Universal HR Solutions Led by Terry Welker, PhD, SHRM-SCP

When HR gets serious, bring in someone who has handled it before.

Senior HR leadership, independent investigations, and compensation expertise on demand, for organizations that need executive-level judgment without adding an executive to the payroll.

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Trusted by

  • BlackRock
  • SHRM
  • Hyundai Glovis
  • City of Scottsdale
  • Fulton County
  • Drake University

Services

Every engagement is led and delivered by Terry Welker personally. You won't be handed off to a junior consultant.

Workplace investigations

Call when a harassment, discrimination, hostile work environment, or misconduct complaint needs a neutral outside investigator, especially one whose findings may be reviewed by counsel or the EEOC.

What you get

  • Interviews with the complainant, respondent, and witnesses
  • Evidence review and documentation
  • A written findings report suitable for legal review
  • Recommendations and after-action training for leaders

A former criminal investigator with 26 years in public safety, who knows how findings hold up later.

Fractional CHRO and VP of HR

Call when your HR leader has left, you're growing past what your current team can handle, or you need senior HR judgment at the leadership table without a full-time hire.

What you get

  • An experienced HR executive working alongside your leadership team
  • A clear list of HR priorities and risks to address first
  • Employee handbook creation or review, plus policy updates
  • Executive coaching and change management support
  • Help hiring and onboarding your permanent HR leader

Has served as the chief HR executive for a major city, a hospital, and a global manufacturer's HR function.

HR audits

Call when you want to know where you're exposed before a lawsuit, an acquisition, a new leader, or a regulator finds out for you.

What you get

  • A targeted audit of one area or a full comprehensive review
  • Coverage across compliance, hiring, retention, benefits, performance management, discipline and discharge, leaves of absence, and inclusion
  • Employee engagement and satisfaction surveys
  • A findings report with fixes ranked by risk

Audits completed for clients in manufacturing, pharmaceutical, agriculture, finance, and banking.

Compensation consulting

Call when you're losing people over pay, can't explain why two people earn what they do, or need a pay structure that will hold up to scrutiny.

What you get

  • Pay studies and market analysis for your roles
  • Salary structure design and placement of current employees
  • Pay equity review
  • Benefits design and administration guidance
  • A plan for rolling out changes and explaining them to employees

Teaches SHRM's Foundations of Compensation course and has run pay studies across the private and public sectors.

Labor relations, strategy, and litigation support

Call when you're heading into bargaining, facing an employment lawsuit, planning a major change, or filling a senior public-sector role.

What you get

  • Collective bargaining and union relations support
  • Strategic planning facilitation for groups or individual leaders
  • Expert witness testimony in employment litigation
  • Executive search for senior roles in cities, counties, and states

Known in Iowa manufacturing as a calm, even-handed voice in union negotiations.

For public school superintendent and administrator searches, Terry recommends his preferred partners at Grundmeyer Leader Search.

How an engagement works

Clear scope, a clear price, and one experienced person accountable from start to finish.

  1. Intro call

    A free, confidential conversation about what's happening and what you need.

  2. Scope and quote

    A short written proposal with the scope, timeline, and price, so there are no surprises.

  3. The work

    Terry does the work himself, with regular check-ins and quick answers when questions come up.

  4. Report and handoff

    Findings, recommendations, and anything your team needs to keep things running afterward.

Clients

Public and private, union and non-union, from Iowa school districts to global firms, across eight states.

  • GovernmentCity of Scottsdale, Fulton County, City of Clearwater, Columbia County, City of Lake City, Ak-Chin Indian Community, Iowa Department of Public Health
  • Financial servicesBlackRock, plus audits and pay studies for banking and finance clients
  • Manufacturing and logisticsHyundai Glovis
  • Healthcare and emergency servicesCrawford County Memorial Hospital, Rural/Metro Corporation
  • Higher educationDrake University, Barry University, Kaplan University
  • K-12 educationWaukee Community School District
  • Professional servicesSHRM, General Physics, Occupational Safety Consultants
  • Agriculture and pharmaceuticalShrimp Improvement Systems, plus audits and compensation work
"He has the most knowledge regarding human resources and the components of a highly effective human resource department than anyone I have ever worked with during my 21 years as a professional."
Terry H., Administrator
"He was able to communicate decisions that can be life changing in a manner that leaves everyone's mental and emotional state intact."
Juley M., Iowa K-12 school system
"He has not only mentored me through many employee investigations and employee relations issues, but he has provided our whole administrative staff with the training they need."
Roxy L., HR executive and former colleague

Training and certification prep

Practical courses for HR professionals and the managers who carry HR duties, available as open classes or delivered on-site for your team.

More than 9,000 HR professionals have prepared for SHRM certification in Terry's classes since 2012.

SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP certification prep

Structured exam preparation for individuals, or as a private cohort for your HR team.

Ask about the next cohort

Supervision Academy

One-day, three-day, and full-week formats covering leadership skills, setting clear expectations, aligning goals with company objectives, employment law, and recognition.

Employment law and compliance training

On-site training for leadership teams, including after-action training following an investigation or incident.

Foundations of Compensation and Essentials of HR

Grounded introductions to pay systems and core HR functions for newer practitioners.

Who you'll work with

Terry Welker, PhD, SHRM-SCP, SPHR

Terry began his career as a criminal investigator and rose to chief officer over 26 years in public safety, then spent the next chapter leading HR for cities, hospitals, schools, and global companies. He founded Universal HR Solutions in 2006 to give organizations access to that experience when they need it most.

He also teaches strategic management and leadership at Iowa State University's Ivy College of Business, has served as board president of Central Iowa SHRM, and earned his PhD from Drake University with research on bias in executive hiring.

  • 26 yearsPublic safety, investigator to chief officer
  • City of ScottsdaleChief HR Executive
  • Crawford County MemorialChief HR Executive
  • Iowa State UniversityBusiness faculty
  • Harvard Kennedy SchoolSenior executive fellow

Start with a conversation

Tell us what's going on. You'll hear back from Terry directly within one business day, and the first call is free and confidential.