Your HR department, outsourced
HR outsourcing gives you a complete HR function, expertise, administration and compliance, for a fraction of the cost of building an in-house team. Virtual Ivy handles as much or as little as you need, so you can focus on running your business.
What's included
- Employment contracts and documentation
- Payroll support and statutory compliance, PAYE, NSSF, SHIF and the Affordable Housing Levy.
- Onboarding, records and leave management
- HR policies and employee handbook
- Employee relations and day-to-day HR advisory
Outsourcing vs an in-house HR manager
An in-house HR manager is a significant fixed cost for a single skill set. Outsourcing gives you a broader range of expertise, recruitment, compliance, payroll and strategy, that scales up or down as you grow. Many businesses outsource first, then bring HR in-house later, with the foundations already in place.
Want the full picture? Read our guide: HR Outsourcing in Kenya, what it includes, costs and when it makes sense.
What is outsourced HR, exactly?
Outsourced HR means a specialist partner runs some or all of your people function, instead of you hiring and managing an internal HR team. For a growing Kenyan business that's the practical middle ground between "the founder does HR in the evenings" and "we've hired a full HR department." You get senior expertise and proper systems on day one, at a predictable monthly cost.
What we can take off your plate
You choose the scope, common arrangements include:
- Payroll & statutory compliance, accurate PAYE, NSSF, SHIF and Housing Levy deductions, calculated and remitted on time, every month.
- Contracts & records, compliant employment contracts and complete, audit-ready personnel files.
- Onboarding & leave, smooth onboarding and accurate leave tracking.
- Policies & handbook, an employee handbook and policies aligned to the Employment Act 2007.
- Employee relations, day-to-day advice plus fair, lawful handling of grievances and discipline.
Who outsourced HR suits best
It's the right fit for startups making their first hires, SMEs scaling past the point where informal HR works, and NGOs that need donor-ready, compliant people practices. If you employ between about 3 and 50 people and don't yet have, or can't justify, a full HR team, outsourcing usually pays for itself in time saved and risk avoided.
Is outsourced HR cheaper than hiring an HR manager?
For most small and growing teams, yes. A full-time HR manager is a substantial salary plus benefits and overhead for a single skill set. Outsourcing gives you a whole function, payroll, compliance, recruitment and advisory, for a predictable fee, and you only scale the cost as you grow. We quote transparently after a free consultation, with no long lock-ins.
How it works with Virtual Ivy
We start with a free consultation and a quick assessment of where your HR stands today, then agree a scope and run it, reliably, in the background, while staying on call for the decisions that matter. As your needs change you can add recruitment, HR strategy or one-off HR audits, or eventually transition HR in-house with the foundations already built. Outsourced HR is the day-to-day delivery arm of our wider HR consulting service.