HR Outsourcing has become increasingly important as HR professionals seek ways to reduce time and resources spent on transactions and administration, so they can concentrate on more strategic activities. This reduction in time and resources also translates to savings for the business. When HR departments decide which functions to retain and which to outsource, many hold on to talent management, recruiting, and succession planning, while handing off the payroll, benefits administration, and other routine tasks to third-party vendors.

Here are the HR functions that are most commonly outsourced through BlueStone Services:

• Benefits administration
• Compliance matters
• Creating/updating employee handbooks and policy manuals
• Developing HR infrastructure for growing companies
• Onboarding/Offboarding
• Recruitment support
• Retention strategies
• Training

While outsourced HR consultants can offer legal advice, it’s important to remember that they are not lawyers. There may be certain cases where your business would benefit from the guidance of a lawyer who is licensed in the state in which you operate. In those instances, we can offer referrals to legal professionals as needed.

HR consultants typically charge an hourly rate or a fixed fee for services. BlueStone Services offers a variety of packages tailored to your needs and budgets, making it easy to select the right amount of time needed for each project.

No, an HR consultant is not a recruiter. Recruiters typically focus on sourcing and screening candidates for open positions while an HR consultant focuses on things like compliance, employee relations, and more strategic activities. That said, HR consultants, can provide recruiting support in addition to their other offerings.

No, HR consulting and management consulting are two distinct disciplines. While HR consultants focus on managing human resources functions and processes, management consultants work with organizations to improve their overall business performance.

When you’re considering working with an HR consultant, it’s important to ask the right questions. These can include:

• What experience do you have in my industry?
• Do you specialize in any particular areas of HR?
• How will you ensure that my business is compliant with applicable regulations?
• What methods do you use to measure success?
• Do you offer customized solutions that fit my organization’s goals?
• Do you provide any guarantees or warranties on your services?
• How do you charge for your services?

These questions will help you evaluate the HR consultant and make sure that they are a good fit for your business.

Companies hire HR consultants for a variety of reasons, from reducing the burden of administrative tasks to gaining access to specialized knowledge and expertise. Working with an HR consultant can also help organizations stay compliant with changing regulations, improve their employee relations practices, lower costs, and increase efficiency. By outsourcing key HR functions, businesses can free up time and resources for other projects that are better aligned with their goals.

HR consulting typically includes services such as developing and implementing HR policies and procedures, performing compliance audits, providing employee relations support, managing payroll and benefits administration, recruiting, coaching, succession planning, and more. Consultants can also provide training on topics like diversity and inclusion or assist with other strategic initiatives. Ultimately, the scope of work depends on the individual needs of each business.

HR consulting can provide numerous benefits to businesses, including improved compliance with labor laws, better employee relations and engagement, streamlined operations, reduced costs, improved recruitment strategies and retention rates, more accurate payroll processing, greater knowledge of hiring practices and trends, and improved decision-making. Additionally, working with an HR consultant can help businesses stay up to date with the latest regulations and best practices in the field.

An HR consultant can provide invaluable guidance when it comes to talent acquisition. A consultant can help businesses improve their recruitment processes, identify potential candidates and develop appropriate job descriptions and salary ranges. They can also assist with onboarding new employees and helping them get acclimated to the organization. Ultimately, an experienced HR consultant can be a valuable asset in helping businesses find and retain the best talent.

HR consultants typically use a combination of techniques and tools when working with clients. This can include conducting interviews and surveys, using data analytics to identify trends, developing training strategies and materials, designing employee programs, creating policies and procedures, utilizing technology-based tools for record-keeping and compliance tracking, offering employee coaching services, and more. Ultimately, the techniques used will depend on the individual needs of each business.

An HR consultant can help businesses stay up to date with changing labor laws and regulations. This includes developing standard operating procedures, creating compliance policies, providing training on new laws and regulations, tracking changes in the law, conducting audits to ensure compliance, and more. An experienced HR consultant can also provide guidance on best practices for managing employee relations issues.

Bluestone provides HR consulting services to companies near DC, MD, and Virginia, as well as throughout the United States. While we are proud to provide our services to businesses in the DC, MD, and Virginia regions, we also extend our support to companies nationwide. Our commitment to delivering high-quality services spans various locations, allowing us to cater to the diverse needs of businesses across the entire United States.

Yes, BlueStone is dedicated to providing human resources (HR) consulting to companies near you. With our conveniently located office in Columbia, MD, we are well-positioned to serve businesses in the surrounding areas. You can rely on BlueStone’s expertise and commitment to deliver outstanding human resources (HR) consulting near you. We serve cities such as:

• Frederick, MD
• Mt. Airy, MD
• Rockville, MD
• Gaithersburg, MD
• Takoma Park, MD
• Barnesville, MD
• Brookeville, MD
• Chevy Chase, MD
• Friendship Heights, MD
• Garrett Park, MD
• Glen Echo, MD
• Kensington, MD
• Laytonsville, MD
• Poolesville, MD
• Somerset, MD
• Washington Grove, MD