilling, and engaging workplace environments is not what it used to be. However, organizations must adapt to attract and retain top-performing employees and executives. This requires unique skills from an HR professional with a clear understanding of the current market and evolving workforce conditions.

Is Now the Right to Reach Out to HR Experts and Consultants?

The challenges of managing human resources are ever-evolving, however today’s rate of evolution seems to be speeding up faster than ever.

HR teams and leaders may be feeling stuck on knowing how to keep up with the rapid changes and prevent them from crippling their company. If you can relate, you may be asking yourself, “Do we need external HR expertise?”

Signs Your Organization Needs HR Expertise:

If you’re not sure if you need external support, take a look at the following signs and decide for yourself:

• Rapid Growth. Growth is good, there’s no question about that! However, the way you manage your people and HR policies as you grow can greatly impact your long-term success. If you’re experiencing more growing pains than benefits, it may be time for outside support.
• Increased Employee Turnover. People leave their jobs, that’s a normal part of human resources management. What isn’t normal is to see an increase in the number of people leaving your organization and could indicate an underlying issue that needs a deeper level of reflection and insight.
• Long-Term Vacancies. Having trouble finding people to fill vacant positions? There may be a misalignment between what your offering and what suitable applicants are expecting. An HR consultant can help you find and fill any gaps stunting your hiring process.
• Unhappy Workers. It’s impossible to make everyone happy at your company but if the overall workforce appears unmotivated, disengaged, and unhappy, there’s something clearly amiss. An HR consultant can uncover their reasons for discontent and help get you back on track.

In-house HR vs. HR Consultant: What’s the Difference?

Build a Better Business with HR Consultants From the JER HR Group

At JER HR, we’re HR experts that help businesses, non-profits, and government agencies manage the unique challenges of managing people in an ever-evolving environment. We believe that any organization’s human capital is their greatest asset and strive to help leaders leverage that asset as much as possible.

To learn more about our services and how we can help, contact our team.