Senior HR Leadership. Practical Answers. No Unnecessary Layers.
Best Practices HR gives growing organizations direct access to seasoned HR professionals who understand the people, compliance, and operational decisions leaders face every day.
Global HR Experience Since 1996 | 12+ Years of U.S. HR Experience | Multi-State HR Expertise | Central Indiana Based
Built for growing organizations that need senior HR expertise without adding a full-time HR executive. Our core resources and service packages are designed for employers with approximately 20–150 employees, while our advisory and project work can support larger organizations as well.
Real Experience. Direct Access. Practical Solutions.
Since 1996
Active global HR experience
12+ years
U.S. HR leadership experience
Multi-state
Workforce and compliance expertise
Direct access
Senior professionals, not a service queue
Trusted by Leaders Who Cannot Afford HR Guesswork
Leaders rely on Best Practices HR when the stakes are high, the situation is sensitive, and generic guidance is not enough.
If you are looking for exceptionally talented, thorough and professionally-savvy Human Resources consultants, I highly recommend Best Practices HR. They provide comprehensive, expert work tailored to the needs of their clients.
Robert Shegog
President & CEO, Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper
“They have been responsible, timely, professional, and well prepared to assist us with a variety of needs — from our employee handbook to policies, benefits, and performance issues. They've helped ensure that we're providing a great workplace.”
Allison Luthe
Executive Director, Martin Luther King Community Center
“The experience and expertise that Shawn and Best Practices HR make available to us has proven extremely beneficial to us as a small business. We unreservedly refer Ms. Ellert and her company as a tremendous asset.”
Kenneth Beache, P.E.
President, Metric Environmental, LLC
Senior judgment where growing organizations need it most.
Best Practices HR is an independent advisory partner—not a PEO, software platform, or large outsourced service desk. Clients keep control of their people decisions while gaining senior judgment, practical execution, and clear accountability.
See our HR capabilitiesSenior-Level Access
Work directly with experienced HR professionals—not a service queue, junior handoff, or rotating call center.
Multi-State Capability
Practical HR guidance for organizations operating across multiple states and local jurisdictions.
Right-Sized Support
Get the level of HR expertise you need without building an oversized internal department.
Practical Execution
We do not stop at recommendations. We help leaders put solutions into practice and build momentum.
Independent HR Partnership
Maintain control of your organization and employment decisions while gaining experienced HR guidance and support.
Three ways to put senior HR on your team.
Clear monthly packages scale from a strong compliance foundation to embedded fractional HR leadership.
Essential HR
Your compliance backbone. Steady, senior guidance so the basics are never the thing that trips you up.
- Monthly HR office hours
- Policy & handbook maintenance
- Annual compliance calendar
- Day-to-day email support
- Document & template library
Growth HR Partner
A true HR partner for a scaling team — coaching your managers and handling the employee-relations work that eats leadership time.
- Everything in Essential
- Manager coaching & training
- Employee-relations support
- Recruiting-process support
- Quarterly HR dashboard & review
Fractional HR Lead
Senior HR leadership embedded in your business — in the room for the decisions that shape the company.
- Everything in Growth
- Leadership-team participation
- Compensation & org design
- Project ownership & execution
- Priority escalation response
Pricing ranges are representative and may vary based on scope, organizational complexity, urgency, and level of support required.
Need a one-time engagement? See fixed-scope sprints
Client outcomes, with the work behind them.
These outcomes come from the team’s hands-on leadership experience inside complex organizations and regulated environments.
50%
Reduction in voluntary turnover
Client outcome following implementation of structured employee-relations and retention initiatives.
50%
Faster time-to-hire
Result of improved recruiting processes, modernized HR systems, and targeted talent strategies.
Zero
Compliance violations
Federal and Joint Commission audit outcomes for clients supported by members of our senior team.
90%
Top-talent retention
Client outcome during a significant organizational restructuring led by a member of our senior team.
Sector expertise, not generic advice.
Our team has carried the HR load inside these industries and across multi-state workforces, so recommendations reflect how your organization actually operates.
Shawn Ellert, MS
Founder & Principal Consultant
Global & Multi-State HR · Compliance · Employee Relations · Organizational Leadership
Shawn Ellert, MS, is the Founder and Principal Consultant of Best Practices HR. She has been active in global human resources since 1996, bringing decades of experience across HR leadership, employee relations, compliance, organizational development, talent strategy, and workforce operations. Her background includes more than 12 years of HR experience in the United States, along with extensive experience supporting multi-state workforces.
Shawn works directly with owners, executives, and leadership teams to turn complex people and compliance challenges into practical business decisions. Her experience spans manufacturing, healthcare, nonprofit, education, and regulated environments.
Her combination of global, U.S., and multi-state HR experience allows Best Practices HR clients to access senior-level HR judgment and practical leadership support without the cost or infrastructure of adding a full-time HR executive.
Keri Colson, MBA
Multi-State HR · Organizational Development · Culture · M&A
Zachariah Ellert, MSA
Financial Services · Nonprofit Finance · Internal Controls · Multi-Entity Accounting
Jeanette Jones, MPA
Multi-State HR · Compliance · Employee Relations · HR Strategy
Easy to start. Built for momentum.
- 01
Consultation
A focused 30 minutes to understand your size, industry, urgency, and goals — and decide together if we're a fit.
- 02
Diagnostic
We assess current-state risk and opportunity and hand you a one-page scorecard — yours to keep either way.
- 03
One clear proposal
A single packaged recommendation with scope, timeline, and the logic behind it. No 40-page maze.
- 04
Momentum in 30 days
A 30/60/90 plan that shows visible progress fast, then compounds into a recurring partnership.
Senior accounting, on the same fractional model.
The same firms that outgrow owner-run HR usually outgrow owner-run books at the same time. Our fractional accounting practice gives 20–150-person companies executive-level financial discipline — without a full-time controller.
Explore fractional accountingMonthly Close & Reporting
GAAP-compliant monthly, quarterly, and annual statements you can take to a bank or a board.
Budgeting & Forecasting
Operating budgets and forecasts built with leadership to improve accuracy and accountability.
Variance & Cost Analysis
Monthly variance analysis that surfaces spending trends and recommends corrective action.
Internal Controls & Audit Support
Reconciliation discipline, control documentation, and audit-ready coordination.
Useful answers before the first call.
Indiana Employer HR Compliance Checklist for 20–150 Employees
As your Indiana business grows, HR compliance becomes harder to manage informally. What worked with a small team may no longer be enough once you have more employees, more supervisors, more documentation, and more risk.
Request the ChecklistFractional HR vs. a PEO: Which Is Right for Your Business?
Many growing businesses reach the same question: do we need fractional HR, a PEO, payroll software, or a full-time HR hire?
Explore the Buyer’s GuideSupervisor Documentation Checklist
Good documentation protects the employee, the supervisor, and the business.
Request the Supervisor ChecklistThe experience and expertise that Shawn and Best Practices HR make available to us has proven extremely beneficial to us as a small business. We unreservedly refer Ms. Ellert and her company as a tremendous asset.
Kenneth Beache, P.E.
President, Metric Environmental, LLC
Direct senior access starts here
Bring the right HR judgment into the room.
Tell us what your organization is facing. In 30 minutes, we’ll help clarify the risk, the next decision, and whether we are the right fit.
Book a 30-Minute Consultation