You built the business. We'll help you build the people infrastructure to scale it.
Set up the right payroll and HR systems, handbook, hiring and compliance with a former Fortune 250 HR and operations executive who has started up plants and built HR models for manufacturers at every stage, from startup to global expansion. Senior HR expertise without a full-time HR salary.
Book a free HR health check call Take the free HR scorecard Based in Arizona · Serving manufacturers, med device, life sciences and service companiesYou've outgrown doing HR at night, but it's too early for an HR director.
Most founders we meet are running payroll in QuickBooks, adding policies from templates as issues come up, and hiring by gut. That works until it doesn't.
- You're hiring your first employee in a second state
- You're shopping for payroll software or a PEO
- A broker is pushing your first benefits plan or 401(k)
- A termination or complaint went worse than it should have
- You promoted a great performer to manager with no training
- New funding or a big contract means doubling the team
- The office manager or controller has become "HR" by default
HR obligations change as you grow
Federal rules kick in at specific headcounts, and hiring in a second state adds its own payroll and leave rules on top.
The payroll and HR system you choose starts locking in how you'll run people for years.
Title VII and the ADA apply: anti-discrimination and accommodation obligations.
COBRA continuation coverage and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act apply.
FMLA leave and the ACA employer health coverage mandate apply.
General guidance on federal thresholds, not legal advice. State rules (including California's) can apply at lower headcounts.
Fixed fees, clear milestones, and a plan sized to your stage
Start with a free health check. Take only the next step that makes sense.
HR Health Check
- Compliance and risk scan
- Payroll and benefits review
- A one-page priority plan, yours whether or not we work together
HCM & Payroll Selection
- Your HR model mapped: what to outsource, keep in-house or automate
- Quotes and demos from a variety of payroll, HCM and PEO providers
- Scored comparison with a 3-year ROI model and implementation plan
HR Foundations Build
- Payroll/HCM selection and setup, including multi-state rules
- Employee handbook and core policies
- Benefits and 401(k) setup, hiring process, simple performance reviews
Fractional Head of People
- Runs HR day to day and handles employee issues
- Talent acquisition and new-hire onboarding
- Coaches your managers as the team grows
- Option to add FlightPath® leadership development for key leaders and new managers
Strategy and hands-on execution in one person
We don't resell any payroll or HR software, so our recommendations are independent.
| Option | What's missing | With Career Authority |
|---|---|---|
| A PEO or employer of record (ADP TotalSource, TriNet, Globalization Partners) | Payroll and compliance, but no strategy, culture or manager help | We design the model, then pick the right PEO or payroll tool with you |
| HR software alone (Gusto, Rippling) | Tools with no one to set them up or run them | We configure it and run it |
| A junior HR generalist | Can't advise the CEO or build the system | Executive judgment plus hands-on execution |
| An HR director | $120K+ before benefits, and usually too early | A fraction of the cost, and you can hold off on a full-time HR director until you pass 100 employees |
HR that works on the floor, not just on paper
Grew from a California base to a multi-state operation with full payroll, benefits and HR in place.
From start to a complete HR operating model, HR software and a flawless first payroll.
Built a global HR model to expand into Europe and Asia, including outsourced HR and hiring abroad.
Moved hourly employees to new pay schedules without a missed payroll.
Cut HR cost as a share of revenue in half. We know how to keep HR lean.
Including the leadership team that opened Frito-Lay's greenfield plant in Salt Lake City.
Hands-on with Workday, ADP Workforce Now and Paycom.
Brent Peterson
I've spent 40 years in and around HR and operations, starting with a greenfield Frito-Lay plant and then 18 years at BD, working side by side with operations, product development and business leaders.
Since 2019 I've helped growing companies build HR that fits how they actually run. I do the work myself, from the strategy conversation with the CEO to configuring the payroll system.
"Tell me your vision, and I'll design an HR function that reinforces your culture, gets the best from your people and keeps you in compliance."Brent Peterson, Co-Founder, Career Authority
A safe referral for your growing clients
When a client hits 10 to 50 people and HR gets messy, send them our way. We don't do finance, insurance or legal work and don't resell software, so we won't compete with you, and we'll keep you in the loop.
What your clients get
- A free HR health check, with a written summary shared with you
- Clean payroll data and fewer HR fires for you to clean up
- Referrals back: our founders need CFOs, brokers and attorneys too
Common questions
How much does fractional HR cost?
Each project has a fixed fee paid in milestones, scoped after the free health check. A full HR Foundations Build typically costs a fraction of one year of an HR director's salary.
Do you work with companies outside Arizona?
Yes. We're based in Flagstaff and in Phoenix regularly, and we support companies with employees across multiple states, including California.
Should we just use a PEO?
Sometimes that's the right answer. Our HCM & Payroll Selection compares PEO, HCM and payroll options for your situation, with a 3-year ROI model, and we don't earn commissions from any provider.
Will you work alongside our office manager or controller?
Yes. We often set up the system and processes, then train the person already handling HR so they can run day-to-day tasks with senior guidance behind them.
Can you help develop our managers too?
Yes. As the team grows, our FlightPath® platform and Manager Essentials bootcamp help first-time managers lead well.
Find out where your HR stands.
Start with the 10-minute scorecard, or book 20 minutes with Brent. If a health check makes sense, you'll get a one-page priority plan within two weeks, free.
Book a call Take the HR scorecard