Growing a business without HR expertise is challenging at best, and a constant uphill struggle at worst. If you’ve ever had to tackle a people issue on your own, you’ll know just how stressful it can be.

Between trying to manage your legal obligations, and meeting your operational requirements, firefighting can become part of your everyday routine if you aren’t careful.

Of course, there’s the option to call upon help on a project-by-project basis, and there can be real value in that approach. But if you’re ready to raise the bar (and give yourself some valuable gift of peace of mind along the way), then it might be time for you to start a retainer relationship with your HR consultant.

This could be the HR secret weapon that you need. Here’s why:

You get to know and trust your dedicated adviser so you can get straight to the heart of any issues
If you’ve ever outsourced work to a consultant in the past, you’ll know that there’s often a steep learning curve called ‘getting to know each other’. Before you can really get down to business, the right foundations have to be laid. You have to gain an understanding of how they operate, and they need to find out what your business is really all about.

So if you have a pressing HR issue and you’re working with someone who you’ve never worked with before, it’s inevitable that you aren’t going to immediately hit the ground running. When you’re using retainer services though, this isn’t a problem. You know your consultant, you know how they do things, and you trust in their decisions and advice. It’s not difficult to see the massive difference this will make.

You don’t have to face the prospect of hunting down a skilled professional when something goes wrong
Leaders often don’t expect to go into work on any given morning and find themselves faced with handling the fall-out of an HR issue. These things happen though, and it’s vital that you’re ready to respond ASAP. Many issues can spiral out of control if you don’t formulate a fit-for-purpose solution within a quick timescale.

By the time you’ve contacted your business peers, asked for recommendations, and managed to get hold of someone who has a solution, serious damage might have already been done. When you have an HR expert who you can get in touch with at any time (during traditional business hours, of course), there’s no panicking and no fuss. You’ve already got your plan in place, and you know that your advisor has already got you covered.

You’re probably going to save yourself a chunk of cash
Contrary to popular (though very much dated) belief, HR isn’t all about soft tactics that can’t be measured in terms of true business success. The best HR professionals understand their role in contributing to the bottom line of your business, and play a role in helping you to smash your strategic objectives.

And we know that you have a keen eye on your costs. Yet another benefit of working on a retainer basis is that you can take advantage of some extremely savvy savings. You’ll know what you’re paying each month, so you’ll never face any nasty surprises.

Leaders who are mindful of the importance of their people practices might have an HR professional in mind who can help them when things go wrong. But leaders who have really stepped up and are ready for whatever their business throws at them are already working with us on a retainer.

Are you ready to make the change? Give me a call today for an initial chat about how we might be able to work with you.