Human Resource Needs for Small & Medium Size Businesses

Timely, comprehensive support and tools for employment needs

At Adaptiva HR, we believe small and medium-sized businesses should have access to strategic and functional HR services. Effective Human Resources practices help to create and maintain healthy, thriving places to work. Our approach is individualized and strategic, holistic and timely.

What We Do

We support small and medium-sized businesses with comprehensive and tailored strategic and functional HR services. 

Strategic Human Resource Services

Our HR Consultant partners with you to understand the human resource needs of your organzation. We find out what exists and is working well and what elements of HR structure need to be developed. Our experience working with a variety of businesses in many sectors as well as ongoing professional development and study of the field means you have access to extensive HR knowledge and expertise for guidance on:

  • Development and implementation of crucial employment policies and practices
  • Performance management systems
  • Staffing structure
  • Compensation philosophy and practices
  • Integration of diversity, equity and inclusion practices
  • Employee relations and engagement
  • Evaluation and implementation of benefits

Functional Human Resource Services

You are busy doing the things that need to be done for your organization. Our focus is just on your HR needs. Functional HR support mean we do the tasks you do not have time to do. This can include: 

  • Creating job descriptions
  • Updating (or creating) an employee handbook
  • Managing the recruitment process
  • Ensuring compliance with State and Federal employment regulations
  • Creating tools to use for performance management
  • Supporting investigation into a suspected policy violation
  • Conducting employee engagement interviews or surveys and/or exit interviews

We focus on building relationships with our business clients, ensuring that HR strategy and its implementation are integrated, not “tacked on” to how your organization currently operates. Through intentionally monitoring and addressing your HR needs, you help to ensure the people at your organization are supported so they can do their best and be their best.

How We Work

Subscription Clients

When a new client hires Adaptiva HR we begin with an assessment to thoroughly understand the HR needs as well as the existing policies and practices of the organization. From there we create an action plan to address any areas of compliance concern. We also identify what elements of the overall HR strategy have gaps and partner with the client to prioritize how those will be addressed. 

The subscription agreement provides an ongoing engagement between Adaptiva HR and your organization. You pay a monthly fee (plus additional hours when needed) for us to help you: 

  • Address the HR goals from the Assessment
  • Provide guidance regarding employee relations
  • Answer employment-related questions as they come up
  • Provide support for handling challenging employee situations
  • Share relevant and timely information about the evolving landscape of Human Resources and employment regulations
  • Other HR support as needed

We are here to support you to increase performance and wellbeing at your organization. We get to know every organization that calls upon us for support because relationships are central to our work. Our unique model provides comprehensive human resource guidance as well as a highly personalized approach to management and leadership consulting. 

Defined Scope Projects

If you have a one-time HR project and need support planning and completing it, we can help. Unlike the Subscription Agreement, a Defined Scope Project has a beginning and an end. Our work stays within the agreement for the project and we do not provide on-going or general HR support. This kind of support can be very helpful with larger or more complex projects, especially for organizations with a “Department of One” for Human Resources. Some ways we can help include:

  • Develop or update an Employee Handbook
  • Support recruitment, either facilitating the whole process or supporting portions of it
  • Administer an employee engagement survey
  • Create or update one or more job descriptions
  • Assist with updating performance management process and tools

Who We Help

We can (and do!) work with a wide range of businesses, non-profit organizations, and municipalities. 

Most often we work with employers that have one or more of the following circumstances:

  • Owner-operated small businesses
  • Business owners/Office Managers who are also “doing HR” for the company
  • When the “HR person” has little or no experience with employment law compliance
  • Businesses that have assigned HR functions to whoever handles finances internally
  • Organizations that are growing and struggling to keep up with HR compliance and best practices

Frequently Asked Questions

What is it like working with an Adaptiva HR consultant?

Human. Resource. Professional. That is exactly what you can expect from Adaptiva HR support. We are local, real people. We have a lot of knowledge, skills, and connections to help with all manner of employee and employment needs. Exemplary customer service is woven into all aspects of how we work with our business clients. We provide timely and comprehensive assistance. If you call with a need expect us to ask questions to fully understand what is happening before providing guidance. Expect us to work with you, not for you. You will work predominantly with one member of the HR team but since we are a team, we support each other so you may get to know several of us (which is a bonus because we are all friendly and love what we do!). 

Can you help with recruiting and hiring?

Yes! In fact, we LOVE doing this! Many businesses are stuck in the “doing the same thing and expecting different results” rut of recruiting. We have developed a great process that not only helps you approach recruiting, hiring, and onboarding from new angles, it also gives you a roadmap to follow for every time you need to hire. Subscription clients can make this one of their HR priorities for us and businesses with a subscription can hire us for this specific need.

An employee has raised a concern about harassment, what do I do?

If an employee reports a concern about harassment (or if you even suspect that it is happening) you must take action. Regardless of the size of your organization or who is involved, there should be internal processes in place for handling these situations. Employees do not have to put their claim in writing for you to act. Many managers mistakenly believe that without a formal report they do not have to (or cannot) take action. Investigating harassment claims can be confusing and daunting…contact us right away, we can help.

How much does it cost to hire Adaptiva HR?

We try to make this part simple and flexible. You have two choices…you can engage with us as a Subscription or a Defined Scope Project client. Please see this section for more details. We provide a discount for our services to non-profit organizations. Contact us for current rate information. 

As a small business we are sensitive to the budgetary constraints of other small businesses. We give a lot of consideration to our fees so that our services are financially accessible to as many businesses and organizations as possible. We also are professionals with extensive training and experience. We encourage small and medium-sized businesses to think of working with us as an investment that helps your organization be a healthy, productive, thriving place to work.

Whether it’s counseling our HR team or our individual employees, Jenn and her team have done a top-notch job. Truly confidential, highly professional, prompt and caring service is what we’ve come to expect. I highly recommend them to any business or organization. To be able to have professional solid advice from an outside party beyond your organization is invaluable.