When you work in HR outsourcing, one of the hardest questions to answer is: what does an HR consultant actually do? It would be easier to answer the question, “What does an HR consultant not do?”

Employee engagement surveys are only valuable when organizations act on the results. To get meaningful insights, leaders must design clear questions, analyze patterns across teams and tenure, and communicate findings transparently. The greatest ROI comes from translating survey feedback into measurable action plans that strengthen culture, retention, and performance.

“Strategic HR”. It’s a buzzword in the HR industry that has been around for some time, and I anticipate it will be around for a while longer. This concept of strategic HR is floated frequently, and it’s quite possible that, like many other business owners, you find yourself asking, “What is strategic Human Resources and how can it help my business?”

The 2020s have been a stressful decade for everyone, from the Quiet Quitting trend of 2022 to the slew of high-profile layoffs in 2023. All of this uncertainty has had a big impact on employee engagement.

The past five years have seen an unprecedented series of shocks to the way we work. We've seen a sudden switch to remote and hybrid working—followed by an even faster return to the office. Employees have been Quiet Quitting and joining the Great Resignation, while many employers have conducted large-scale layoffs.

When a small business starts growing, the HR function can quickly consume a lot of a leader's time. The rapidly expanding team means more payroll administration, compliance requirements, and benefits management, not to mention recruiting, employee communications, and the like.