A company’s single greatest expense is typically the cost of its people, making effective management of these human resources an absolute must. Your bottom line is directly impacted by the ongoing performance and productivity of your people, so you need to get the most you can out of them. However, you get pulled by many more immediate issues each and every day, so how can you possibly find time to focus on HR?

Lighthouse Solutions is here to help you accomplish whatever you need, regardless of the scope of project involved. We can be your virtual Human Resources department and be on-call when you need us, or we can take on a discreet project and narrow our focus to accomplishing just that. From special project help to fully outsourced HR administration, Lighthouse Solutions is the right choice.

Corporate Strategy/Organizational Change

Whether your company is in a start-up, fast growth, or mature stage, Lighthouse Solutions understands your challenges. We can conduct “organizational health” assessments, identifying areas of vulnerability and recommending solutions. We can also plan and facilitate major organizational changes, such as layoffs, reorganizations, mergers, etc., or support new program implementations, leadership changes, or changes in policies or benefits.

Examples of client assignments in this area include:

• Assessing your organizational health
• Design or retool your structure to match your needs and your philosophy
• Conducting an audit of your HR function, policies and practices
• Planning and facilitation of layoffs and reorganizations
• Planning and orchestrating downsizings, layoffs and reorganizations
• Developing and implementing succession plans
• Assessing vulnerabilities to union activity
• Developing disaster recovery and business continuity plans
• Assessing your workplace safety and security
• Develop and communicate a pandemic flu preparedness plan

Employee Relations & Avoiding Litigation

Employees who are dissatisfied, or worse, can pose a significant threat to any company, regardless of size or revenues. Resolving and/or defending yourself can be incredibly costly, in terms of money, time and business distraction. Inexperienced managers, no matter how well-meaning, increase your risk many times over. Lighthouse Solutions brings knowledge, experience and sound judgment to dealing with such issues.

Examples of client assignments in this area include:

• Develop and communicate effective policies and procedures
• Ensure that you are compliant with all current (and anticipated) employment laws
• Develop an employee handbook with appropriate policies, work rules, etc.
• Design and guide implementation of effective employee communications
• Design and communicate employee grievance procedures
• Facilitate response to employee complaints or charges
• Conduct internal harassment, discrimination, and other investigations
• Educate and/or train managers in effective conflict resolution
• Design and implement an effective Sexual Harassment Prevention program
• Facilitate employee terminations and departures

Talent Acquisition / Recruiting

Finding the right people to do the right jobs at the right time is one of the most critical success factors for businesses at all stages of growth. Turnover, on the other hand, is extremely costly and disruptive to the business, making effective hiring decisions even more important. This is an art, and one that is quite intimidating and difficult for many companies. Lighthouse Solutions offers insight and experience to help you source, select and integrate new hires who will quickly become value-added employees.

Examples of client assignments in this area include:

• Design a professional recruiting process that drives effective hiring decisions
• Develop recruiting tools and systems to support the company’s process
• Educate hiring managers and interviewers to ensure consistent procedures
• Develop an effective recruitment marketing approach for the company
• Train company resources to be effective interviewers
• Train managers and executives to make appropriate hiring decisions
• Establish valuable relationships between the company and third-party vendors
• Serve as your internal recruiter to conduct specific searches for the company
• Develop programs and practices to enhance your diversity efforts
• Develop and/or ensure compliance with an Affirmative Action Plan, if required
• Design and implement an on-boarding process for new hires

Talent Management / Training & Development

Once you have hired the right people, you must shift your focus to what it takes to retain them and to get the absolute best from them. The most successful businesses, now and into the future, are those that make themselves into a “learning organization,” one in which employees and managers value ongoing learning and development and make doing so a high-level priority. Lighthouse Solutions is committed to supporting your efforts in ongoing talent management and can help by designing tailored training programs, conducting general training programs, and doing individual coaching for key employees.

Examples of client assignments in this area include:

• Conduct group training programs on commonly needed topics, such as

Business ethics
Successful first-time managers/supervisors
Effective (and legal) interviewing skills
Sexual harassment prevention for managers/supervisors
Effective business writing
Situational Leadership

• Design/conduct custom training programs, tailored to your company’s needs
• Design/conduct specific skills training for a department or group of employees
• Develop your managers to get the best from your staff
• Identify and address effective tactics in managing an increasingly multi-generational workforce
• Design and implement an effective mentoring program, for identified high-potential employees, new hires, etc.
• Design and/or implement an effective leadership development program
• Identify and capitalize on informal learning opportunities within the company
• Develop potential career paths within the company and communicate to employees
• Create and/or facilitate individual development plan for specific individuals
• Coach individual key employees and/or managers for business success

Performance Management

Even the right people can experience poor performance or productivity if they are not clear on what is expected of them; however, a surprising number of companies struggle to develop clear performance objectives and/or to measure employees’ progress against them. Lighthouse Solutions helps companies design and implement performance management systems that truly drive the performance and productivity needed to achieve their overall business objectives.

Examples of client assignments in this area include:

• Assess the current performance review system and recommend changes
• Develop an overall performance management process that fits well with other HR-related systems and processes
• Design and implement a 360° review program
• Design an effective performance review process and supporting materials
• Train managers in how to recognize, record and evaluate performance
• Train managers in how to provide constructive feedback to employees
• Train employees in the art of self-evaluation and in how to receive constructive feedback
• Conduct a meaningful 360° evaluation and provide feedback/coaching

Compensation and Benefits

One way to attract and retain top talent is to have in place attractive, yet cost-effective, rewards and recognition programs, policies and practices. Employees want to feel valued and appreciated, and employers want to know they are an employer of choice. Lighthouse Solutions helps companies assess the extent to which their programs accomplish what they want and, when there is a mismatch, find ways to make them more effective.

Examples of client assignments in this area include:

• Design a compensation structure consistent with the company’s business, culture and competitive positioning
• Build compensation programs to retain valued employees
• Draft job descriptions that create the foundation for the compensation structure, as well as other HR-related systems
• Evaluate the company’s current compensation structure for market competitiveness
• Evaluate the company’s employee benefits program(s) on the basis of cost, coverage and employee satisfaction
• Design and implement effective employee recognition systems, beyond direct compensation
• Develop specific benefits programs, such as relocation assistance, employee assistance programs, tuition assistance, etc.
• Serve as project manager to evaluate and select third-party providers

HR Administration Outsourced Services

For companies that want an increased HR presence on an ongoing basis, without having to add to their employee headcount, Lighthouse Solutions offers the HR Zone, an outsourced flexible services solution providing HR administration and related generalist services.

Examples of client assignments in this area include:

• Work on client’s site periodically and provide remote assistance at other times
• Assume responsibility for specific functions and/or processes (examples below) on a remote basis
• New hire administration and on-boarding support
• Benefits administration and employee questions
• Payroll administration
• Employee relations questions
• Employee grievance and/or complaint resolution
• Recruiting for specific positions
• Manager questions and remote coaching
• Vacation scheduling
• Benefits enrollment
• Administer employee leave requests and follow-up
• Conduct employee exit meetings and procedures
• Refine and automate your HR processes

Other Consulting Services

Because of our wide range of business experience, we can provide you the services you need, when and how you need them, and at an overall cost that will be much lower than adding employees or using a collection of other professionals. Contact us for a confidential discussion of your needs and how we might help you address them – there is NO OBLIGATION involved.