How H2R's 'HR Machine' Helped In-House Solutions Achieve Scalable Success
Results at a glance
$20,000
annual savings on group benefits by switching providers
+10%
in Processes scores in employee engagement surveys
8%
Increase in Senior Leadership & Communication scores
7%
increase in cumulative Work Environment/ Team scores
Results at a glance
$20,000
annual savings on group benefits by switching providers
+10%
in Processes scores in employee engagement surveys
8%
Increase in Senior Leadership & Communication scores
7%
increase in cumulative Work Environment/Team scores
Company Background
In-House Solutions is the primary
reseller of Mastercam software for
CNC machines in Canada. A secondgeneration family-owned business, it’s
been supporting the manufacturing
sector nationwide since 1988. Today, it
employs a team of 50 people working
remotely across the country. The
software company has also developed
their own post processor product
and provides training, technical
services, and professional support to
manufacturers. Alongside their core
operations, the leadership team is also
growing a second business, hireCNC
“We’ve had great
feedback about
Kathy at H2R and her
response time. She’s
easy to communicate
with, and I know our
team is comfortable
working with her. She’s
reliable and gets back
to employees quickly.
She takes the time to
make sure everybody’s
taken care of.”
Alison House
Co-CEO, In-House Solutions
Challenge
For many years, In-House Solutions kept HR in house, relying on internal staff to manage day-to-day tasks. As the business shifted post-COVID, the leadership team realized they no longer
needed a full-time HR generalist. But they knew HR was too complex and critical to leave
unmanaged.
In-House co-CEO Alison House brought extensive HR experience to the business and had supported these responsibilities in the past. When her focus shifted to operations and finance, HR processes gradually became more reactive than proactive.
Without dedicated HR support, employee questions about benefits or policies took longer to resolve, and compliance updates kept getting delayed. Even small oversights in compliance or policy updates could quickly become costly, both financially and operationally. Leadership also wanted to see stronger employee engagement scores, knowing that higher engagement directly impacts retention, productivity, and overall company culture. The team was juggling immediate HR needs as well as strategic, longer-term planning and
needed a solution for both.
They outlined several key priorities:
- Compliance risk – Employment legislation updates, health and safety policies, and
accessibility standards (AODA) all required monitoring and updates that weren’t being
addressed, exposing the business to potential fines and costly disruptions. - Manual systems – HR processes were still run through email or paper files, creating
inefficiencies that wasted time and increased administrative overhead. - Employee confidence – Leadership recognized the importance of offering employees
a neutral third party for confidential HR discussions, knowing that stronger trust and
engagement improve retention and reduce rehiring costs. - Benefits and rewards – Their benefits offered by their existing broker were outdated, and
costs were increasing and cutting into profit margins. - Scalability – Leadership needed a solution that could flex with the business: adding support
during periods of change, and scaling back as needed to keep costs under control.
The leadership team knew they needed HR expertise, but not a permanent, in-house hire.
Outsourcing offered a way to get the right balance of tactical support, compliance coverage, and
strategic HR without the overhead.
Solution
A trusted colleague recommended H2R Business Solutions to Alison, praising their reputation
and competitive pricing. After meeting with H2R, In-House Solutions was confident they had
found a partner that combined deep expertise with scalable support.
H2R assigned Kathy, a seasoned HR consultant, to serve as the dedicated lead for In-House
Solutions. From day one, she worked as an extension of the team, while also bringing the
expertise of H2R’s network of specialists.
- Together, In-House Solutions and H2R prioritized urgent issues for the first year,while also mapping out a longer-term HR strategy.
Step 1
Assess and Prioritize
Using H2R’s proprietary HR Assessment Audit Tool, Kathy identified gaps in compliance and outdated processes. Together, In-House Solutions and H2R prioritized urgent issues for the first year, while also mapping out a longer-term HR strategy.
