IDear Workforce-I How Many HR People for a 300-Person Company

Q

Dear Workforce:

If a company size is about 300 people, how many people should work atHuman Resource, and what is the main function for them? Many many thanks foryour help.

— Cynthia, Hong Kong

A DearCynthia:

First, as a general rule that is conservative, a ratio of 1 HR professionalsfor every 100 FTE’s is adequate. This ratio would suggest for a 300-personcompany that three HR professionals would be needed, and that they would haveto have very broad generalist expertise.

These three HR professionals would cover all the functions in HR(compensation, compliance, benefits, recruitment, training, payroll).

However, depending on the decisions about an HR service delivery model,e.g., self-service, and/or outsourcing, you might only have 1 HR person. Anorganization needs to determine the role they want HR to play in theorganization, and then decide what role technology will have in theorganization.

In addition, the organization may want to outsource all of HR to a PEO –Professional Employment Organization — and thus have only one or two peopleneeded in HR for vendor management and/or strategy development.

SOURCE: David Sholkoff, based in Deloitte and Touche’s Los Angeles office.

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