HR Companies & HR Consultants in Chattanooga, TN

ChattaPay Payroll & HR Services is a family-owned payroll and human resources provider headquartered in downtown Chattanooga. The firm works mainly with small and mid-sized employers that are adding staff and want outsourced back-office support instead of building an internal HR or payroll department.

Its clients include companies in Chattanooga and Signal Mountain, elsewhere in Tennessee, and in South Florida and New England. Besides the Chattanooga headquarters, the company lists contact locations in Fort Lauderdale and Key West, Florida, and in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and it operates alongside an affiliated brand, Bayview Payroll Services.

HR Management and Compliance

For HR, ChattaPay acts as an outside resource for owners who have no dedicated HR staff. Its specialists help employers set up consistent onboarding, including guidance on I-9 and W-4 paperwork and digital storage of employee records. They also draft employee handbooks and policy templates sized to the client's industry and headcount.

Managers can get performance review templates, help documenting corrective action, and coaching on discipline and termination records. Compliance work covers Tennessee and federal employment rules, ACA reporting, and worker classification questions.

Services Offered

• Full-service payroll with tax filing, direct deposit, garnishments and deductions
• HR support, policy development and employee handbooks
• PTO policy design and accrual tracking
• Time and attendance with manager and employee self-service
• Recruiting, electronic onboarding and talent management
• Employee benefits arranged through partner brokers, including Section 125 plans
• 401(k) and retirement plan services
• Workers' compensation coverage
• Background checks
• Monthly bookkeeping, cleanup projects and QuickBooks Online support

All of this runs on a single online portal that links payroll, HR records, scheduling and timekeeping. Employees use a self-service workforce portal. Managers approve timesheets and time-off requests through set workflows and receive alerts about exceptions. Hiring tools include candidate tracking, job-specific skills assessments and comparisons against top performers.

A business intelligence suite offers live dashboards, hundreds of ready-made reports and custom reporting. Health coverage is arranged through broker partners with carriers such as Aetna, AvMed, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Humana and UnitedHealthcare.

Background and Approach

The team's payroll experience goes back to 2005. The company describes its model as modern software backed by a small team of payroll professionals who know each client personally, with no call center in between. Clients reach staff through one direct phone line rather than an extension menu. ChattaPay says it receives referrals from local benefit brokers and accounting firms.

Its written client commitments include a satisfaction guarantee, help moving over from a previous payroll provider, and a promise to cover payroll tax penalties as long as the client submits accurate information on time. The firm says payroll data is encrypted and backed up every day, and that its handling of payroll funds and tax deposits is insured.

Because bookkeeping is offered in the same system, buyers who want payroll, HR administration and monthly books from one vendor may find ChattaPay a good fit. Clients can keep their general ledger reconciled against payroll records without coordinating several separate providers.

Headquartered in Chattanooga, Tennessee, EBS Consulting is a personnel advisory firm serving employers throughout the southeastern United States. Operating since 1998, the company brings over a quarter century of hands-on human resources experience to its engagements. Its client list spans newly launched ventures as well as long-established businesses. Organizations that need seasoned people-operations expertise but prefer not to staff a sizable in-house team are likely to find the firm a sensible match.

Engagement model

Unlike many advisory practices that operate at a distance, EBS sends its consultants to work directly at client locations. Employers can engage the firm in one of two ways. Some use it to fill particular holes alongside the personnel staff they already have, while others turn over their whole human resources operation to it.

For organizations needing senior expertise on a temporary basis, or for only a handful of days per month, EBS also provides fractional and interim leadership. The company describes its approach as a partnership in which each organization's unique situation shapes the work, rather than a single cookie-cutter formula.

Prospective clients can request a complimentary HR audit, carrying no obligation, that examines existing policies, procedures and recordkeeping and flags areas requiring correction.

