guest column:Emmanuel Zvada HUMAN resources remain a pivotal service in many organisations, that’s undeniable. The growth in outsourcing, in particular HR) outsourcing, has been motivated by the need for organisations to reduce costs and focus on strategic issues that affect employees. Outsourcing HR functions to a reputable HR consultant is a cost-effective and time-efficient solution to pursue the organisation’s core competencies. Instead of trying to be the best at everything, take a closer look at what your company does well, and exploit those services to your advantage and outsource others. Some important HR functions that can be outsourced include recruitment, employee training, performance review, succession planning, leadership development, and competency mapping, among others. Outsourcing the human resources function is not easy believe you me, but if entrusted to a reliable provider that is recognised for quality of service, your company can only emerge a winner. Outsourcing HR is arguably the best decision a company can make depending on the type of organisation. Why? Outsourcing makes it possible to model a more specialised HR department that is able to actively participate in the advancement and development of the company without being burdened by time-consuming HR tasks. Although outsourcing HR might not be the best decision for all businesses as some may argue, there are some significant advantages of doing it, especially when it comes to saving time and money. What is outsourcing? Outsourcing is delegating one or more services to a third-party company that specialises in this type of discipline. When it comes to human resources, this can include recruitment, training, legal expertise and payroll administration and other services. If your organisation lacks the skills and the expertise to tackle human resources, consider outsourcing HR services. Most organisations today outsource HR services because they do not have the expertise to deal with HR services in-house. Moreover, organisations choose to outsource HR services in order to save time and effort. HR outsourcing can be mainly classified into two categories. Transaction and administration outsourcing services and consultancy outsourcing services. HR transaction outsourcing services include monthly requirements such as, payroll processing. HR consultancy services are some of the services that can be outsourced from reputable consultants. When to outsource human resources services Many small businesses choose to outsource HR services for many reasons one of which being cost reduction. It isn't always easy to afford someone to handle HR responsibilities, especially for a startup. If your company is growing and HR services are weighing heavily on it outsourcing HR services could be the solution you need. Awareness of your business's current situation can help you recognise the right time to support growth and operations by partnering with a third party. Companies seeking to improve their performance may reap rewards when they let experts manage complia