Frequently Asked Questions - Human Resources Consulting

HR Outsourcing helps small companies (less than 500 employees) that are in need of a Human Resources Professional on a part time basis relieving the overwhelmed owner or office manager of the daily tasks surrounding recruitment, HR, benefits or payroll.
HR work consumes 25-35% of an owner’s time, and 7-25% of time is spent handling employee paperwork, according to a recent small business survey.
Many smaller businesses cannot afford a seasoned HR professional on staff, so HR outsourcing allows them to have the expertise and help when needed without paying someone full time.
For those companies that are lucky enough to have HR staff, we are the resource to assist them in lending a hand in:

• situations where they aren't familiar
• providing direct services to employees in a particular area so they can focus on other priorities
• and handling an important project.

With Baker HR Services handling your HR needs, you can focus on what you do best!

In order to grow any business, you need more people. People management takes time, and if not managed well, you lose people which takes even more time and money. If that's not enough, the rules of people management is contantly changing. It is almost a full time job keeping up with the latest requirements with attending training and professional groups, and professional reading.
Our experienced HR consultants can respond to the human resource needs that you simply don't have the time, expertise or resources to address effectively.

With HR Consulting you:

• Benefit from expertise and experience of experienced HR professionals
• Obtain professional advice and guidance of tough HR issues
• Receive HR advice, tips, tools and best practices that work
• Meet specific goals in a timely manner
• Only pay for the time or services you use
• Receive the most flexible solution to fit your needs and budget
• Stay focused on your core business

Who is HR Consulting for?

• Companies who need an immediate, professional solution
• Companies who do not have HR professional on staff
• Companies spending too much time on one or more HR issue or need assistance with a project/implementation
• Companies that have one person covering many functional areas
• Companies wanting to protect and grow their business

Hiring an experienced HR professional on staff is more expensive than hiring a consultant.
According to Businessweek Magazine, employers can save up to 30 percent by hiring an independent contractor because they avoid paying payroll taxes, unemployment insurance, workers' compensation and disability, as well as benefits that include pensions, sick days, health insurance and vacation time.
With a consultant you don't pay for:

• benefits (medical, dental, life)
• retirement - pension and/or 401(k) match
• vacation
• payroll taxes (federal, state, local, Social Security and Medicare)
• office equipment and supplies
• software licenses
• bonuses
• company events
• training
• sick pay
• worker's compensation
• disability
• unemployment insurance
• paid holidays

With a HR consultant you don't pay an annual a salary. You pay for the expertise when you need it.

No matter how small your company is, there are some federal and state regulations that apply to your company.  More than 15 federal regulations apply to businesses with less than 15 employees, and the amount of regulation only increases from there as you add employees.  Regulations and legal interpretation change constantly.
Having a seasoned HR professional on your side is a great way to reduce legal risks of regulation violations and lawsuits, especially in society that filing a lawsuit is commonplace.
Frivolous lawsuits are an all-too-common problem for small businesses. There is almost no risk to trial attorneys or their clients for bringing even absurd cases to court. While large companies routinely retain attorneys and have the financial means to protect themselves from frivolous lawsuits, small businesses aren't quite as prepared. Regardless of whether there is any truth to the claim, the small business owners will have to hire attorneys and will typically incur legal fees even if they win the case.
Some of the alarming statistics concerning small business owners in the U.S. are:

• Over 50 percent of all civil lawsuits target small businesses annually
• 90 percent settle frivolous lawsuits simply to avoid higher court costs
• Owners pay $20 million out of their own pockets to pay tort liability costs
• U.S. tort costs have increased more than the gross domestic product since 1950
• On average, those earning $1 million per year spend $20,000 of it on such lawsuits

Finding the right employee to fill a position is vital to the future of your company and is a time-consuming process. According to a small business survey, 30% of small business failures are blamed on poor hiring decisions.  We get to know your company's culture, the challenges, and the benefits, so we can be the face of your company and market your job openings as a personal extension of you at a reasonable price.
Recruiters typically charge anywhere from 20 to 35 percent of the starting salary while we charge a flat fee less than 10 percent.  Recruiters have competing interests they are trying to please (trying to meet your deadlines, their agency deadlines, working with multiple companies and multiple positions) and the temptation is very real to push through a candidate that may not be right for the role. They don't have a long-term relationship with your company.  We are only trying to please you, and get you the best candidate.
We take the hassle out of finding the perfect employee by:

•    Attaining hiring managers job requirements
•    Posting a compelling job description
•    Reviewing applications and resumes
•    Pre-screening candidates
•    Coordinating and conducting virtual or on-site interviews
•    Providing more information to you on the candidate before you ever speak to them
•    Creating offer letters

We provide all of the following services below:
Your full service human resources partner
We are your HR department for all things HR and your virtual on call resource for employees and management.
Your HR outsource resource for a particular HR function
Is there an area of HR that is taking too much of your time and holding you back from other important initiatives? Outsourcing a particular area (i.e. recruiting, on-boarding, benefits, administration) to us is a perfect way to get you back on track.
Your HR project resource
Do you have a project that you don't have the time or expertise to manage? Let us manage the project for you.
For a listing of services click here, and choose the size of your company.
Don't see what you are looking for? Contact us, and we help provide a solution or a resource to assist you.