Bringing an HR consultant into your organisation can often be the only way to get a particular objective achieved. It may be a project that needs to be delivered such as a recruitment campaign, a compensation & benefits review or the implementation of an HR information system. Another possibility may be the need to cover a maternity leave post. Whatever the company requirement, whether it be linked to strategic or operational HR there is a consultant to fit the bill, whether they be a generalist or specialist.
The advantages to bringing in an external professional can be buying in specific expertise just as and when it's needed. Many HR consultants have many years solid practical experience before launching into the world of consultancy. They bring with them a fresh eye on the workings of your company and can often offer new problem-solving solutions to issues such as staff retention or absence. They can also offer tailored solutions, using the basics gained from experience with other companies.
They are used to "hitting the ground running", which requires building key relationships, establishing credibility very quickly and just getting on with the job in hand whether this be as a change agent or a role caretaker.
Being an "outsider" they tend not to get involved with office politics, which can cloud many judgements of permanent members of staff. Their decisions can, therefore, be based on benefits to the organisation, not whether it will upset the opinions of certain individuals. This is particularly important in any change management and organisational design project.
Using an HR consultant can save an organisation time and money. Time is saved by, for example, outsourcing a project that existing HR professionals in an organisation can't spare from the usual day to day tasks; this can include coaching or conducting 360 degree appraisal. A consultant can also be brought in on an ad hoc basis when no HR expertise exists at all within the organisation, for example, when an investigation surrounding gross misconduct needs to be conducted.
Other cost savings can include not having a permanent member of staff on the payroll and often by not having to provide daily office space if the work can be completed at home by the consultant, as with a project.
A disadvantage of using an HR consultant can, on the other hand, be the potential expense. Depending on the level of expertise required, consultant fees can vary from £200 to £1,000 per day so companies need to consider what they can afford and negotiate over the daily rate and number of days required. To avoid escalating costs consideration should be given to estimating a set number of days to define a project, such as management training, and build this into the contract drawn up.
To cover a maternity post, many companies use a fixed term contract, which gives the added bonus to the consultant of some employment protection such as paid holidays and sick leave, but which will be another cost to the organisation.
To avoid any confusion a clear agreement or contract needs to be drawn up at the start between the company and consultant establishing clear long and short term goals with regular meetings built in to check progress. Clear responsibilities should be allocated to avoid any confusion.
Fees and expenses need to be included as well as problem resolution such as delivery failures. With a fixed term contract the latter can be solved by using the disciplinary or capability procedure. Ideally a contingency plan should be put into place together with guidance on confidentiality issues such as data protection.
Before recruiting an HR consultant the company needs to have a clear idea of what they are trying to achieve and draw up a project plan and brief for discussion.
There should also be a job description and person specification. With the latter this provides assistance to recruit the right calibre of person. As the need for an HR consultant can often be at short notice, companies need to consider the best place to advertise or find the right candidate and consider a more streamlined recruitment process.
Once recruited the consultant should be provided with a structured induction to enable them to hit the ground running. This should include as much information about the organisation as possible including meetings with key stakeholders so that they can complete the task in hand as effectively and professionally as possible.
Sandra Beale
I recently received a most interesting phone call.When I answered... Read More
When you are acclaimed for excellence during times of crisis... Read More
We had a problem with handling materials in a production... Read More
One of the key skills for the leaders of growing... Read More
Part Two of Creating Well-Defined Processes SeriesNext Week: ImplementationLast week,... Read More
People management and leadership has become a major topic of... Read More
Few Decision makers see the link between between creativity and... Read More
Various studies ? and common sense ? indicate that involving... Read More
Let's begin by singing the jingle from an old US... Read More
It is 9:00 am on a Monday morning. Do you... Read More
The difference between leaders is ears. Good leaders not only... Read More
Look for sponsors and solution owners rather than problem owners.Everyone... Read More
Management guru Tom Peters says white collar workers and managers... Read More
There are different reactions that individuals experience during time of... Read More
Marriages and corporate mergers in America have at least one... Read More
They say that management can be a lonely place. A... Read More
Perfectionism can get in the way of building or marketing... Read More
Meriwether Lewis set the stage for the Corps of Discovery's... Read More
Keeping the cost of doing business down, yet providing a... Read More
Does your hiring process consist of proven practices or just... Read More
Sir Alex Ferguson has just celebrated his 1000 game in... Read More
In the Wizard of Oz, it was "Lions and tigers... Read More
Human Resource Employee Risk ProfileIs your business at risk? Do... Read More
In today's competitive environment, companies realize that a good boss... Read More
Do you announce a meeting and find either no one... Read More
In these days of restricted head count and tight budgets,... Read More
Using all of your senses, to help you test how... Read More
Do you ever feel overwhelmed by e-mail? Have you ever... Read More
"Nothing inspires confidence in a business man sooner than punctuality,... Read More
Although this performance discussion is an opportunity for you to... Read More
Have you ever worked for someone who was such a... Read More
We live in a relentlessly competitive world. The daily pressure... Read More
Probably as well known as SWOT, SMART turns goals, objectives... Read More
This article relates to the Manager/Supervisor competency, commonly evaluated in... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
Office politics! It's just another way of saying: "The employees... Read More
There was a buzz in the air recently about the... Read More
This was supposed to be one of those sleepy flights... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
Are your management practices on the right track? Retaining your... Read More
"Ha!" you say. "For someone to make a statement like... Read More
The heart of a fool is in his mouth, but... Read More
A bold title, don't you think? I mean, change is... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
STEPS IN USING THE CRITICAL INCIDENT TECHNIQUE:1) The incident. Read,... Read More
Use this check list to assess your communication skills.Focus* Do... Read More
PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS BENEFIT THE ORGANIZATION:Appraisals help spot employees with potential... Read More
OVERCOMING FEAR OF FIRING "It was obvious that this employee... Read More
Insightful leaders and organizations recognize that training is a valuable... Read More
When you know you need to shift up a gear,... Read More
For Call Center managers, it is not a pipe dream... Read More
If you're like most people, you probably started with wonderful... Read More
A few months ago I had the opportunity to spend... Read More
There are 12 essential elements of a successful internal communications... Read More
I have always said that if I were to write... Read More
"Experience is not what happens to a man; it is... Read More
Once upon a time there lived an innocent, hardworking manager.... Read More
After a full week of training, you are still a... Read More
Many books have been written about managing people, and an... Read More
What is Six Sigma?Six Sigma is a quality management program... Read More
Firing, sacking, letting go or terminating people is unpleasant. There... Read More
Here's a productivity tip that will save you a lot... Read More
You may have the MBA but if an internal critic... Read More
Sir Alex Ferguson has just celebrated his 1000 game in... Read More
Have you noticed that some sound ideas get bad publicity?... Read More
Business Management |