TO CONSULT OR NOT TO CONSULT?

By Dr. Andria Johnson

If you’re anything like me, you’ve seen all the posts about consulting with The Black in HR, but you didn’t know how it worked and second-guessed the value you bring to the table… Or you read the job posting and immediately counted yourself out. If any of these apply to you, you should have a different perspective after reading this article.

I decided to try out consulting as a means of supplemental income. I was clueless about how the

BinHR consulting program works, but I knew that there was something beneficial about the program, given the success others were experiencing. After eyeing the posting for over a month, I finally decided to apply and was onboarded as a consultant within a couple of weeks.

Is it for me?

If you are an HR professional, then you can be a consultant! I thought that I wouldn’t be valuable because I didn’t know every aspect of HR, but that is the beauty of consulting. You are consulted to provide expertise in the discipline in which you are most knowledgeable. If you are assigned to a client with needs that are outside of your realm of expertise, BinHR has a bench of consultants who can step in to assist you at any given time with that specific request. BinHR consultants support clients with their general HR, benefits, talent/performance management, payroll, compensation, employee relations, recruiting needs, etc. If it falls into the realm of HR, we can support it!

Do I have to procure my clients?

YES! Just kidding! Outside of getting my coins, the best thing about consulting with BinHR is not having to procure any clients! I have wanted to get into consulting for years but worried about finding work/clients. BinHR takes on that responsibility and allows its consultants to do what we do best, and that’s consult.

How am I paid?

As an independent contractor, you are paid an hourly rate for any billable time. This includes checking and responding to emails, meeting with the clients, and any time spent on client deliverables/projects. At the close of each month, I invoice BinHR for my hours and once the client is paid, I receive my direct deposit

What has been your experience as a BinHR consultant?

The needs of each client are different. I have consulted with BinHR since January. I have one primary client that I support with two other consultants. Our services have included an employee handbook update/audit, onboarding of a new HRIS system, payroll processes, etc. In addition to that client, I assisted another consultant by drafting a promotion policy, a compensation philosophy and executing a compensation analysis for her client. Most recently, I am conducting a 40+ hour compensation analysis project for a new client who wants to ensure that they pay their employees equitably.

The benefit of consulting is being able to use your expertise and apply it to different industries and sharpen your skills without jeopardizing your full-time employment. You set your hours and work as much or as little as desired.

Since I have a word count limit, I will stop talking, but trust me, if you are considering consulting with BinHR, there is no downside…so stop thinking about it and do it!