HR Services That Don't Suck
We bridge the gap between "Help, we need HR yesterday!" and "We're ready for a full fledged HR department." Think of us as your HR Team without the awkward holiday parties.
Schedule a ConsultationHow We Partner With You
We're HR nerds who love making workplaces better. Plain and simple. We offer:
Fractional HR Leadership
We embed in your organization for partnerships of 3, 6 or 12 months. Like having an HR executive without the full time price tag.
Recruitment Process Magic
We handle your hiring from start to finish, creating experiences candidates actually rave about.
Quick HR Fixes
Need targeted help? We do that too. Just reach out.
Based on our client engagements, 2021 to 2025, our clients keep their best people 30% longer, fill roles 12 days faster on average, and their leaders finally get to sleep at night. The investment pays for itself within months, not years.
Think of us as an investment in your team's future, not an expense on your P&L.
Want to know if we're a fit? Let's chat
Schedule a ConsultationHR Priorities Diagnostic
Who it's for
You run a company with 12 to 350 employees, and you've got an employee situation in front of you, like a firing, a complaint or a contractor who works like an employee. You can tell it's risky and you're not sure where to begin.
What you get
A written summary of where your real risk is, what it could cost you, and your smartest move. Then a call to walk through it, so you're clear before you act.
How it works
You tell me what's going on and send the paperwork tied to it, like agreements, pay records and emails. I look at how things were really set up and handled, including how people were paid and how much control you had day to day. You get the written summary within one business day of me having everything, and then we talk it through.
What it doesn't cover
This covers the review, the written summary and one call. It doesn't include drafting documents, negotiating or ongoing back and forth, so if you want that, we scope it separately. This is the HR point of view based on experience and my understanding, not legal advice.
Talk through what needs fixingThe 90 Day Engagement
Who it's for
You run a company with 12 to 350 employees and no HR person, and every employee question lands on your desk. I specialize in California, and I cover all of the USA. Whatever you're dealing with right now is probably one situation, and the next expensive surprise is usually already sitting in your business. You just don't know which one it is yet.
What you get
The first 90 days build the foundation:
- An HR Risk Audit that finds every exposure in your business
- An attorney reviewed Employee Handbook made for how you really operate
I'll also provide the basic HR documents you need along the way, like job descriptions, policies, onboarding checklists and scripts for hard conversations.
After that, the ongoing protection starts. You message me before any employee decision and I advise you on what to do, share scripts, role play with you, and make sure you're prepared for the conversations. We check in every month, I update your handbook when the law changes, and I walk you through crises when a termination or complaint goes sideways.
How it works
If you start with the Diagnostic, what we found becomes where the first 90 days begin. Right now, an employee situation means Googling the law at midnight and guessing. After this, you message me first and make the call with confidence. It's me every time, from your first message to the last document, so you never get passed around or have to explain your business twice, and I reply within six business hours. Partnerships run 3, 6 or 12 months for one flat monthly fee, with no upsell calls and no surprise charges, and nothing renews unless you agree to it. We usually start one to two weeks after you sign, sometimes in days.
What it doesn't cover
This is the HR point of view based on experience and my understanding, not legal advice or legal representation. You make every final employment decision.
Talk through what needs fixingTerminations and Employee Issues, Anywhere in the US
I work with companies from Hawaii to New York and everywhere between, with 12 to 350 employees and no HR person. California is where I go deepest, because it's where owners get burned, and every other state has its own clock too. Most owners find us the week something goes wrong. Here's what that help looks like, by name, so you know exactly what you're getting.
Termination Review
I go through the reason and the records before you act, and flag anything that belongs with an employment attorney.
California Termination Checklist
Our free California Termination Day Checklist and Script walks the steps in order.
The Meeting Script and Steps
You get the script, the order of events and the answers to what your employee and your team will ask. Most of the time your manager runs the meeting, and I join by video when it calls for it.
