What does Outsourced HR bring to the party?

Laura explains the value of outsourced HR and why it’s so much more than a ‘faceless telephone service’.

 By Laura Rigby

“What’s the point in outsourcing HR? Surely the whole point of HR is to be present and available for the team?”

If I had a pound for every time I’d been asked that question, I’d be a rich woman (ok a marginally better off one, but let’s not let the truth get in the way of a good story!).

Outsourcing does not always mean a faceless and invisible service.

There can be so much more to outsourced HR than just an advice line. As an outsourced HR partner, I’m regularly on site with my clients and available for managers and employees alike, just as an internal HR manager would be.

However, what is included in an outsourced HR service varies from provider to provider and of course depends on budget; which brings me to my second point…

Not every company can afford an internal HR team. Even if they could, there’s the predicament of what level of experience or type of HR is required. Also, what a company thinks they need might not actually be what is needed. For example, there may be a lot of low-level employee relation issues and so a slightly experienced HR Officer or Advisor would be perfect, right? Possibly. But probably not.

Reacting to the issues and having someone to manage the specific process is of course helpful but isn’t it more important to assess the root cause of the issues, given they are so consistent and regular? So, a more experienced and strategic member of HR could do the trick, but they’re expensive and might not be needed forever. This is where outsourced HR comes in!

Outsourced HR can offer bespoke services that can be adapted or changed over time. Some providers give you access to various individuals from administrators, to HR directors, so you get someone who can take care of compliance and manage all administrative HR, as well as someone who can put together and carry out your people strategy.

Other things that outsourced HR can bring to the party include:

• A huge back-catalogue of letters and templates – no more worrying about what a letter should and shouldn’t say, we’ve got your back. This will save you unnecessary time, effort and stress.
• Great exposure to various ways of doing things, meaning we can be more innovative when it comes to your people strategy.
• A potential option to introduce an HR system. Not only will this save trees by reducing the need for paper-based employee files and holiday charts, it saves time too, due to the self-service element of system – employees can update their details directly, request holidays and can access vital information, such as the employee handbook, right at their fingertips.
• Leadership training and development. A common misconception is that outsourcing people management can take away from the responsibility of line managers. We can up-skill your management team and help them learn how to become an effective leader.
• Experts at your fingertips. The chances are we’ll have been there, seen it and got the T-Shirt, so you can rely on us to help guide the way. PLUS – there’ll be holiday cover available so you’ll never experience a dip in service.
• Associates galore. We work with tonnes of fantastic people, so can make recommendations when you might need a little something extra. Occupational health providers, health and safety, benefit and reward, team-bonding and wellbeing to name just a few.

If you do your research and shop around, I’m certain you’ll find a provider that’s right for you. Who knows, it might even be us…

For more information on our outsourced HR services, just contact a member of the team.