HR Connection

What HR Connection does

HR Connection is a Minneapolis-based private professional services and community organization founded in 1991 (per firmographic data; the company's own materials state 1995) and acquired in 2004 by current Owner and President Sue Bergstrom. The company operates as the premier HR professional community in the Twin Cities, serving more than 200 HR leaders and experts through a membership-based small-group model: it hosts 20+ monthly small groups of 10–18 members each, segmented by HR specialty (Talent Acquisition, Total Rewards, DEI, Senior OD/HRD, Talent Management, generalists, recruiters, emerging HR leaders). Membership is restricted to internal HR practitioners and is sold on a quote-based, recurring subscription with quarterly and annual payment options, non-profit discounts, and multi-member organizational discounts.

The business extends the community into two adjacent professional services lines: Executive Search, which leverages the member network to place HR professionals at client organizations, and Contract & Consulting, which provides flexible project-based HR expertise including team and culture assessments, role scoping, and HR project support. Additional offerings include hrExperts (a certified implementation of the Leadership Process methodology), hrUniversity (member-discounted professional development workshops), and an annual Summer Soiree networking event. Marquee enterprise clients named across the practice include 3M, Boston Scientific, Land O'Lakes, Andersen Windows, Winnebago, Starkey, Mosaic, Lifecore, Kemps, Bauer-Built, Daikin, Minnesota Wild, Minnesota Twins, University of Minnesota, and GESMN.

Operationally, HR Connection runs on a lean 1–10 person team led by Sue Bergstrom with Sandra Howard (Client Services Manager) and Heather Byrne (Recruiting Manager), and is geographically constrained to the Twin Cities / Minneapolis metro with no disclosed expansion plans, no external funding, no technology platform, and no AI/ML components. Its core technology stack is effectively the relationships, reputation, and recurring small-group programming that constitute its network and ecosystem moat.

Name

HR Connection

Legal name

HR Connection

Website

https://hrconnection.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

HR Connection is a Minneapolis-based, member-driven community and professional services firm serving 200+ Twin Cities HR leaders through monthly small-group peer cohorts, executive search, and contract HR consulting, supplemented by hrExperts and hrUniversity programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

HR Consulting and Professional Services

NAICS

Human Resources Consulting Services (541612), Employment Services (5613)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

HR Service Delivery, Shared Services & HR Operating Model Advisory (BPACAJAE)

Keywords

• HR professional services
• Executive search services
• HR consulting
• Peer HR networking
• HR membership community

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: HR professionals and leaders pay membership fees to join collaborative small groups, access resources, learning opportunities, and member-generated surveys. Membership is limited to internal HR practitioners including HR VPs, directors, managers, and specialists.
2. Executive Search Services: Connecting organizations with HR professionals through a deep network of quality connections. The organization maintains relationships with the best HR professionals through small groups and daily interactions, providing greater access to HR talent than competitors.
3. Contract and Consulting: Organizations partner with the team for contract and consulting work including team and culture assessments, role scoping, team employment gaps, and HR projects, challenges, or opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

HR Connection is a Twin Cities-based HR professional services firm that operates a member-driven HR practitioner community alongside executive search and HR consulting services. Its core offerings include facilitated small-group peer networking, retained and contingency executive search for HR leadership roles, contract and consulting HR support, leadership-process facilitation (hrExperts), and HR training through hrUniversity and topical events. The company has operated continuously since 1995 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Product overview

HR Connection operates as a membership-based HR professional community offering three interconnected core services: Small Groups (peer-based HR leader collectives meeting monthly), Executive Search (HR talent recruitment and placement), and Contract & Consulting (project-based HR expertise). The organization supplements these with hrExperts (Leadership Process certification and implementation), hrUniversity (professional development workshops), and Events programming. The portfolio is designed for internal HR practitioners seeking networking, talent solutions, and ongoing professional development, anchored by the premise that connecting HR leaders with peers and resources enables better job performance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving more than 200 HR leaders and experts with collaborative small groups
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SKS Consulting GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSKS Consulting Group is a sponsor of the HR Connection Summer Soiree, the organization's annual summer celebration event for members and guests.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management): SHRM is the largest U.S. membership organization for HR professionals, offering training, certification, advocacy, and chapter-based networking. It is comparable as the dominant national HR membership platform against which HR Connection's local community competes for HR leader mindshare and dues.
• WorldatWork: WorldatWork is a membership and education organization for total rewards and compensation HR professionals. Its specialized HR membership focus and certification programs make it the closest broad incumbent to HR Connection's specialty HR practitioner communities (e.g., Total Rewards, Talent Management).
• Heidrick & Struggles: Heidrick & Struggles is a global executive search and leadership advisory firm with a dedicated HR Officer practice. Comparable to HR Connection on the executive search and HR consulting axis, but operating at multinational scale and with institutional resources.
• Spencer Stuart: Spencer Stuart is a leading global executive search firm with an active HR officer practice. It directly overlaps HR Connection's executive search service for HR leadership roles, but competes from a global brand and much larger candidate database.
• Korn Ferry: Korn Ferry is a global executive search and organizational consulting firm with a deep HR officer practice. It is comparable to HR Connection's executive search and consulting services line, but operates at national scale with vastly broader resources.

Direct peers

• Vistage: Vistage runs paid, facilitated peer advisory groups for CEOs and senior executives, charging recurring membership fees for monthly small-group meetings with peers. HR Connection's small-groups model is structurally identical but focused on HR leaders in the Twin Cities rather than general executives.
• Renaissance Executive Forums: Renaissance Executive Forums builds paid, monthly peer advisory groups for executives across multiple U.S. markets. Its model - regional small-group membership with member dues funding facilitation - is a near structural twin to HR Connection's small-groups offering, differentiated only by function (general executives vs. HR leaders).
• Chief: Chief is a private membership network for senior women executives that combines small peer groups, curated events, and a digital community. It mirrors HR Connection's combination of paid membership, facilitated peer groups, and events programming, serving a different but comparable executive audience.
• YPO (Young Presidents' Organization): YPO is a global membership organization for CEOs and presidents built around peer learning forums, small group meetings, and curated programming. It is directly comparable as a membership-driven peer group model that monetizes recurring dues and events, analogous to HR Connection's HR-leader small groups.
• Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO): EO is a global, dues-based membership community for founders and entrepreneurs built around peer learning, forums, and curated events. Comparable to HR Connection as a subscription-funded peer community monetizing group access and programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hrconnectionnet
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hrconnection

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HR Connection