Final Pay Timing by State
Every state runs its own clock. In California, final wages are due the same day you let someone go. In New York, they're due by the next regular payday. I check your state before the meeting so payroll is ready, not after.
Separation Paperwork
The separation letter and the notices California requires at the end of employment, ready before the conversation happens.
Complaints and Investigations
When a complaint lands, I set up the investigation, document it properly and walk you through what happens next.
Leave Questions
Pregnancy, medical and family leave, and the overlap nobody can untangle. I tell you what applies and what to send.
Write Ups and Corrective Action
Documentation that holds up, and a script for the conversation so your manager isn't winging it.
Handbook Updates
Your Employee Handbook gets updated when the law changes in any state where you have people, not once a year when someone remembers.
Put "urgent" in your message and you'll hear back within four business hours. Ongoing clients pay one flat monthly fee. A single situation gets a scoped fee, agreed before anything starts. I've been PHR certified, and this is the HR point of view based on experience and my understanding, not legal advice. When you need an attorney, I'll tell you who I'd call.
Working in California? Start with the California page, or the pages for San Francisco, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, the Inland Empire and Sonoma County, and read how to fire an employee in California before the meeting.
Questions owners ask
Can you help with a termination this week?
Yes. Put "urgent" in your message or say so when you book, and you'll hear back within four business hours. We handle the thing that can't wait first, then look at what caused it.
Do I need a lawyer to fire someone in California?
Not always, and I'll tell you when you do. I review the reason and the records, build the plan with you and flag anything that belongs with an employment attorney. I'm not a lawyer, and when you need one, I'll say so.
What has to happen on the day someone is let go in California?
Final wages, including unused vacation, are due the same day. The separation letter and the required California notices go with it, and the meeting follows a short script so nothing gets missed. Our free California Termination Day Checklist and Script covers the order.
Fractional HR Leadership
What is Fractional HR Leadership?
Imagine having a senior HR executive on your team for one flat monthly fee, without the cost of a full time hire. That's Fractional HR. Unlike traditional consultants who drop off recommendations and disappear, we roll up our sleeves and help implement the solutions. No 200 page binders collecting dust on your shelf.
Why Fractional HR Makes Sense:
Get Executive Level HR expertise at a fraction of the cost of a full-time CHRO
Perfect for companies with 12 to 350 employees who've hit an HR speed bump
We integrate with your team. You get a partner, not just a vendor
Flexible engagement models that scale with your business needs
Skip the HR learning curve and access proven strategies immediately
Our Fractional HR Leaders have been in the trenches at companies big and small. We've seen what works, what doesn't, and what just looks good in an HR textbook but fails spectacularly in real life.
What the work looks like
Recent fractional HR work, client names left out.
B2B company, 35+ years in business, about 15 people
A long running contractor setup carried real classification risk, and the handbook never got rolled out. We fixed the risk first, then built the HR foundation in 90 days.
Maritime logistics company, 16 people in three states, led by a team with 50+ years in the industry
Moving contractors to W-2, setting up a PEO and adding benefits. One HR leader ran it start to finish and coached the founders along the way.
Healthcare practice, 7 years in business, 11 people
It started with a handbook that fit their culture and California law, then grew into a pay and classification audit, required safety plans and a pay framework.
Service Structure
Fractional HR runs on a flat monthly retainer, sized to your company and what needs fixing. Most clients start with a 90 day foundation build, then move to an ongoing retainer for 3, 6 or 12 months. You always know what you'll pay, and nobody's watching a clock.
Culture Development
Building a Workplace People Actually Like
Let's be honest: ping pong tables and free snacks do not make a company culture. (Though I wouldn't say no to either.) Real Culture Development aligns your values, behaviors, and systems to create an environment where your best people want to stay and do their best work.
