As an HR consulting firm – and as people who have been part of internal HR departments in their careers – we’re big advocates for getting help at work when you need it. Human resources is a big job, and it’s normal to feel like you could use an extra set of hands (or two or three). So how do you know it’s time to call in a consultant?

There are tons of reasons, and we don’t have room to fit all of them in this blog, but below are some common ones we’ve seen.

You don’t have an HR department and you need a resource

Maybe you own or are on the leadership team at a small company that’s not big enough yet to necessitate a human resources professional (conventional wisdom says you should have one when you hit 50 employees, by the way). Many consultants, like Purple Ink, will offer on-call services so you have someone to ask when you have a sticky situation or just aren’t sure what to do. That can give you the peace of mind that you’re staying in compliance and treating your employees right without having to worry about paying a full-time HR professional or keeping them busy.

You have a big project and no extra time

Need to revise all your job descriptions? Could your employee handbook use a revamp? Want to make sure you have a solid succession plan in place? But wait…you’re already so busy with recruiting, creating development plans, employee relations, and the list goes on. That’s a great time to call in an HR consultant! Consultants can take on the big project for you, or they can lend a hand with your day-to-day tasks to help free up your time so you have room to tackle the big project yourself.

You have a project that’s outside your expertise

Human resources is a broad discipline, and no one is an expert at everything. If you have a project coming up and you feel a little out of your depth, worried that there may be nuances and laws you might miss, or just feel like it’ll take you longer as you stop to figure things out, an HR consultant is a great option. Consulting teams often have people with niche areas of expertise who can help you out and make sure the project is getting done efficiently and correctly.

Your HR department is overloaded

We know HR professionals have a lot on their plates. If you and your team are burning out, or you’re not able to keep up with deadlines, an HR consultant can help. Consultants like my teammates at Purple Ink can pitch in on projects or take over a process for you (like phone screens, for example), lifting the burden from your shoulders so you can keep things running smoothly.

You don’t know what you don’t know

It can be helpful to have an outside perspective on how your HR department is doing. If something’s not working and you can’t put your finger on what it is, or you just want to check in and make sure you’re doing things efficiently and staying compliant, call an HR consultant. They can discuss your situation and offer their thoughts on what might be going on and how to fix it. Many also have an assessment process they can do to find inefficiencies or potential issues.

If any of these sound like you and you’d like to learn more about Purple Ink’s consulting services, reach out to us! We’d be happy to chat about how we can support you and your HR team.