Got a work problem? Who do you call? Cherry County considers outsourcing HR

VALENTINE, Neb. - When workplace issues arise—whether with a coworker or a manager or about a service—many employees turn to their Human Resources (HR) department for help. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, HR departments are becoming more common, with employment for HR specialists and managers expected to grow by more than 7% in the coming years.

During Tuesday’s Cherry County Board of Commissioners meeting, the board considered whether to outsource HR services. Chad Thies, representing Zelle Human Resource Solutions headquartered in Lincoln, presented a six-month contract proposal costing $4,000 a month.

“We don’t have anyone for employees to go to that’s confidential. I don’t have an office they can come to. It’s not ideal for employees right now,” said Billie Brockley. “It would be good for them to have somebody confidential outside of here to go to.”

Thies explained that Zelle could customize its services to meet the County’s needs, including employee recruitment, training, record-keeping, and conflict resolution.

“It’s nice for a county to have a neutral place in Zelle. If there’s an employee conflict, 99% of the time we can come to a resolution,” said Thies.

Thies also emphasized that poor communication is one of the biggest workforce challenges.

“With an elected official, we can’t do anything disciplinary because they’re elected, but we can sit down with them and talk about challenging behavior,” said Thies. “A big thing is making that elected official aware because many people are afraid to do that.”

Commissioner Martin DeNaeyer expressed concerns about employees bypassing their managers or commissioners to contact Zelle, particularly within the Roads Department. However, Commissioner Nina Nelson said some of the services could be beneficial.

“We’re looking at a new budget year. We don’t have a budget preparer currently, but with the training of Zelle, we could train someone in-house,” said Nelson.

Nelson said they could also help with other services the County is currently struggling with, including employee retention and culture, payroll and training.

“They tailor to each county. The big thing with HR that we want to remember is that there are certain things HR can provide for communication. It’s that sacred spot for employees to go to. It’s a service that any company of any size now offers,” said Nelson.

Zelle has been in operation for 12 years, serving more than 1,000 clients, including 16 area counties, such as Holt, Adams, and Dawson Counties in Nebraska.

Commissioners decided to revisit the proposal at their next meeting.

“I need to get references from other counties. It’s a substantial investment, so I need more information,” said Commissioner Mike McConaughey.