Step 2
Strengthen Compliance and Policies
- Updated and rolled out the employee handbook to reflect new workplace standards.
- Formalized onboarding and offboarding processes to improve employee experience and
reduce compliance risks. - Re-established a health and safety committee and implemented WHMIS and AODA
training to take place annually. - Standardized policy distribution, tracking, and acknowledgment through the new HR
system.
Step 3
Modernize HR Systems
- HRIS and Payroll: Kathy led the selection and rollout of ADP, a full HR and payroll system
that replaced outdated manual processes. Employees could now request time off, view pay
stubs, and access records through an easy-to-use app. This upgrade improved the payroll
experience and saved managers time while streamlining compliance. - Automation: Processes once handled through spreadsheets and email were automated,
reducing errors and time spent on administrative tasks.
Step 4
Optimize Benefits and Rewards
- Conducted an employee survey to identify gaps in the existing plan.
- Switched to a new benefits broker and provider, adding vision care, expanded mental health
coverage, and a health spending account.
Step 5
Flexible HR Support
Kathy initially worked with the business two days a week to tackle the backlog of compliance
updates, systems implementation, and policy revisions. Once the foundational work was
complete, support scaled back to one day a week, which included weekly check-ins with Alison.
Step 6
Strategic and Tactical Guidance
Beyond systems and policies, Kathy quickly became a trusted advisor on sensitive employee
issues, hiring needs, and strategic planning. As a neutral third party, she gave employees
confidence and offered the leadership team objective, down-to-earth advice they could act on.
“The biggest benefit
for us is the confidence
we have in H2R’s skills,
abilities, and the HR
machine that they have
behind them. It’s not
just one person on an
island trying to do all
these things. As a team
with the resources that
they have, you feel like
you’re getting more
for what you’re paying,
simply because there
are more people, with
different backgrounds
and different
experiences in the
business.”
Alison House
Co-CEO, In-House Solutions
Results
By partnering with H2R, In-House Solutions gained the strength of a full HR team, backed by
deep expertise, while only paying for one outsourced consultant.
In-House Solutions achieved measurable improvements in compliance, effi ciency, and employee
satisfaction, while freeing up leadership to focus on business growth.
Key Outcomes
- Compliance & Risk Mitigation: H2R now proactively manages and automates policies,
training, and legislative requirements, reducing the risk of errors or fi nes. - Technology Upgrade: Transition to ADP gave employees self-service access to HR tools
and streamlined payroll, eliminating outdated manual processes. - Cost Savings: Negotiating with a new broker delivered $20,000 in annual benefi ts savings
while improving coverage. - Employee Satisfaction: Survey results from 2022 to 2024 showed consistent increases
in employee engagement and satisfaction. While In-House Solutions’ strong leadership
team played a central role in driving culture, H2R’s support in formalizing HR processes
and resources contributed to meaningful gains in areas like Processes & Resources (+10%),
Senior Leadership & Communication (+8%) and Work Environment & Team (+7%). - Leadership Focus: Alison is free to focus on operations, fi nance, and growth initiatives for
both In-House Solutions and hireCNC. - Scalability: HR support scaled from two days per week during heavy implementation
phases back to one day per week in maintenance mode, providing flexibility and cost
efficiency
Most importantly, the partnership with H2R gives In-House Solutions confidence that HR is
fully managed and optimized.
As both In-House Solutions and hireCNC continue to grow, they know their HR needs will
evolve. With H2R as a partner, they can flex support up or down as required, confident that compliance, benefits, and employee experience remain in good hands.
By partnering with H2R, In-House Solutions is able to focus on strategic growth while providing employees with modern systems, clear policies, and responsive HR support.
“As we have more employees, as we venture into different areas, taking on different products and growing the business, I know that H2R is able to be flexible beside us. It’s hard to say exactly what the future will look like, but I feel confident that they’ll be able to provide a solution.
Alison House
Co-CEO, In-House Solutions
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Measurable Results
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