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HR consultant urges dedicated HR generalist and retained consulting to fix audit and onboarding gaps
Summary
An HR operational audit recommended adding an on‑site HR generalist (benchmark ~1.5 per 100 employees) and retained consulting for investigations and policy work to reduce compliance risk and standardize hiring/benefits processes.
Holly, the consultant who performed an HR operational audit for the city, told commissioners the current dual‑role structure leaves critical HR tasks at risk and recommended a dedicated HR generalist supported by retained consulting for specialized work.
“...the ratio they usually suggest is, like you just mentioned, 1 to 2,” Holly said when explaining national benchmarks from the Society for Human Resources Management and why she believes Lovington’s workforce (about 140 employees) justifies roughly 1.5 HR generalists. She outlined plans to standardize onboarding and termination checklists, improve benefit‑enrollment accuracy and free up the clerk to perform core duties. Commissioners asked about cost and implementation; Holly said market research (SHRM, Indeed, Glassdoor) informed her salary estimates and that a layered model — in‑house generalist plus outside specialist services — would balance day‑to‑day operations and legal or complex investigations.
The commission did not authorize immediate hiring at the meeting; staff and commissioners requested follow‑up cost estimates and a job description to consider during upcoming budget discussions.
