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If there’s one area that many construction companies struggle with, it’s HR. This especially includes smaller companies that don’t necessarily have a department dedicated to the cause. But when it comes to HR, there are lots of items that a company needs to stay on top of and plenty of questions will arise that require answers.

Luckily, resources are available to help contractors better manage their HR through online services. Here are five ways an online HR service can assist.

1. Staying Compliant

Compliance can mean different things depending on the industry, the company and each individual’s position within the company. Regardless of these circumstances, compliance means following the federal and state Employment laws that cover each of these specific industries, organization types and organization sizes.

An HR audit typically looks for compliance in the following areas: benefits, compensation/wages, recruitment and hiring, separation/layoff, labor relations, recordkeeping, payroll, new hire orientation, safety and performance management. Online HR services can help contractors stay compliant in these areas.

2. Helpful Resources

Part of staying compliant is having the right resources available, and online HR services can help provide them. Some helpful tools include employee handbook builders, worker classification tools, federal and state compliance reference systems, and audits

3. Implementing Best Practices

The "best way" to handle HR can be complicated, particularly because HR itself is complicated. Online HR services will offer guidelines to help contractors put best practices into place to keep the company compliant. This includes helping them draft effective job descriptions, attract top talent, evaluate employee performance, and calculate how to compensate employees based on regional, state and federal compensation statistics.

4. Ongoing Education

Online HR services give contractors the ability to educate themselves on a daily basis. Some providers will supply tips, such as online webinars and whitepapers that give contractors a more complete sense of what they need to do regarding their HR.

5. Live Help

Even with all the right resources, HR questions will arise. Some online services provide hotlines that allow contractors to call in and receive answers to their HR compliance questions.

Online HR services are worth looking at for companies that lack HR staffing and can be used as a resource to compliment the abilities of companies that do have an internal HR department.