If you are thinking about working with an HR Consultant here are eight questions to ask them before hiring them. As with any investment, it pays dividends to do some research and ask the right questions.
Here are our eight questions to ask an HR Consultant before hiring them to work with you and your business.
1. How much experience do you have?
- How long have you been working as an HR Consultant?
- What was your professional experience before becoming a consultant?
Try to find someone with in-depth experience managing people and of running a business. Someone who can relate to the pressures that you, as a business-owner, are facing.
2. Who are some of your other clients?
- What kind of work have you done for clients like me?
- Can I call them to ask about your work?
Some HR Consultants may be reluctant to disclose the names of their clients. But at the very least you need to know that the HR consultant has worked with companies closer to your size and industry. If they have, they’re more likely to understand your needs. If the HR Consultant is reluctant to put you in touch with a client so that you can talk to them about how they find that HR Consultant to work with, maybe you should consider that reluctance in your decision to hire?
3. What are your qualifications?
- Is the HR Consultant a member of the CIPD?
- What level of membership do they have?
- Do they have any general business management qualification?
Look for an HR consultant who has practical experience in the area you want to focus on, for example, redundancies, contracts, disciplinaries etc.
4. What services do you offer?
- Can you provide me with an on-going retainer service?
- Do you offer coaching?
- Can you help me with ad hoc projects?
- Can we bring someone from your office in-house once a week or do you only work remotely?
5. What is your approach to HR?
- Will you make recommendations and then help me implement the HR steps needed to strengthen my business?
- Can we retain your services so that we can have unlimited access to your expertise?
- Will you teach us to do this work for ourselves and become self-sufficient?
6. Will you be the only person working with me?
- Will I be supported by a team of HR people in your office or will you be the only person available to assist me?
- Who should I contact with day-to-day questions?
- Will you return phone calls or emails the same day?
These questions all focus on how much attention the consultant can afford to spend on your needs. In general, you want to have a same-day response to questions or problems – even if they can’t be solved that day, you need to know that someone is at least working on a solution. You may even want to ask former clients about how responsive and attentive they found the HR consultant to be.
7. How will I pay for your services?
- Do your fees include travel time and other miscellaneous charges or are those billed separately?
- How much will I need to pay up-front before the work begins?
- Will you be charging hourly or will there be a monthly retainer?
There are no set standards when paying for consultants, so before entering into an agreement make sure you fully understand what you’re getting into.
8. Can I have it in writing?
Ask the HR Consultant to provide you with a written agreement detailing the services to be provided. Keep it in your files for future reference.
Here at Metis HR, we have combined HR management experience of over 65 years and we regularly undergo training and qualifications to keep our practice current. We eat, sleep, and breathe HR so our expertise is unrivalled.
Our HR Consultants are experts at giving you the advice you need to ensure your business is protected right . For impartial professional advice, you can contact us via the contact form on our website, email us at info@metishr.co.uk or phone us on 01706 565332.