What EBS offers

The firm handles long-range planning as well as routine personnel tasks. Core areas of support include:

• Pay administration, along with the structuring and explanation of compensation and benefit packages
• Outsourced day-to-day HR operations and part-time or temporary HR leadership
• Selection and implementation of a human resource information system (HRIS)
• Long-term planning and the development of organizational structure and culture
• Workforce engagement plus leadership growth programs for front-line workers, supervisors, senior executives and future successors
• Talent acquisition, onboarding and retention assistance, as well as executive search for top positions
• Performance reviews, role descriptions and staff handbooks
• Regulatory compliance with employment statutes such as FMLA, OSHA, COBRA, HIPAA, FLSA and ADA
• Workplace safety reviews, safety instruction, and onsite wellness initiatives designed to reduce medical insurance expenses
• Counsel on company mergers and buyouts, service quality toward customers, and selling and promotional efforts

In addition, EBS maintains an online learning area where staff and supervisors at client organizations can complete courses covering these subjects.

Leadership and qualifications

The company is headed by T.J. Crosby, MBA, who serves as President and Executive Consultant. Academic backgrounds across the team extend from undergraduate through graduate-level study, in disciplines including psychology, business administration, the administration of organizations, both the strategic and operational sides of personnel work, and marketing.

Staff members also carry professional credentials in personnel administration, workforce benefit programs, organizational advisory practice, workplace safety instruction, wellness improvement and personality profiling. The firm holds membership in the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

According to EBS, its consultants receive continuing education on employment law that the company pays for, which helps clients keep pace with changing regulations and lowers their exposure to compliance problems.

For organizations evaluating HR vendors, EBS may appeal to those seeking in-person expertise delivered on site, adaptable outsourcing arrangements and compliance-oriented training from a Chattanooga firm with a long track record.

HR Business Solutions, which also goes by HRBiz, is a small firm in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It works as the back office for small business owners who do not have their own HR or accounting staff. It describes itself as a link between owners and their outside accountants.

It also takes on human resources tasks, so a company can hand off both people administration and financial record-keeping to one outside team. Its office is on Baxter Street, just off Dayton Boulevard, and is open on weekdays during normal business hours.

Services for small employers

HRBiz offers a mix of HR and bookkeeping work aimed at owner-run companies. Buyers looking at HR providers should note that the firm's main focus is bookkeeping and QuickBooks. Its HR consulting is offered alongside that work rather than as a separate, stand-alone practice. Its main services are:

• Acting as an outsourced HR department for small firms
• HR consulting on everyday workplace and staffing questions
• Full-charge bookkeeping with financial statements every month
• QuickBooks training for both the Desktop and Online versions
• Setup and support for QuickBooks Online and related apps such as TSheets, Hubdoc and Expensify
• Getting the books ready for the client's CPA at tax time

How the firm works with clients

Each client gets a dedicated accounting coach who handles the account from start to finish. This coach keeps the records current and sends the owner readable financial reports each month. If the assigned coach is busy, the rest of the team can answer questions. The site says the team has eleven people.

The idea is that the staff gets to know each client's business over time, so the owner can spend less time on paperwork. New clients can start with a first consultation at no charge.

Credentials and background

The team members are QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisors. They were trained both inside the firm and by Intuit, and they hold certifications in QuickBooks Online and several apps that work with it. The firm says its staff has served more than 500 different small businesses in total. It is a verified member of the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce.

According to its Yelp listing, the firm was founded and is led by Lynn Talbott, MBA, a professional trainer and coach. The same listing says it won the Chamber's 2019 Small Business of the Year award in the 1 to 20 employee category.

Points for buyers to consider

HRBiz suits small companies that want HR help and bookkeeping from the same local provider, especially if they already use QuickBooks or want training on it. Buyers should know that HRBiz has merged with Reconciled, a national online bookkeeping, advisory and tax firm, and the Chattanooga office now runs as part of that company. Anyone needing in-depth HR work, such as benefits administration or detailed compliance programs, should ask the firm directly how much of that it handles.

Overview

HR Designs is a human resources consulting practice in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It gives small and mid-sized organizations access to senior-level HR guidance without the cost of a full in-house department. The firm concentrates on employers with fewer than 500 people on payroll.

