Advisory / Human Capital
Human Capital
People challenges rarely stay contained within HR. They affect growth, performance, risk and enterprise value.
Our Human Capital team brings experienced HR leaders and specialists alongside management teams to strengthen leadership, solve complex workforce challenges and build the people infrastructure needed to navigate growth and change.
When clients come to us
Clients often come to us at an inflection point, when they need experienced leadership, specialized expertise or additional capacity to address an immediate challenge while building for what comes next.
The organization needs experienced HR leadership, additional capacity or specialized expertise without adding a full-time role.
Rapid growth, expansion, restructuring or other significant change is putting pressure on the organization, its leaders and existing people practices.
An acquisition, divestiture, or carve-out creates workforce, leadership, compensation, organizational, and HR infrastructure considerations that need to be understood and addressed quickly.
The organization needs stronger leadership capability, succession planning, talent strategy or team effectiveness to support its next stage of growth.
Compensation, incentives or total rewards are no longer aligned with the market, business strategy or the talent the organization needs to retain.
Employee relations, compliance, HR systems, policies or processes are creating risk or inefficiency, or limiting the organization’s ability to scale.
Our capabilities
Our team is made up of experienced practitioners who have led HR functions and worked through the challenges our clients face. We combine strategic perspective with practical execution, tailoring our role to what the organization needs.
01 · Capability area
Experienced HR leadership without waiting for a permanent hire.
We step into organizations during leadership transitions, periods of growth and change, or when an existing team needs additional senior capacity. Our professionals can lead the HR function, strengthen an existing team or help build the people infrastructure needed for the next stage of the business.
Services include
02 · Capability area
Align the organization and workforce with where the business is going.
We help leadership teams translate business strategy into the organizational structures, roles, talent priorities and workforce plans needed to execute it.
03 · Capability area
Build the leaders, teams and talent required for what comes next.
We help organizations assess and develop leaders, strengthen teams and create talent strategies that improve performance and support growth.
04 · Capability area
Build compensation and rewards strategies that attract, retain and motivate the right talent.
We help organizations evaluate and design compensation programs that are competitive, sustainable and aligned with business objectives.
05 · Capability area
Make HR technology and processes work for the business, not against it.
We help organizations select, implement and optimize HR technology while strengthening the processes, governance and reporting that surround it.
06 · Capability area
Navigate sensitive workforce matters with experienced, independent support.
We help organizations address employee relations, investigations, policies and compliance matters with the experience and judgment needed to manage risk while supporting the business.
07 · Capability area
Address the people side of the deal before, during and after close.
Human capital issues can materially affect transaction risk, integration and value creation. We work alongside investors, transaction teams and management to identify people-related risks and priorities before close and help execute the work required afterward.
Flexible support
Every organization and every people challenge is different. We structure our work around what the business needs, from an experienced leader who can step in immediately to specialized expertise for a defined initiative.
Experienced HR leaders who step into critical roles, provide continuity and help move the organization forward.
Senior practitioners who work alongside executives and HR leaders on complex people, organizational and workforce decisions.
Specialized expertise and hands-on execution for a defined initiative, transformation or business challenge.
Experienced professionals who work alongside the existing team to add capacity or specialized capabilities when and where they are needed.
M&A + Private Equity
We support private equity firms, investors and management teams across the transaction lifecycle, identifying human capital risks before close and helping execute the people priorities that follow.
Unlike advisors who stop at diligence, our team can remain involved after close, bringing the leadership and specialized expertise needed to turn recommendations into action.
Stage 01
Identify human capital risks, leadership considerations, workforce issues, compensation concerns and HR infrastructure gaps before close.
Stage 02
Prioritize critical people decisions, leadership needs, communications, organizational requirements and HR readiness.
Stage 03
Align organizations, teams, compensation, systems and people practices while supporting leaders through change.
Stage 04
Strengthen leadership, organizational structure, talent, compensation and HR infrastructure to support the investment thesis and future growth.
Client work
HR transformation + process optimization
A rapidly growing organization expanded from approximately 100 to more than 500 employees, creating strain across payroll, recruiting, HR operations and compensation. Our Human Capital team helped modernize systems and processes, strengthen compensation structures and build a more scalable HR function.
Our people
Practice Leader, Human Capital
Partner
Laura leads Smith + Howard's Human Capital practice, helping organizations align people, leadership and workforce strategy with business priorities. She brings deep experience across HR strategy, organizational effectiveness, talent and culture, with a practical approach to navigating growth and change.
Start a conversation
Whether you need an experienced HR leader to step in, specialized expertise for a critical initiative, or support navigating a transaction or organizational change, we can meet you where you are and help move the work forward.
Or call +1 (404) 874-6244
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