Absence Makes the Heart… Panic!
What would you do if the one person in your company who knows everything about HR suddenly wasn’t there?
Challenge
One of our outsourced accounting clients lost their human resources leader — right when they were getting ready for benefits open enrollment. They had HR staff in house who could continue the everyday functions of the department. But nobody had the experience and knowledge to handle the negotiations and processes involved with an annual benefits renewal (and the other strategic, long-term planning aspects of human resources).
This client needed help quickly and didn’t have the time or funds to launch a search for the right person. So they hired us as their outsourced HR director until they could find someone permanent.
Solutions
Our firm immediately jumped in to start preparations for open enrollment. This involved dealing with the broker and carriers for renewal, reviewing all of the benefit plans and compiling a proposal for the client’s executive team. Once all aspects were approved, we set up and coordinated the annual open enrollment process.
Our work with this client also included responsibilities normally performed by a senior level HR professional. We handled employee relations issues, compliance concerns, and strategic planning. We also helped them create a succession plan, attended board meetings, and kept long-term initiatives moving forward.
Results
Once the client had our HR Solutions team on their side, benefits enrollment proceeded smoothly as scheduled. They also were able to continue the strategic policies and progress they had made until a permanent replacement could be hired.
It’s a common misconception that HR’s role is simply an informational and operational one, but there’s a slew of responsibilities behind the scenes. That includes benefits administration, which involves compliance requirements, negotiating with carriers, knowing the ins and outs of each plan, and the ability to ask the right questions and serve as your advocate with vendors. By bringing our expertise on board, our client was able to weather this unexpected storm while staying on course for their long-term goals.
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Julie Kniseley, SHRM-SCP
President, HR Solutions
Julie has over 30 years of diverse human resources management experience that spans start-ups to established organizations. She has worked extensively in all facets of human resources including audits and compliance, benefits and compensation, recruiting, employee and labor relations, training and development, and policy design and has experience in both union and non-union environments.
Julie leads the James Moore HR Solutions Consulting team, which provides clients with guidance and solutions to build and improve their HR infrastructure. Clients include start-ups, non-profits, government entities, construction companies, medical practices and more. She is regularly asked to give presentations to various professional organizations.
Julie earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Toledo. She is a member of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional.