It works with businesses at every stage: new ventures, fast-growing firms, organizations going through a restructuring, and the occasional company in a steady state. Nonprofit leaders are also part of its client base, and the firm presents its work with charitable groups as a way of giving back to the local community.

The consultancy's main focus is HR strategy. That means linking how people are hired, managed and developed to the goals of the business, so that leaders and staff share the same expectations. The firm's view is that HR covers far more than hiring and terminations. It argues that putting effort into people systems early pays off later through higher productivity, better retention and fewer compliance problems.

Services

Engagements range from broad, culture-level work to narrowly scoped tasks that a busy owner lacks the time or expertise to handle. Published offerings include:

• Strategic HR planning that ties labor spending, often among a company's largest costs, to business objectives
• Designing hiring and selection processes, including behavioral interview formats built around specific roles
• Recruitment process outsourcing: job descriptions, online postings, applicant screening, background and reference checks, pre-employment drug testing and new-hire paperwork
• Coaching and training for managers who take part in hiring
• Onboarding programs and action plans to build employee commitment
• Performance management strategies and programs to empower employees
• Employee handbooks, employee relations assessments and impartial workplace investigations
• Using Lean and Six Sigma methods to cut HR costs and wasted effort

How They Work With Clients

New clients can start with a free consultation, after which HR Designs recommends one of three routes. The first is an assessment. The "Essentials" version is an audit of compliance and fairness in current practices. The deeper "Optimal" version measures how employees actually feel about the workplace and looks for gains in teamwork, efficiency and loyalty.

The second route is a monthly retainer, which gives the business an ongoing outside HR partner for anything from daily questions to senior-level strategic planning. The third is a custom project for a specific need. The firm says it prefers work that leaves a lasting benefit. It lists its guiding values as collaboration, integrity, simplicity, forward thinking and fun.

Background and Credentials

Founder Jamie Nabers began her career at General Electric. There she finished GE's Human Resource Leadership Program, a selective development track, and earned Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification. She has supported both union and non-union manufacturing sites in several states, as well as sales, marketing and other commercial teams, and has experience with self-directed teams.

Her expertise includes coaching, recruiting, organizational design, leadership development, performance management, investigations and employee relations. She holds a master's degree in human resources from the University of South Carolina and a bachelor's in finance and business management from UNC Charlotte. She has both the SPHR and SHRM-SCP designations and belongs to national SHRM and its Chattanooga chapter.

An advisory board of experienced HR managers from her graduate school and corporate network helps keep the firm current on trends and employment law. Client testimonials on the site come from a private-equity-owned manufacturing technology company, an operator of skilled nursing and assisted living communities, a logistics firm and a child development center.

HR Master Consultants, LLC is a human resources consultancy based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It works with organizations of every size. Its clients range from new entrepreneurial ventures with no HR staff to established companies that already have experienced HR teams. The firm's main idea is that people are a company's most important resource.

Its job is to take on HR work so that client staff can stay focused on running the business. Clients get tailored support and can reach a senior HR practitioner whenever they need one, without hiring a full in-house department.

Services and Engagement Models

Clients can work with the firm in a few different ways. Some choose one-off consulting projects, priced through individual quotes. Others sign up for an ongoing subscription that covers both advice and education. The subscription comes in three tiers, called Basic, Advanced and Complete, so buyers can pick the level of access that matches their needs and budget.

The firm describes itself as a partner for the whole engagement. It helps clients come up with ideas, build strategy and put in place solutions that can grow as the organization grows. Coaching and advisory sessions can also be held remotely, including by video call, which has helped clients outside Tennessee.

• General HR consulting and on-demand advice
• Executive and leadership coaching tailored to each individual
• Benefits administration support, covering FMLA, workers' compensation, short-term disability and PTO
• Compensation work, including wage structures, pay bands, market research and taking part in annual salary surveys
• Review and drafting of HR documents to meet federal, state and local requirements
• Compliance audits
• Employee relations, including workplace investigations and sensitivity training
• Training and development, from new-hire orientation to coaching for managers
• Help with recruiting, screening, selection and onboarding

Areas of HR Expertise

On benefits, the firm reviews what a company currently offers and suggests changes, especially new benefits that can help keep employees satisfied and on staff. On pay, it helps set salary structures and pay policies. It also tracks bonus and raise programs and checks whether they work well and keep costs under control.

