About Us
DAT HR Consulting gives small and midsize businesses and nonprofits access to executive-level HR leadership without the cost of a full-time Chief People Officer. We work with owners, executive directors, and boards who know their people strategy matters but don’t yet need, or can’t yet justify, a full-time senior HR leader.
Every engagement starts with the organization’s goals. Whether a client is scaling quickly, working through a difficult employee situation, strengthening its managers, or building HR from the ground up, we bring executive-level judgment and the practicality of a partner who understands budgets, deadlines, and the realities of a lean team.
Experience That Delivers Results
DAT HR Consulting is led by an HR executive with more than 15 years of experience directing people strategy across automotive, aerospace and defense, logistics, facilities management, and telecommunications. Our leadership has supported workforces of more than 1,000 employees across multiple states, served in interim HR director roles, and built the HR function for a newly launched business division from the ground up.
Our leadership’s track record includes:
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Labor costs: more than $200,000 saved through a temporary-to-hire program.
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Restructuring: more than $250,000 saved through a departmental restructuring.
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Hiring quality: behavioral interviewing programs that raised hiring standards.
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Leadership guidance: leaders coached through organizational change, employee relations challenges, and rapid growth.
Our Approach
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Strategic. Every recommendation ties back to your business or mission goals.
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Practical. We build HR practices sized to your organization, not borrowed from a corporate playbook.
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Partnership-driven. We work alongside your leadership as an extension of your team.
Serving Chicago and Beyond
Based in Chicago, DAT HR Consulting serves businesses and nonprofits locally and through remote engagements nationwide.
Our Services
Explore our range of comprehensive consulting services designed to address your specific business needs and drive sustainable growth
Fractional Chief People Officer and
HR Business Partner Services
Get executive-level HR leadership without the cost of a full-time hire. Our fractional HR leadership services give owners, executive directors, and boards a strategic partner for the people decisions that shape the organization’s growth.
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People strategy aligned with business and mission goals
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Workforce planning and organizational priorities
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Executive and board advising on people matters
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Scalable HR infrastructure as the organization grows
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Ongoing guidance through monthly retainer partnerships
Workplace Investigations and
Employee Relations
When a workplace concern arises, a fair and well-documented response protects both your people and your organization. We conduct impartial workplace investigations and help leaders resolve employee relations issues consistently.
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Complaint assessment and investigation planning
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Employee and witness interviews and evidence review
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Written findings and HR recommendations
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Guidance on corrective action and conflict resolution
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Coordination with your employment counsel when legal advice is needed
Employee Handbooks and
HR Policy Development
Clear policies help growing organizations treat employees consistently and set expectations. We create and update employee handbooks and HR policies tailored to your organization’s size, culture, and operations.
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New employee handbooks and revisions of existing ones
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Attendance, leave, conduct, and performance policies
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Complaint-reporting and escalation procedures
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HR document reviews and gap assessments
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Manager communication and policy rollout support
Recruiting and Talent Acquisition Strategy
Strong hiring decisions start with a strong process. We help organizations improve hiring quality, reduce time-to-fill, and equip managers to select the right talent.
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Recruiting strategy and sourcing plans
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Structured interview guides and evaluation tools
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Job descriptions and competency profiles
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Hiring manager training and interview calibration
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Recruiting support during hiring surges
Manager Coaching and
Performance Management
Managers shape the employee experience more than any policy does. Our coaching and workshops prepare leaders to give feedback, address performance issues, and document decisions with confidence.
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One-on-one coaching for managers and leaders
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Guidance on difficult conversations and feedback
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Performance improvement plans and documentation practices
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Performance review process design
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Customized manager workshops
Organizational Design and
Talent Management
As organizations grow, structure and talent decisions become harder to get right. We help leaders build the structure, leadership bench, and retention strategies that sustain long-term success.
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Organizational structure and role-clarity reviews
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Succession planning and talent reviews
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Retention analysis and workforce planning
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Leadership development plans
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Change management support
Employee Relocation Services
Relocating an employee is a major investment, and a smooth move helps new hires and transferred staff get productive sooner. We help organizations design relocation programs and support employees through the move, combining HR expertise with real estate knowledge.
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Relocation policy and benefit package design
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Relocation budgets and cost planning
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Recruiting offers that include relocation support
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Employee guidance on Chicago-area neighborhoods, housing options, and the local market
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Coordination of home buying, selling, and leasing support through licensed real estate services*
Why Choose Us
Growing organizations need senior HR judgment, but they don’t always need, or have the budget for, a full-time executive. DAT HR Consulting fills that gap with executive-level expertise built over more than 20 years of leading HR across complex, multi-state and multi-national organizations. We bring the perspective of a Chief People Officer and the flexibility of a consulting partner, so businesses and nonprofits get the right level of support at the right time.
Experienced
Executive-level HR expertise
Strategic
Aligned with goals
Practical
Right sized solutions
Trusted
Confidential, reliable partnership
Case Studies
Cutting Labor Costs in a High-Volume Distribution Operation
Challenge: A large warehouse operation needed more flexibility in its hourly workforce without driving up labor costs.
Approach: We designed and launched a temporary-to-hire program that let the operation evaluate associates on the job before converting them to permanent roles.
Result: More than $200,000 in labor cost savings and greater flexibility to staff around changing volume.
Restructuring a Department for Efficiency
Challenge: A distribution center’s maintenance department was carrying excess labor hours and cost.
Approach: We partnered with operations leadership to analyze workflows and roles, then restructured the department around how the work actually got done.
Result: 500 labor hours saved and more than $250,000 in cost savings.
Raising Hiring Standards Through Structured Interviewing
Challenge: Hiring decisions across exempt and hourly roles were inconsistent and depended heavily on individual managers’ judgment.
Approach: We introduced a behavioral interviewing model with structured interview guides and trained managers to use it consistently.
Result: A repeatable, defensible selection process that improved hiring quality and gave managers a shared standard.
Building HR From the Ground Up for a New Division
Challenge: A newly launched business division was growing quickly across multiple markets and had no established HR function.
Approach: We built the HR infrastructure, led compensation planning and talent reviews, coached the HR business partners, and served as interim HR director.
Result: An HR foundation that supported the division’s growth and helped bring in $6 million in new business by transitioning client employees.
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