Our Culture Development Process:
Culture assessment to understand what's working and what's just awkward
Leadership alignment on core values that aren't just wall art
Employee Experience mapping to identify where your Culture actually happens
Practical systems that reinforce the Culture you want (and eliminate what you don't)
Diversity and Inclusion strategies that encurate a true Culture Add (not just Culture Fit)
We're not about creating cookie cutter cultures. Your company is unique, and your Culture should be too. We help you build something authentic that supports your business goals and doesn't require everyone to be besties (unless that's your thing).
Service Options
- Culture Assessment & Initial Recommendations depending on company size
- Full Culture Development Program: Includes assessment, workshops, and implementation support
Leadership Training
Turning Managers into Leaders
You've probably noticed that promoting your best individual contributors to management roles doesn't automatically give them Leadership skills. (Shocking, I know.) Our Leadership Programs help bridge that gap, turning technical experts into people who can actually inspire teams.
Leadership Development That Actually Works:
Practical skills training focused on real workplace scenarios, not theory
Coaching for first time and mid level managers on the stuff they never teach you
Executive Team alignment to ensure your Leadership speaks the same language
Specialized programs for technical leaders who struggle with the "soft stuff"
Tools and frameworks that make good Leadership repeatable, not just occasional
Our approach is practical and no nonsense. We won't make you do trust falls or personality tests that label you as a spirit animal. Instead, we focus on the skills that actually drive team performance and retention.
Program Options
- Half day training workshops covering specific Leadership competencies
- Full Leadership Development program (series of 4-6 workshops plus materials)
- One on one Leadership coaching available as monthly retainer
Recruitment Process Outsourcing
What is Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO)?
RPO is simply a method of managing your recruitment needs, even if you've never heard the term before. What makes it special? Candidates think they're interacting with your internal recruiting team. It's a seamless, high touch Candidate Experience without you having to build an entire in-house recruiting department.
Our RPO Services Include:
Job description development and market analysis to position your roles competitively
Candidate sourcing and screening that goes well beyond hoping people find your job posts
Interview coordination that prioritizes Candidate engagement and reflects your Culture
Offer management and negotiation support to help you land your top choices
Onboarding process development and implementation that starts the Employee relationship right
Our RPO services are completely customizable to fit your specific needs. Whether you need full recruitment management across your organization or just support for certain hard to fill roles, we can tailor our approach. And since I literally wrote the book on recruiting, you're in good hands, I'll make sure you "don't suck."
Service Structure
Unlike traditional contingent recruiters, we offer a flat monthly rate with a dedicated recruiter who handles your entire recruitment process. Recruiting runs on a three month minimum, because good hires take time to find, and each package includes the support hours needed to properly manage your open requisitions.
HR Strategy
Aligning People Practices with Business Goals
If your HR initiatives feel random and disconnected from what your business actually needs, you're doing it wrong. Our strategic HR planning creates a roadmap that connects your People practices to business outcomes. (Novel concept, I know.)
Strategic HR Planning Includes:
People Strategy development that supports your business objectives
Workforce planning to ensure you have the right talent at the right time
Compensation and benefits structures that attract and retain the best
Performance Management systems people actually use (and don't dread)
Future of Work readiness to prepare for where business is heading
We don't believe in HR for HR's sake. Every recommendation we make ties back to a business outcome. If it doesn't move the needle on your goals, we won't recommend it, no matter how trendy it is in HR circles.
Service Options
- HR Strategy Development: Includes assessment, strategic planning, and implementation roadmap
- HR Function Audits: Comprehensive review based on organization size and complexity
California Workplace Violence Prevention Plan (SB 553)
Since July 1, 2024, most California employers have to keep a written workplace violence prevention plan, a violent incident log, and train their people. We write all three around how your company really runs, you read it, and your attorney reviews it.
The package is the written plan, the incident log, the training guide with the live question and answer the law requires, and a yearly review date on your calendar.
Ready to Talk?
Whether you need Fractional HR Leadership, Culture Development, Leadership Training, Recruitment help or strategic HR planning, tell me what's going on and I'll build the plan that fits.Hire Better. Lead Smarter. Don't Suck!
Schedule a Consultation