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HR Consultants 

Your employees are one of your best business assets, so it is vital to recruit the right talent and manage them to be productive, highly skilled and happy. Fortunately, you have the option to outsource some or all your human resources (HR) services such as recruitment, payroll processing, strategies and consulting, training and professional development. With strict labour laws in Australia, you should also know the latest regulations or consult an HR consulting company if you are unsure. 

What are HR services? 

HR services are human resource functions that a business needs to manage its employees, in areas like recruitment, payroll, performance management, reward, training and learning. HR services can be outsourced to HR companies, removing the need to build an HR team. 

What is the difference between HR consulting and recruitment companies? 

Both provide services in different areas of HR. HR consulting companies work on a variety of HR projects and give counsel on the best HR setup and improvements. Meanwhile, recruitment companies specialise in finding the right talent, including head hunting, job ads, candidate screening, interviewing and training. 

Which is better, outsourcing HR services or having an internal HR team? 

The better option depends on your business size, budget and complexity. Small businesses with simple and small needs can opt to subcontract their HR services such as payroll and recruitment. Bigger businesses should have an internal HR team to manage their large number of employees while outsourcing some HR services. 

Who should hire an HR consultant? 

Small businesses without the network to attract talent, lack HR expertise or budget for an internal HR team should consider hiring HR services. HR experts can provide virtually all HR functions at a cost-effective rate with a service guarantee and quick turnaround time. 

What are the most common HR mistakes?

The most common mistakes made in HR are: 

• Rushing the recruitment process: while you save time by writing a quick job description or hiring the first candidate, you're taking a lot of risk. Writing a detailed job ad and vetting candidates help find someone perfect for the job.
• Misclassifying contractors as employees: using contractors can be very attractive as a small business because you can stop using them when the job’s done. However, be sure that they are genuine contractors, and that you are not inadvertently classifying an employee as a contractor. This mistake will make you liable for extra fees and penalties down the line.
• Not creating an employee handbook: a handbook outlines your clear expectations to every new employee. It protects you against accusations of favouritism or special treatment, and it gives you a clear basis for disciplining inappropriate behaviour.
• No ongoing training or support: you may find people who can handle their responsibilities adequately from day one, but generally, everyone needs a period of settling in. Even after this point, training your employees to be more effective and productive is vital if you want your business to thrive.
• Failing to document performance issues: in the event you need to terminate someone’s employment, it's important to know that the law is generally on the employees’ side. You must keep detailed documentation of all performance issues leading up to the termination, including the chances and options that were given to the terminated employee prior to being fired.