As HR consultants, clients often approach us seeking guidance on how to manage an employee who is under performing in their current role. By the time a manager has decided to approach HR with the situation they are often frustrated with the poor performance and are seeking HR intervention. Poor performance is an inevitable part of every organization and it is imperative that supervisors and HR work together to determine the best course of action for each situation.

Summer has officially ended. Gone are the relaxed attitudes that come from a week spent on the beach and the natural endorphins that are a result of longer evenings and plenty of sunshine. Companies are now entering into the final home stretch of the calendar year with an expectation of productivity and results. For an HR Director, this can result in a sudden rise of complaints about workload, work/life balance and what are perceived as unrealistic expectations. So, how does an HR Director respond to the frantic employee who calls at 5:00pm declaring that they are ready to quit without notice and that their manager is crazy?

It’s budget time! Since labor is usually the highest expense an organization has, it is crucial to take the time to determine your pay budget. If planned properly, pay increases can be a tool to help engage, motivate, and retain top talent. Below are a few things to take into consideration when setting your pay budget:

As the overall economy continues to improve, employers are looking for additional methods to reduce costs while also finding ways to add value to the organization. As an HR Business Partner who works with various clients across multiple industries, I find many organizations do not have an employee benefit strategy. Instead, organizations tend to review and modify their existing benefit plan designs or employee contributions and call it a day. This is only a short term fix to a long term issue.

Change is everywhere. We see it all of the time. And let’s face it, change is scary. At Helios, our clients are constantly faced with changes. One of the biggest and scariest of these changes is a merger and acquisition. So how do you keep your employees motivated and engaged when going through such a big change as a merger and acquisition?

We often get called in by organizations have experienced a lot of growth in a quick timeframe and the CEO or VP, Finance is ready to move HR off of their plate. They want to have a solid infrastructure built and someone who their employees can go to. And, they don't want to lose the great culture they've created. They're concerned that employees won't get taken care of in the same regards if they opted for a PEO, for instance, and they aren't quite ready to hire a full-time HR leader yet. So that's usually where we come in. At Helios, our HR outsourcing consultants are more than just a tactical resource or strategic advisor who you never actually meet. We serve as an extension of your team, and can serve in foundational, operational and strategic partner capacities as needed. We partner with executive leadership to understand your business goals, current challenges, and develop a plan to approach your human capital. We meet with you and your employees on an ongoing, regular basis and are the conduit between your employees and senior management. One of the most important parts of an effective Human Resources (HR) department is the trust developed through goal alignment, proven results, regular accessibility and face-to-face interactions of the HR team members. How can trust be earned through an HR outsourcing function?