HR Companies & HR Consultants in Buffalo Grove, IL

Overview

HR Straight Talk is a human resources consultancy in Chicago's northwest suburbs. It works as an outsourced HR department for small and mid-sized employers. Mike Burgess founded the firm in 2014 and holds both the SPHR and SHRM-SCP credentials. It mainly serves companies that have no internal HR team or only a small one. The firm promises plain, practical advice and avoids standard packages, building each engagement around the client's actual situation.

Engagement models

Clients can pay by the hour, hire the firm for a defined project, or sign up for an ongoing monthly retainer. The HR Speed Dial program puts a consultant on call for unexpected workplace problems. Clients can call as often as they need, including evenings and weekends when something urgent comes up.

The retainer program charges one fixed monthly fee instead of unpredictable hourly bills. It covers writing policies and documents, reviews, coaching for managers and staff, and general HR guidance. Clients can leave either program with thirty days' notice instead of being held to a long contract, and members get reduced rates on the firm's other services.

Companies that want hands-on help can get HR support on-site or remotely, starting at about eight hours per month. This option includes a helpline, a toolkit of legally reviewed forms and templates, regular check-in meetings to keep projects on schedule, and training for supervisors or staff. The firm says its on-site managers are licensed HR professionals. New engagements usually start with an hour-long assessment of eleven functional areas of the client's HR practice to find gaps and set priorities.

Services

The firm handles both long-term strategy and everyday HR work, including:

• HR audits that find weak, ineffective or legally risky practices and rank them by urgency
• Employee handbooks, policy manuals and safety manuals
• Workplace safety plans covering OSHA rules, required postings, safety committees and accident prevention programs
• Performance management and one-on-one coaching
• Compensation and total rewards design
• Recruiting, hiring and onboarding
• Benefits administration, open enrollment support and broker coordination
• Payroll and tax administration
• Employee relations, retention strategies and severance packages
• Workforce planning, organizational development and strategies for growing or downsizing
• Compliance with federal and state employment law, including wage-and-hour rules

Background and differentiators

Before starting the business, Burgess spent many years in HR roles at mid-sized and large corporations. The firm says its experience covers marketing, operations, client service and human resources. Burgess opened the practice as a small consultancy in Arlington Heights to serve businesses across Chicago and its northwest suburbs, and he takes part in the local Arlington Heights chamber.

The company publishes articles on regulatory changes, such as proposed changes to federal overtime rules under the Fair Labor Standards Act, because it puts weight on keeping clients current with employment law.

For buyers comparing HR providers, the main differences are the flexible billing options, the short notice period on its programs, after-hours access for urgent issues, and a mix of day-to-day administration with longer-term people strategy. The firm treats employees as part of the client's brand and aims to turn HR from a cost into something that strengthens company culture and growth.