Hiring a human resources professional is, for some companies, the milestone that separates a small, growing business from an established company.
Other business owners understand that this role can help with hiring, legal compliance, payroll and employee relations, but they also worry that it could create a kind of rupture in the company culture.
To better understand when a small business owner should hire an HR professional, it helps to ask yourself the following questions:
1. Am I spending too much time dealing with employees?
When you notice that you are losing a lot of time on employees’ requests for pay rises and days off, and above all on reaching agreements with staff about how to share out holidays and days off, and it is draining your energy, you probably need to simplify all of this so you can focus on what really matters in the business.
The parts of the business that demand most of our attention are often the least productive ones for the company.
2. Am I having trouble keeping employees?
A good human resources department can make sure your most talented employees stay with the company. One common HR task is to run and analyse job satisfaction surveys to find out what problems and concerns employees have. The department becomes a place where employees can raise complaints without having to “confront” their bosses, so problems can be spotted before they arrive.
See also: The personnel manager, the company’s bad guy
Remember that training good employees is the company’s responsibility, and once they are trained, losing the best of them can be a hard blow.
(Read: Fine lines in human resources: when talent acquisition turns into a talent drain)
3. Am I spending too much time on tasks outside my expertise?
When you have employees or partners devoting time to tasks that they can do but that are not what they are in the company for, it is time to consider hiring someone or outsourcing work such as job interviews, employee training, payroll and legal matters.
That way, the owner, the partners and key employees can focus on growing the company instead of wearing themselves out on these processes.
(Read: 6 things managers can learn from the world’s best recruiters)
These are the main questions a business owner should ask when the time comes, especially when the company is moving up to the next level.
Last but not least, HR professionals can help you create a set of uniform procedures for company policies, which can save you a lot of time in the long run and make sure you are complying with the law.
Further reading
- 5 keys to building high-impact teams in your company
- 9 factors that motivate your company’s employees
- The 32 rules for being a successful entrepreneur
Featured image: Kheel Center, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr.
