What are 5 questions I should ask a HR Consultant before signing a contract?

Choosing a new provider to help with your HR is an important step for any business. As it is important, it’s vital to ensure that before a contract for services is signed that the business has asked the HR Consultancy some questions and received answers that they are happy with.

In this article we hope to provide you with 5 of the questions we would recommend you ask before signing a new contract, this could be a renewal with an existing provider, or a new contract with a new provider.

1.Do you have professional indemnity insurance?

Sadly we live in a world where it is important that insurance policies are held and that they provide the cover the holder needs. All HR Consultants should have professional indemnity insurance and will be able to provide the business with a copy of their certificate of insurance. In addition to professional indemnity, public liability insurance is also a good idea. I would recommend it’s only necessary if the HR Consultant is to be on your premises. Mine was sold to me on the basis of whether I could scratch the board table with my laptop bag. They must have heard my reputation (lol!)

2. How do you maintain your CPD?

Sadly too many professionals are great but not up to date. Employment law is only one aspect of HR, if you require your HR Consultant to be up to date with latest law and best practice ask them about their CPD and how they maintain their continuous professional development.

3. Will the same person I am speaking to now, be my contact when I have a question?

Again, we hear alot of stories where a salesperson has attended the business to present to the management their proposal for retained HR support and has built rapport. Sadly they aren’t the person who will be providing assistance when the business has a query. Ask who will be servicing the account and what their qualifications are? Don’t be embarassed a reputable HR consultant will be happy to talk to you about their team and their qualifications and experience in HR.

4. How long am I signing up for?

Some HR Consultancies offer 3, 5 and even 7 year contracts. Find out what you are signing up for and how long. If you are not happy with the service you may be with that provider long into the future.

5. What are the notice periods if I want to end the contract?

If you are signing a contract its a good idea to know how much notice, if any, you will need to give to conclude the relationship. If you are signed up for a 12 month contract I would expect that at the end of 12 months, the contract is either ended or renewed at the discretion of the business. Sadly some HR Consultancies ‘roll over’ contracts if you don’t give the correct amount of notice in the small print.

We hope that this article if useful and that your new relationship with a HR Consultancy really makes a difference for your business.