As the complexity of pay, benefits and employee rewards programs continues to increase in today’s tight labor market, organizations are looking for ways to optimize their compensation plans. One way to do this is by hiring a compensation consulting firm. A third-party consultant can help an organization identify areas of underutilized resources, assess current cost structures, develop a new compensation strategy and implement changes that align with business objectives. Whether or not it is worth it to hire a compensation consulting firm depends on your company’s needs, budget and current resources. There are many different kinds of consultants who can assist with various aspects of employee compensation. Read on to learn more about the different types of consultants you may want to consider working with based on your company’s needs.
Why Hiring a Compensation Consulting Firm is Worth It
Many organizations grow frustrated with their own internal staffing and recruiting capabilities. This frustration can lead to hiring freezes, longer onboarding periods and a lack of flexibility to take advantage of open job markets and critical hiring needs. Organizations who hire a compensation consulting firm have the benefit of outside expertise that can provide additional resources to help optimize their employee compensation programs. This outside perspective can help organizations get ahead of key challenges and take full advantage of market opportunities as they arise.
Another reason why organizations hire a compensation consulting firm is because of the constant pressure on payroll. Because employee compensation accounts for a large portion of company operating budgets, there is often an increase in pressure to keep payroll costs as low as possible. This can sometimes lead to organizations offering salaries that fall below market averages, or offering benefits packages that are less than ideal. When an organization hires a compensation consulting firm, they can get expert advice on how to navigate these issues. For a list of the best compensation consulting firms in the country, click here.
Payroll is Constantly Constricted
One of the biggest issues organizations face when it comes to employee compensation is the constant pressure on payroll. This can occur for a number of reasons. First, more turnover and layoffs often result in higher recruiting costs. Second, if an organization is trying to hire more senior-level employees, they might find themselves competing with other companies for the best candidates. This can drive up the cost of recruiting new employees. Organizations may also find themselves in a situation where they simply can’t increase salaries due to budget constraints. Hiring a compensation consulting firm can help an organization navigate these challenges by providing them with expert advice on how to keep costs low while still retaining the talent they need.
An Increase in Complicating HR Processes
The more complicated the HR processes at a company become, the harder it is for managers to do their jobs. When managers are spending more time on payroll and onboarding issues, it takes away from their ability to focus on their core responsibilities. Organizations that have more complex HR departments are often dealing with more complex employee benefits and compensation programs. Hiring a compensation consulting firm can help simplify these programs and make them easier for managers to navigate. This is especially true for large organizations where there may be several different HR departments. When different teams are responsible for managing different aspects of an employee benefit, it can make it more complicated for employees to navigate and easier for different departments to make administrative errors. A common example of this is payroll taxes. If each department is responsible for calculating payroll taxes for their own employees, it can lead to confusion, mistakes and inconsistent calculations. A consulting firm can help make these processes more efficient and straightforward.
A Lack of Clear Communication From Leadership
In many organizations, leaders are expected to set clear expectations for employee benefits and compensation as part of their hiring process. While this is a great start, having a written communication does not replace clear and consistent communication. Having leaders who are consistent and clear about your company’s compensation and benefits programs is important for a number of reasons. When leaders are clear about their expectations, it makes it easier for managers to onboard new employees. It also makes it easier for employees to understand what benefits and compensation they can expect. This can help reduce the amount of time and resources HR departments have to spend on issues related to miscommunication and incorrect expectations.
Employees Are Becoming More Selective
Employees are becoming more selective about the companies for which they choose to work. This is especially true for highly skilled professionals. When organizations face challenges in the market, it can lead to them offering less than ideal benefits and compensation programs. Hiring a compensation consulting firm can help organizations keep up with the latest trends in benefits and make sure they are offering the best possible packages to their employees. By hiring a compensation consulting firm, organizations can make sure their benefits and compensation programs are up to date and attractive to the best employees. This can make it easier to recruit top talent and retain the employees you have.
Bottom Line
As the complexity of employee rewards programs continues to increase, organizations are often challenged to keep up. This can lead to frustration with internal staffing and recruiting capabilities, a lack of clear communication from leadership and an increase in less-than-ideal benefits packages. By hiring a compensation consulting firm, organizations can get expert advice on how to navigate these challenges and make sure they are offering the best possible options to their employees.
