Balance

What’s the first thing you would do if you worked with an organization without a human resources team?
First, I’d talk with the business leaders and ask them questions, such as:

• What is their philosophy for running the business and how do their employees fit into that philosophy?
• What “people” concerns are they currently experiencing?
• How has the organization been governing itself in the past as issues arose?
• Are there policies and procedures?
• Does the organization have an employee handbook?
• Are employees receiving periodic performance appraisals?

These questions inform what should be the first course of action. I typically recommend a triage approach – tackle the most urgent concerns first, the issues that have the highest probability of causing disruption to the business, then move on to tasks that are still critical, but less likely to cause disruption.

How do you stay current in your human resources knowledge?
Human resources is always evolving, so being a consultant, in this discipline, means staying current with state and federal legislation and current people practices that affect businesses of all sizes.

When I was in a corporate human resources role, I only needed to know the laws and principles that applied to organizations my size, so I love the challenge of keeping up to date with legislation affecting all businesses.

I sit on the board of several human resource organizations and truly enjoy mentoring young professionals who have chosen this field of interest. I enjoy reading industry articles and magazines to learn the latest trends. My membership with the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and its local chapters has been instrumental to my education. I also give back to the local human resource community, by providing a scholarship for professionals seeking human resource certification credentials.

What type of clients do you work with?
I derive the most satisfaction when consulting with businesses that don’t have a human resource department. At this juncture, small differences can make a big immediate impact. The work is varied and interesting.

I enjoy talking through employee relations issues with my clients and guiding them with suggested solutions. It is especially rewarding to end a consultation call knowing the client is more at ease, and has the tools to address the issue(s) concerning them.

I’ve consulted with a wide variety of businesses – manufacturers, law firms, veterinary practices, home care agencies to name a few. I have great respect for the small business owner, an expert in their specific area and they’ve used that expertise to build a successful business. I truly enjoy partnering with these small businesses and adding to their success by helping them with the “people” aspect of running their organizations.