FAQs

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Frequently Asked Questions

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All employers in Australia must comply with legal frameworks that govern the employment relationship, including the Fair Work Act and relevant Health and Safety laws. However, the level of HR support your business needs will depend on several factors, such as your industry, workforce size, and the types of employment arrangements you have.

At a minimum, HR support ensures compliance and mitigates risks associated with employment laws. But effective HR goes beyond compliance—it plays a strategic role in workforce management and people development. Whether it’s attracting and retaining talent, enhancing employee engagement, or supporting leadership development, HR can be a powerful tool to help you achieve your business goals.

Businesses engage HR consultants for two main reasons: either they need specific expertise and experience that isn’t available in-house, or their existing team doesn’t have the capacity to manage the current workload.

An HR consultant brings specialised knowledge in employee-related matters, which can significantly impact business operations, workforce productivity, and employee engagement. Here’s how they typically support businesses:

  • Minimising Employment Risks and Ensuring Compliance: HR consultants help navigate complex employment laws and regulations, reducing risks associated with non-compliance.
  • Managing Employee Relations: They handle sensitive employee relations issues, advocating for fair resolutions and seeking legal advice when necessary.
  • Driving Productivity and Business Outcomes: By diagnosing workforce challenges and implementing tailored solutions, HR consultants enhance productivity and achieve strategic business goals.
  • Leading Change and Transformation: HR consultants lead change programs to support the adoption of new technologies, processes, or ways of working, ensuring a smooth transition.
  • Building Employee Capability: They help grow employee skills and capabilities, aligning workforce development with the company’s strategic objectives.

Partnering with an HR consultant allows businesses to leverage expert knowledge and strategic insights, driving sustainable growth and success.

HR Outsourcing is where human resources responsibilities are facilitated by an external provider. 

The role of HR within an organisation is broad. For small and medium businesses, it is often difficult for the owner or leader to manage the full scope of responsibilities usually sitting under the HR banner. These responsibilities typically include annual performance processes, goal setting, compensation reviews, payroll, policy and procedure compliance, employee relations, and capability development activities. 

At Network PD, we take a business-first approach, ensuring that our HR solutions are not just about compliance but are strategically designed to support your broader business goals and strategic outcomes. Our expertise is rooted in years of experience working with global leaders in people solutions, giving us deep insight into the levers that drive employee behaviour and deliver meaningful results.

Our clients choose us because we make it a priority to truly understand their business. We align our solutions with your strategic plans, ensuring our actions directly support your success. Most importantly, we believe in building strong, trusted partnerships through open and honest communication, delivering on our promises every time.

Hiring an internal HR resource is an option for small and medium-sized businesses, but it’s important to first consider what you want this role to achieve.

The role of HR has evolved significantly. Traditionally, HR was focused on personnel coordination and administrative tasks. Today, effective HR requires expertise in employee relations, compliance, workforce productivity, and strategic planning. Finding someone with this level of expertise can be costly, and in reality, most SMEs need HR support but don’t require a full-time headcount.

Outsourcing HR offers a flexible and cost-effective solution. It allows you to access expert HR support when you need it while benefiting from:

  • Planned HR Processes: Annual HR processes that are well-organised and aligned with your business goals.
  • Strategic HR Planning: An HR plan that supports your strategic objectives.
  • Efficient Technology Solutions: Access to technology that simplifies HR tasks and reduces your administrative workload.
  • Expert Guidance and Risk Management: A dedicated HR Business Partner to navigate complex issues and manage workforce risks, backed by technical experts in payroll, employment law, and workforce administration.

This approach is typically more cost-effective than hiring a senior HR leader and provides more strategic value than employing a junior HR resource. By outsourcing, you gain the flexibility, expertise, and support needed to effectively manage your workforce and drive business success.

Hiring an HR consultant means investing in experience, technical expertise, and proven people management systems. These attributes are designed to solve specific challenges you face as a business leader. While this might sound costly, a skilled consultant delivers solutions efficiently, saving you the time and effort an internal resource would need to develop strategies from scratch.

In many cases, outsourcing HR is more cost-effective than hiring an internal team. You get access to comprehensive solutions tailored to your business needs without the ongoing expense of full-time salaries and benefits. Plus, outsourced HR support is scalable, allowing you to adjust the level of service as your business grows.

Ultimately, the right HR consultant can provide strategic value while helping you manage costs effectively.