Questions Small Businesses Should Ask Before Hiring A Human Resources Consultant

Added February 21, 2006 by Michelle Matlock, ThinkGlink.com Staff

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Summary: Ten important questions to ask yourself before you hire a human resources consultant.

If you're thinking about hiring out your Human Resources department, you'll want to ask plenty of questions before you sign on the dotted line. Many businesses find that once they choose a payroll, insurance or benefits company, they have a difficult time switching gears.

So make sure you ask the right questions upfront. Here are some issues you'll want to cover:

Have any of your administrators ever had a complaint or a lawsuit filed against them?
How do you screen your administrators? What makes them qualified to work with you?
How long is it going to take to set-up my third-party provider?
Will you be available to answer my questions and solve my problems? Is this a 24-hour service? Will I have to wait a long time to get you to call me back? Will I be talking to only one consultant or are you going to keep referring me to others and passing the buck?
Are there any preexisting conditions in this plan that are unreasonable? Would you buy into this plan if you were my employee? Why?
Do you have an employment lawyer on call or in your company who handles unemployment issues and wrongful termination? How did he or she prevent a lawsuit from occurring with one of your clients? I would like an example.
Can I speak with one of your clients and ask them their opinion of your services?
What are you fee's and what purpose do they serve? What guarantees do you provide regarding service providers that you may subcontract with?
You said you provide marketing services? Who handles your marketing and can I see a list of their success in promoting other companies?
What is a deal breaker for you that would cause you to terminate your relationship with another consultant?

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