HR Answers

What HR Answers does

HR Answers, Inc. is a private, Tigard, Oregon-based HR consulting firm founded in 1985 by Judy Clark that delivers human resources advisory, training, and recruiting-adjacent services primarily to small and mid-sized organizations, government entities, nonprofits, and trade associations across the Pacific Northwest. Its service portfolio spans project-based consulting (compensation design, employee handbook development, compliance audits, employee relations, workforce planning), recurring subscription programs (Advantage Services, Fractional HR with Alliance/Guidance/Navigator tiers, HR C.O.A.C.H., Employee Support Center), education and training (custom on-site training, live webinars, Academy on-demand courses with SHRM recertification credits), and digital products (Sample Handbooks at $299, Resource Guides at $139, Oregon/Washington Pay Equity Toolkits starting at $1,000). Ancillary services include pre-employment background checks (from $60) and reference checks ($300 per candidate).

The firm operates with no proprietary technology platform; its stack consists of commodity tools (Zoom for webinars, YouTube for video, TrainerCentral for the Academy LMS, Zoho Books for invoicing, and Advanced Reporting/QuickApp for background checks). Its go-to-market blends direct B2B sales, a formal Client Partner program with four trade associations (AGC Oregon Columbia Chapter, CMAA Oregon, IEC Oregon, SDAO) and three insurance/brokerage referral partners, a Referral Partner network of six complementary providers, and a content-led marketing engine built on a blog, free monthly HR Lunch Bunch webinars, and speaking engagements. The firm is led by President Laurie Grenya and Vice President Deborah Jeffries, with a certified consulting team holding SPHR, CCP, SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP, PSHRA-SCP, PHR, and J.D. credentials.

Revenue is generated through professional services billing, recurring annual subscriptions, transaction fees on background and reference checks, and one-time digital product sales. The firm is privately held with no disclosed funding, no parent company, and no subsidiaries, and is reported as operating actively with a 40-year history and 10,000+ organizations served cumulatively.

Name

HR Answers

Legal name

HR Answers, Inc.

Website

https://hranswers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HR Answers, Inc. is a private, Tigard, Oregon-based HR consulting firm founded in 1985 that provides project-based consulting, subscription-based fractional HR services, training, and digital compliance products to small and mid-sized businesses, government entities, nonprofits, and trade associations across the Pacific Northwest.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

HR Consulting Services

NAICS

Human Resources Consulting Services (541612), Management Consulting Services (54161), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive HRO (Multi-Process HR Outsourcing) (BPACAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

HR Policy, Forms & Case Management (Ticketing/Workflows) (BPAAAIAJ), HR Service Delivery, Case Management & Employee Self-Service (BPACAPAL)

Keywords

• HR consulting services
• Fractional HR services
• Employee training programs
• Compliance advisory services
• Workplace policy development

Headquarters

HQ city

Tigard

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. HR Consulting Services: Project-based consulting engagements covering compensation design, employee handbook development, employee relations, compliance audits, and workforce planning. Billed per project or hourly.
2. Advantage Services: Annual subscription program providing consulting hours, priority access to HR professionals, 10% discounts on training and consulting projects, free resource guides ($1,449 value), and email updates on compliance changes.
3. Fractional HR Services: Ongoing HR partnership providing scalable expert-level guidance. Plans include Alliance (compliance oversight, handbook management, phone/email guidance), Guidance (adds monthly check-ins, management consultation), and Navigator (includes hiring support and process improvement projects).
4. Education Services: Training programs including custom on-site training, live webinars, and Academy on-demand courses. Offers SHRM recertification credits. Topic areas include communication, respectful workplaces, conflict resolution, leadership development, performance management, and team building.
5. HR C.O.A.C.H. Program: Monthly one-on-one coaching (90 minutes) with certified HR consultant plus access to 12 self-paced webinars. Enroll as a program membership.
6. Background Check Services: Pre-employment background checks beginning at $60 per check, with bulk ordering available for up to 10 checks at once.
7. Reference Check Services: Reference verification services completed electronically via email or phone call at $300 per candidate.
8. Digital Products: Sample Employee Handbooks ($299), Resource Guides ($139), and Oregon/Washington Pay Equity Toolkits (starting at $1,000 toolkit only, $3,600 with consulting hours).
9. Employee Support Center: External employee concerns hotline for harassment, discrimination, and retaliation issues. Supports employer compliance with enforcement agency expectations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

HR Answers is a professional services firm that provides outsourced human resources consulting, training, and compliance support to small and mid-sized organizations in the Pacific Northwest. The core practice delivers project-based HR consulting (compensation, employee handbooks, employee relations, compliance audits, workforce planning), subscription programs (Advantage Services, HR C.O.A.C.H., Fractional HR), and education services (custom training, webinars, on-demand Academy courses, SHRM recertification).

