HR Solutions For Every Size &
Budget
OUTSOURCED SUPPORT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES
By Renee West , SHRM-SCP , PHR senior manager and lead consultant , HR consulting services renee . west @ reacpa . com ( New Philadelphia office )
Maintaining compliance in key areas of HR is tough during a “ normal ” year . Unfortunately , normal no longer exists and the pressure to meet the changing organizational demands resulting from COVID-19 throughout your organization has never been higher .
Small- to mid-sized businesses , in particular , are unlikely to have the HR support necessary to meet the growing list of compliance responsibilities resulting from changing regulations and government mandates . Additionally , across many industries , identifying and recruiting top talent continues to present a significant challenge – not to mention the work that goes into training and retaining your existing staff . Regardless of whether your business is confronting budgeting issues or struggling to keep up with a robust growth rate , you can ’ t afford to put off key HR functions .
The Right Amount HR Support
Hiring an HR professional can be costly . There ’ s the salary to consider , insurance and benefits to provide , and the additional concern of determining whether you have enough work to keep a full-time HR employee busy enough to make the addition worth your while . Fortunately , you don ’ t actually need to hire a full-time HR professional to get the support you need . The first step on your journey to secure the right amount of HR support for your business is to consider the possibility of outsourcing all or part of your company ’ s HR function .
Outsourced HR support isn ’ t necessarily a new phenomenon . In fact , you may have already outsourced various HRrelated projects in the past . However , now , with the influx of regulatory changes occurring as a result of COVID , business owners are regularly seeking out HR assistance to maintain compliance , retain existing staffing levels , and avoid large fines . Moreover , due to the complex and confidential nature of human resources , it ’ s vital that you work with trustworthy organizations and individuals .
Once you identify the amount of support necessary to address your organization ’ s specific HR needs , you ’ ll be able to effectively protect your business from HR compliance risks without the overhead that accompanies hiring a new employee . On the other hand , HR subscription services can also complement your existing HR department during busy times of the year or to accomplish major projects on time and on budget . Some popular projects to outsource to a professional HR consultant might include :
• HR Compliance Review – If you aren ’ t properly filing your employee records and I-9s , the government is going to take notice . A compliance review can help you get up-to-speed and implement a process that helps you stay on top of this essential function .
• Employee Training – Whether it ’ s completing and documenting harassment training in the workplace , confronting workplace violence , or brushing up on safety protocol , make sure you have a qualified HR professional to lead these trainings and position your organization for success .
• Strategic Recruitment Strategy – Having trouble finding the right people for the job ? It could be because you aren ’ t looking in the right places or maybe you need help developing benefits package that sets your organization apart from the competition . A professional HR consultant can help you identify a plan that will help you strategically target top talent .
The Small Business Corner series is designed to address challenges and considerations regularly faced by owners of small- to mid-sized businesses . Check out past Small Business Corner articles at
reacpa . com / small-business-corner .
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