A Human Resources department plays a very important part in all organizations yet it is the first department to be cut when times are tight. So how does a department keep functioning (it is important that it DOES keep functioning) while saving money – A Human Resources Virtual Assistant.

A Virtual Assistant is a solopreneur who specializes in providing one-on-one, collaborative-style support to entrepreneurs and small businesses. Basically they provide an extra hand when you need it. They pay their own taxes, provide their own up to date equipment and don’t take up any office space. Sounds perfect doesn’t it.

Many Virtual Assistants provide a specialized service which is what a Human Resources Virtual Assistant does. They have a background in Human Resources and have decided to start their own business providing Human Resources support to, well anyone who needs it. It won’t work, I hear you say, they must be in the office, there are confidentiality issues and a long list of excuses that you can come up with (I’ve heard them all before).

But it CAN work and here are some examples how.

Benefit enrollment is coming up and someone needs to put the materials together, send them out to employees and deliver the presentation and receive and enter the new forms.

The forms can be sent directly to the VA who will put everything together, create a powerful presentation, deliver it (if you like) and the VA will follow up with employees to ensure that all forms are received. That headache is gone

Okay, here’s another scenario. You are tasked with recruiting 50 new customer service professionals. It is the manager’s responsibility to do this but they really don’t have the time to manage the administrative part of this particular job. How can an overworked, understaffed HR department handle this, you ask?

Outsource it to a VA. They can create and manage your job postings, receive all the resumes (no need for you to break out in a sweat when your email goes into overdrive with all the resumes you are receiving), pre-screen candidates using your questionnaire and schedule face to face interviews with the managers involved. Your department managers will love meeting with only pre-screened candidates. The VA can also conduct all background checks, send out all information for the on-boarding process, once again create a powerful welcome presentation and complete all new hire paperwork.

And how about all of those wish-list “someday” HR projects that you have been promising yourself to accomplish “when you have the time?” Using a VA to create a newsletter, plan an event, write new processes or training manuals, or update the HR website can allow you to accomplish all of those really nifty things that never seem to make it to the front burner.

Working with a Virtual Assistant is a simple process- you only pay the VA for the time worked, you save on bathroom breaks, personal phone calls and they are typically able to get the job done quicker because they are not part of that revolving HR door which is always open for questions from employees.

So keep your HR department running smoothly, get that newsletter finally created and pretty soon, you may even be able to take lunch!