What are HR consulting and support services?

Whether you're a small business owner with a growing team or a manager in an established company, having proper human resources (HR) support is crucial. Not only does effective HR help you stay on the right side of employment law, but it also helps you unlock the potential within your people and assists your business in meeting strategic goals.

We know running a business has a whole host of challenges, and you might find yourself wearing multiple hats at once, especially if you're a business owner. Trying to do HR yourself can be time-consuming, preventing you from focusing on other important aspects of your business. It can also be costly, particularly if you get it wrong.

On the other hand, hiring an HR department in-house can be costly and is often not the right solution for all organisations. Your company may not need HR services all the time, or you may only need certain services that make hiring someone – or a team – full-time unnecessary. You may also not have the budget or the resources to hire someone on a permanent basis.

This is where outsourcing your HR services to a consulting firm can be a valuable solution.

Outsourcing your HR to a consultancy usually means you get access to resources on a flexible and part-time basis when and where your organisation needs them. It also means saving time and money as employing in-house HR staff usually comes at a far higher price tag than outsourcing to an HR support service. You'll also only pay for the services you need rather than a full bouquet of services that aren't relevant to your business.

What HR services can be outsourced?

From day-to-day HR, comprehensive recruitment support to strategic planning, just about every aspect of HR can be outsourced. Many of the activities that a traditional HR department takes care of can be done off-site, which means they can be outsourced.

You can work remotely with your outsourced HR director and team or have them visit your office when you need them.
Day-to-day HR activities that can be outsourced to HR consulting services include conflict management, disciplinary matters, employment contracts, employee relations, pay and benefits management, performance management, and putting in place policies, procedures, and processes.

Monthly HR support services can include anything from helping to build your company's culture and working to instil your vision and values across teams to inductions and training. Services can also include recruitment, team development, and support for specific projects.

HR consulting and support services can offer training, mentoring, and development options, particularly for managers and leaders within the company.

What you need to know about HR consulting and support

Regardless of the size of your business or where you are in your journey towards success, it is vital that your business remains legally compliant and up-to-date with your documentation, people, and practices. This should be a priority within your business.

However, making this a priority can be time-consuming and costly, especially if you're a small business just starting out. This is where outsourcing your HR services becomes useful. It's a practical solution for your HR needs and saves you from hiring in-house HR employees, which, as mentioned above, is costly. You may also not need full-time staff running your HR, and you may only need a flexible service that you can call on when needed.

HR consulting and support consultancies will often provide you with your own HR director who can work remotely or on-site on a flexible basis. They can assist with your day-to-day HR needs as well as with larger projects like recruitment, HR assessments, and executive coaching.

The day-to-day HR activities all small businesses need

Being a small business often means money is tight and time is invaluable. This is where outsourcing HR support can be especially helpful. Employing your first few staff members can be daunting, particularly if this is not something you've dealt with before. You want to make sure you're selecting the right people, employing them lawfully, and paying them both fairly and based on what you can afford.

Other HR essentials for small businesses include drawing up employment contracts and other legal documents, and ensuring you're on the right side of employment law. HR consultants can usually also assist you with setting up administrative systems to help you manage personnel data and provide guidance on navigating the recruitment game successfully.

Why you need executive coaching and mentoring

You may be a great leader and an excellent manager, but everyone in an executive position could use a little guidance and direction from time to time.

Executive coaching and mentoring is a powerful and effective development tool for business owners, leaders, and managers. The benefits include improved performance, higher job satisfaction, and increased employee engagement.

Executive leadership coaching helps individuals to critically reflect on their own behaviours and develop strong management capabilities, as well as find practical ways to achieve their career ambitions.

Leadership and management development includes learning how to manage stress, cope with change, and navigate conflict or crisis. It also helps leaders identify powerful solutions to the specific challenges they face within their organisations.

How to choose HR services for your business

Of course, when it comes to choosing the right HR consultancy to outsource to, you want to be careful in your selection as this is an important function within your business.

Something worth considering is that the specific needs of your business are unique, and you need to be able to work with an HR consultancy that can provide a tailored solution.

Also, keep in mind that your organisation will change over time, and you need a consultancy that can grow and evolve with your business, all while ensuring that the HR aspect of your business is handled professionally and effectively.

Additionally, you need the support of HR services that can cater to the development of your business and your goals, and deal with the not-so-nice parts of HR, like disciplinary matters.

The Dakota Blue Consulting difference

Outsourcing your HR services to Dakota Blue Consulting saves you time, money, and sleepless nights. Our highly-trained HR specialists are no strangers to the various challenges that are involved in running a business.

We understand how time-consuming and costly HR activities can be, especially when things go wrong. However, we have a wealth of strategic business experience in all aspects of HR and employment law.

At Dakota Blue Consulting, we are also focused on providing management and leadership coaching and training to executives facing specific challenges within their organisations.

We tailor our services to meet the specific needs of your business. So, whether you're a start-up hiring your first employees or a large corporation looking to get the most out of your employees, we have the expertise and tools to provide support, advice, and superior HR services.

We are here to help. If you'd like to find out more about working with us, take a look round our website or give us a call.