Its employee relations work includes handling complaints, resolving conflicts and helping organizations through change. Its development services cover onboarding, performance management training for supervisors, and individual or group sessions that support company goals. On the hiring side, the firm can take over much of the work of finding and selecting candidates from in-house teams.

Background and Team

The firm was founded by Merri Mai Williamson, SPHR, SHRM-SCP. She also founded Application Researchers and has offered HR consulting for close to twenty years. HR Master Consultants grew out of the steady flow of client requests she received, which ranged from quick questions to full coaching engagements.

The firm says its consultants are senior HR professionals with varied education and experience, and that their combined time in the field is more than a hundred years. Client testimonials also name consultant Anna Perry, who has advised small business owners on start-up paperwork and given one-on-one guidance to new managers.

For buyers comparing providers, the firm stands out for combining subscription-based HR access with project work, for its focus on keeping documents compliant, and for offering coaching to leaders early in their careers. It claims it can handle any HR function, from routine administration to complex advisory work. That makes it a fit for both small businesses without HR staff and larger organizations that need extra senior help.

Scenic City Business Solutions is an outsourcing company headquartered in Chattanooga, Tennessee, that brings big-company administrative support within reach of smaller employers. Personnel administration is one of several service lines, offered next to bookkeeping, technology support and senior-level financial guidance. Organizations shopping for help with staff administration can therefore engage the firm purely for payroll and employee matters, or fold that work into a wider back-office relationship.

Client profile

The company focuses on modest-sized and mid-market businesses, from young ventures just getting started to established operations bringing in around $90 million annually. Its customers come from a varied mix of fields, such as:

• Retail
• Factories and producers of finished goods
• Firms that service and overhaul large-scale machinery and plant equipment
• Wholesale supply and logistics operations
• Landlords and real estate oversight companies
• Online sellers
• Underwriters and policy carriers
• Consumer and commercial lending

Its customers are spread throughout the southeastern United States, and the team works out of a location on Central Avenue in Chattanooga.

Payroll and personnel support

For workforce-related needs, the firm runs payroll, takes care of the associated tax filings and deposits, administers staff benefit programs, and assists customers when their coverage carriers conduct audits.

The goal behind this work, according to the company, is keeping owners compliant with the rules that govern employment so that executives can devote their energy to expanding the business rather than to paperwork.

Many organizations find these tasks too narrow to warrant a dedicated salaried employee, and the firm presents its staff as a means of handling them without adding people to the payroll.

Engagement options

Customers may choose an all-inclusive arrangement or select individual offerings à la carte. A business might, for example, hand off just payroll and benefits, or pair personnel administration with accounting, technology assistance and financial counsel. The accounting side includes vendor bills and customer invoicing, maintenance of the books of record, monthly reporting packages and sales and use tax handling.

Technology assistance spans configuring and fixing workstations, setting up and maintaining networks, user support by phone or ticket, and planning for data protection and recovery after outages. The advisory practice provides chief financial officer-caliber counsel, review of financial reports, evaluation of business risks and long-range planning.

Interested organizations can start with a no-cost initial meeting, and the company maintains that, for most customers, access to an entire group of seasoned specialists is cheaper than paying one internal employee.

History

The organization traces its roots back nearly fifty years. It began as an internal administrative arm supporting the assorted enterprises owned by Jim Steffner, and over time it extended that support to unaffiliated businesses across many lines of work. Having originally served as the operational backbone for one entrepreneur's portfolio, it continues to emphasize hands-on, everyday administrative help.

For decision-makers weighing personnel consultants in the Chattanooga area, the chief differentiator is the option to combine payroll and employee administration with accounting, technology and financial strategy through a single vendor.