As a business owner, you know that there are times when your organization needs change. Coping with this change as a business, however, can be painful and slow. There are times when bringing in a human resources consultant can help your company adapt to change in a more positive and more expedient way. Here are five times when you should think about hiring a human resources consulting firm.
1. After a big management shakeup. If three of the top brass are let go, and three new executives are brought on board, there’s bound to be trouble. New processes and rules are sure to follow, and employees will be nervous. An organizational change expert can help you navigate the waters.
2. When the company is going public. For most employees, an IPO will have little impact on their day-to-day jobs. However, there must be changes to procedure at the top and a ton of new reporting to be implemented. Hire a consultant who has helped with IPO’s before.
3. When performance management systems are changing. Updating performance management practices periodically is important as a business grows. However, both the managers making the changes in how they review employees and the employees getting the reviews can have a little heartburn. A performance management expert can help you implement the system appropriately and help you with explaining how it works to concerned employees.
4. When new regulatory laws govern your business. New OSHA expectations or regulations based on employee growth can cause those who must implement and document the changes to scramble. Bringing in an expert who has done it before can help make short work of putting a program and documentation in place. Once it’s up and running, your employees can manage it going forward.
5. When there is a lawsuit or employee uprising. An allegation of harassment or unfair treatment by a few employees can shake up an entire organization. Bringing in an expert will help both sides deal with the problem. Management will get some much-needed expert advice, and employees will feel comforted that someone without a vested interest in the company is handling the investigation.
Of course, there are many other circumstances when bringing in a specialized human resources consulting firm can be helpful to your organization. These experts are well versed in managing the details of a particular organizational problem, using their skill and expertise developed from handling similar projects at other companies. They can offer you advice and help you put new processes and procedures into place seamlessly, so that your organization manages required changes without creating too much stress.
