Every business has HR needs, although a one person set-up can probably get along without any need for specialist advice or support. However, once a business grows beyond being a solo enterprise things like payroll, and recruitment become part of the equation; tasks which you may not have the time expertise or interest in taking on yourself.
If your business needs HR support and you don’t want to, or can’t justify, hiring a dedicated member of staff to cover it there is another good solution – outsourcing. That may seem a little daunting if you have never outsourced anything before, but it’s really not much different from hiring a specialist to design and manage your online presence, or paying another company to print and deliver marketing materials for you.
Here we share some useful tips to help you make a good choice when outsourcing your HR workload.
Tip #1 – Figure out what level of service you need
Do you want a specialist HR agency to take on all the responsibilities and you simply leave them to it? That would mean someone else advertising for and recruiting new recruits, and of course, issuing warnings and final notices to staff too, as well as managing employee benefits. They could also take on the payroll, and assume legal responsibility for their work, leaving you free to do nothing beyond paying their monthly invoice.
Or perhaps you would prefer to divide the work and outsource say only the most time-consuming aspects. Some HR outsourcing companies work on an ‘all or nothing’ basis, so it pays to be clear on what your needs are before you approach any.
Tip #2 – Do you prefer remote or local support?
It’s not unusual to outsource some aspects of HR to a company which only operates online, but if you prefer to actually meet somebody face to face even if just initially, then a locally based company may work better.
If you are open to hiring remote support check that the time zones work, as some personnel could be based overseas, and for both options it’s worth looking into how they manage contact, for example, if you have a query is there a live chat option or a phone helpline?
If you need specific advice about outsourcing your HR department and are interested in doing it then head over to Makai HR.
Tip #3 – Evaluate their abilities
The responsibility to do some research on a possible HR outsourcing contact is n your shoulders, so take the time to check online for reviews, (in several places, don’t rely solely on any testimonials they may have on their website), and ask them for evidence of experience covering HR duties in your field if it requires specialist knowledge.
Tip #4 – Is outsourcing your HR processes cost effective?
If HR tasks are stealing the time you personally need to, say, make products to sell to stay in business, or any other tasks which are essential for the long term future then the answer would always be a definite yes, but be careful of being overcharged – especially for packages which include tasks you either don’t need or can comfortably manage yourself. It’s fine to outsource tasks on an individual basis, and use more than one source too, if you find that works best.
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