If you have capable internal staff, you may not need a consultant on a dedicated project basis, i.e. traditional consulting. But you may wish to have a trusted advisor to assist you and your team for a low monthly fee. This is much cheaper but puts the burden of ownership for results on your internal staff.
What You Get
An advisory retainer relationship works like this. Depending on the level of support you need, you pay a low monthly fee, either $1,000 or $2,000. What you get are the following:
- project guidance, team member mentoring and policy/design input for consideration
- immediate direct phone, SMS or email access to Tom Farmer, owner/principal of Freelance Total Rewards and a 25 year HR and total rewards veteran, for:
- quick advice or ideas
- a “tie breaker” opinion
- an “extra set of eyeballs” to review your draft proposal or document
- alternative approcaches for handling an urgent, sensitive or complex situation
- a quick, balanced recommendation on a salary package or expatriate package
- explanation or analysis or evaluation of an issue
- quick information and data — I have, or will research/obtain, the information you need. I’ll let you know up front if 3rd party costs are necessary to get the data you need. I have good connections around the world!
- phone or in-person meeting participation on anything HR, rewards or mobility related
- RFP assistance
- onsite presentation on trends and best practices
- onsite support or assistance when you’re swamped
- over-the-shoulder support, coaching, mentoring and instruction for your staff
- any form of support that is not a consulting “project”
The above list is not exhaustive, but simply representative of what I will provide under a retainer relationship.
Fees and Billing
For $1,000/month, you will have access to as much as 10 hours of support. For $2,000/month, you are entitled to up to 25 hours of support. A minimum of three months is required initially, renewable on a month-to-month basis thereafter. The first five hours of the first month are free as a trial. Travel time is excluded from monthly support hours, unless it becomes significant. Unused time for a given month may be carried over to the next month only. Time will be recorded in 15-minute increments. My goal is to become your trusted advisor! Upon request, I can provide a detailed accounting of time and billing, but if the relationship is right, I will be liberal in your favor 🙂