You want to outsource your HR but not sure where to start?

As an SME you’re probably looking after a number of spinning plates and it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Outsourcing your HR can help to reduce your workload and give you what you need to manage payroll, time and attendance, recruiting, onboarding and HR admin.

Here are some things to think about to get you started.

What HR tasks do you want to outsource?

It really depends on your size and need. But it also depends on how well you and your team are currently handling HR and how much it distracts you from managing and growing your business.

The common HR tasks for outsourcing are payroll processing, employee benefits admin, employee records, system admin, learning & development, performance management, health and safety, policy development.

Choose your HR outsource partner

Think about who you want to work with. Think about their services, experience, expertise and compatibility with your company culture. The HR outsourcer can become a valued partner, getting to know your business and specific needs and working with you as your HR or as an extension to your existing team. Choosing the right partner is essential to ensure they align with your business.

How do you want to work with your HR outsourcing partner?

Discuss and agree your expectations with your HR outsourcing partner. Agree the scope of services, delivery timelines and the performance levels you want. Make sure the contract outlines the terms and conditions clearly stating the duration, costs, renewal options and termination and /or transition protocols and, importantly what to do when things go wrong. Take time to compare a number of providers to find the best fit for you and your business.

Get going!

Carry out a thorough knowledge transfer with your HR outsourcing partner. Set up clear communication channels, define roles and responsibilities outlining who’ll be responsible for what between you, review your HR processes and change them if needed to make them work better between you, integrate your systems, update your HR documentation to train your employees on the new processes and procedures so they are clearly understood.

Support each other as you import employee data and run through a few payrolls to make sure the transition runs smoothly. And remember the HR outsourcer is a partner to you and your business so schedule regular catch ups to discuss how things are going, any snagging or teething issues and to nip any issues in the bud. This ensures the partnership remains positive experience for you both.

Evaluate your HR outsourcing partnership

Is it giving you what you wanted and expected? Did you simply want to handover your HR admin headache to a specialist provider, reduce payroll processing errors, were you expecting cost savings? Improvements to quality and compliance? Checking in regularly helps aps you to focus on why you outsourced and whether the partnership is still giving you what you initially set out to achieve, made the right decision and selected the right partner for you.

Call us today and let’s discuss how we can help you reduce the HR headache and let you get on with managing and growing your business.