HR Advisory for Tech Startups
You have people who can implement. What you're missing is someone senior enough to tell them what to build. That's HR Advisory.
With HR Advisory, you get my thinking, but not my hands.
I set the strategic direction — what to build, in what order, and why — and your team handles implementation. This is the right fit when you have someone internal who can execute but isn't senior enough to know what to prioritize, or when you're a hands-on founder who will do the work yourself but wants expert input before making decisions that are hard to undo.
INVESTMENT: $2-4k/month
Includes things like:
Strategic HR guidance tailored to your stage and situation
Frameworks and processes your team can implement directly
Multi-state compliance guidance as you expand your hiring footprint
Compensation philosophy and benchmarking recommendations
On-demand access when situations come up between scheduled calls
Vendor and HR tech introductions from my network
Investor due diligence and fundraise prep
A senior HR practitioner to pressure-test decisions before you make them
Who implements the work?:
You do — or your team does. That's what makes advisory different from fractional HR. In an advisory engagement I'm not embedded in your day-to-day or fielding employee questions directly. I'm the strategic layer your internal resources don't have yet.
If you need someone to both build the strategy and execute it, fractional HR is probably the better fit. Not sure which one you need? That's exactly what the free consultation is for.
“Jessica has been wonderful to work with. She does not just complete something but takes the extra step to explain what she did and why — ensuring you have the information for future reference. She is incredibly capable and able to work with minimal guidance.”
Frequently asked questions
Still have questions? Take a look at the FAQ or reach out anytime.
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The main difference is who does the implementation. In a fractional HR engagement, I'm embedded in your business — I build the programs, field employee questions, and sit in your leadership meetings. In an advisory engagement, I provide the strategic direction and your team executes. Advisory is the right fit when you have internal resources who can do the work but need a senior HR brain telling them what to build and in what order.
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Usually one of three situations: you have a junior People Ops person who can execute but isn't strategic enough to set direction on their own, you're a hands-on founder who will implement yourself but wants expert input before making decisions, or you're facing a specific situation — hiring across states, preparing for due diligence, setting compensation — and need a senior HR perspective without a full embedded engagement.
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It's a retained engagement — a set number of hours each month plus on-demand access when things come up. You bring the questions, decisions, and situations you're not sure how to navigate. I bring 15 years of HR experience and a direct answer. Your team handles implementation. I handle the thinking.
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Yes — and this is one of the most common reasons founders come to me for advisory. Hiring in a new state has downstream consequences most founders don't anticipate: different leave laws, payroll tax obligations, benefits requirements, and HR policy adjustments. Getting ahead of it before you make the hire is significantly cheaper than cleaning it up afterward.
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Advisory engagements run $2–4k/month depending on the scope and frequency of support needed. It's the right fit when you need senior HR expertise but don't yet need someone embedded full-time in your business. If you're not sure whether advisory or fractional HR is the right call, that's exactly what the free consultation is designed to figure out together.
