HR Companies & HR Consultants in Greer, SC

The Hayes Approach is a human resources consulting firm founded in 2007 in Greenville, South Carolina. It now operates from an office in Greer. The firm works mainly with organizations where ownership and mission are personal: companies still run by the people who started them, family businesses, and nonprofits. Its primary market is the Upstate, including Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, and Greer, along with Columbia. The firm also says it supports clients across the country, including businesses with operations abroad.

Fractional HR and project work

The core offering is outsourced, part-time HR leadership for small and mid-sized employers. These are organizations that need professional HR capability but not an in-house department. Engagements open with a thorough audit lasting roughly five weeks. It examines policies, personnel files, legal compliance, systems and workflows, job descriptions, pay, and organizational structure. A client can buy the audit by itself.

Most use it as the starting point for a jointly developed strategic plan, followed by a retainer arrangement in which the firm acts as the company's HR function. Clients can still get issue-specific help while the audit is underway.

Each account has a strategic lead for high-stakes decisions and a coordinator for routine tasks, and the wider team is available without extra fees.

Services the firm describes include:

• HR audits and strategic planning
• Compliance guidance and recordkeeping
• Recruiting support, onboarding, and retention
• Performance management design and manager coaching
• Employee relations, conflict resolution, and workplace investigations
• Compensation analysis, payroll, and benefits administration
• Guidance on HR information systems
• A Specialized Workforce Action Team (SWAT) for difficult, sensitive situations

Its method is organized around a model called H.E.R.O., which covers hiring, engagement, retention, and offboarding. The firm uses a bicycle metaphor to show how legal compliance, strategy, and tactics have to move together. Clients can reach the team at any hour when an employee matter arises.

Coaching and leadership development

Beyond day-to-day HR, The Hayes Approach runs two additional practice areas. The Hayes Advantage provides coaching for executives and leaders. It also trains aspiring coaches through The Coach's Road program, which offers the Registered Corporate Coach credential through the WABC as well as DISC certification. The Hayes Academy serves leaders from new supervisors to senior executives.

It offers training for managers, leadership growth programs, behavioral assessments, and tailored workshops. In a testimonial, a FUJIFILM representative reported a measured 169 percent return eight months after the company used the firm's workshops.

Background and credentials

Founder and President Leslie Hayes leads a team whose members together bring more than 225 years of HR experience. She received a 2024 South Carolina Women in Business award, and GHSRM gave her its top HR professional honor in 2020. The firm earned silver-level recognition in the 2024 statewide Best in Women-Owned Businesses program.

In June 2018, the Greenville Chamber of Commerce spotlighted it as a featured small business. Internally, the company follows the workplace practices it recommends to clients, such as summer Fridays, parent-friendly amenities, and flexible communication norms. This mix of ongoing HR administration, coaching, and training may suit buyers who want a single partner for all three.