Product overview

HR Answers is a professional services firm (not a software platform) providing comprehensive HR consulting and advisory services to organizations. The portfolio consists of consulting services (compensation, employee relations, compliance, workforce planning), subscription programs (Advantage Plan, HR C.O.A.C.H., Fractional HR with Alliance/Guidance/Navigator tiers), and education offerings (custom training, Academy on-demand courses, Lunch Bunch webinars). Digital products include Sample Employee Handbooks ($299), Resource Guides ($139), and Oregon/Washington Pay Equity Toolkits (starting at $1,000). Ancillary services cover background/reference checks, Employee Support Center intake, and speaking engagements. The firm operates from a technology stack including Zoom (webinars), YouTube (video library), TrainerCentral (Academy LMS), Advanced Reporting/QuickApp (background checks), and Zoho Books (invoicing).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 10,000 organizations served throughout company history
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Associated General Contractors - Oregon Columbia Chapter (AGC)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAGC provides members with exclusive access to the HR Answers Advantage Plan through their HR Advice program. Members receive certified HR consultant access specializing in construction industry workforce challenges, compliance concerns, and hiring/retention best practices.
• Club Management Association of America - Oregon ChaptercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOregon Chapter of CMAA offers HR Answers Advantage Plan to private club management professionals. Partnership provides chapter members with HR consulting, compliance support, and training through four annual education events and monthly roundtables.
• Independent Electrical Contractors of OregoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIEC of Oregon members receive complimentary, on-demand access to HR consultants through the HR Answers Advantage Plan. Partnership can save member companies over $3,000 annually while providing reliable answers to HR questions and workforce challenges.
• Special Districts Association of Oregon (SDAO)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSDAO partners with HR Answers to provide members with exceptional HR consulting services. Draws on HR Answers' extensive expertise and decades of experience delivering consulting, training, tools, and resources for personnel management and compliance.
• Innovative Benefits GroupsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerIBG is an employee benefits planning firm. HR Answers acts as an extension of IBG's business, stepping in when client HR needs extend beyond benefits into human resources territory. Provides seamless referral of clients needing comprehensive HR support.
• LaPorte InsurancesupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership provides comprehensive HR and risk management solutions to businesses. Clients gain access to HR consulting, compliance support, and employee management strategies that complement LaPorte's insurance offerings, creating a seamless approach to workforce challenges.
• Olson InsurancesupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerOlson Insurance provides enhanced HR support for employer groups through HR Answers. Partnership enables more comprehensive services including compliance guidance and employee relations, enhancing organizational success for shared clients.
• CanopysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanopy is an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provider. Partnership delivers comprehensive support addressing everyday challenges and crisis situations. Canopy's Everyday Assistance Program provides mental health resources and work-life balance tools, complementing HR Answers' consulting services.
• In-AccordsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with leading conflict resolution consultancy. HR Answers refers clients when specialized professional mediation is needed for high-stakes workplace conflicts. In-Accord also provides skills training and certified coaches to help prevent and manage conflict.
• PerformYardsupportingTechnology or IntegrationPerformYard provides flexible performance management platform for high-growth organizations. Partnership helps HR Answers clients access performance management tools for annual reviews, real-time feedback, and goal tracking, complementing HR consulting services.
• StiirasupportingTechnology or IntegrationStiira provides innovative leave management software for employers and third-party administrators. Partnership combines cutting-edge technology with HR Answers' consulting expertise to help organizations navigate federal, state, and local leave regulations with confidence.
• WorkstreamsupportingTechnology or IntegrationWorkstream is the leading HR, Payroll, and Hiring platform for the hourly workforce. Partnership provides Workstream users access to trusted HR advisors for complicated HR matters unique to the hourly workforce, including quick-service restaurant franchises.
• Destination One ConsultingsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerImpact Recruitment, Executive Search, and HR Advisory firm. Partnership helps clients build stronger teams through innovative workforce solutions including Recruitment-as-a-Subscription-Service (RAASS).

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Trinet: TriNet provides full-service HR outsourcing (PEO) for small and mid-sized businesses, including HR advisory, compliance, benefits administration, and payroll. It directly competes with HR Answers for the same client profile of companies without in-house HR staff.
• Justworks: Justworks is a PEO/HR-tech hybrid providing payroll, benefits, compliance, and on-demand HR advisory to SMBs. Its bundled HR advisor access directly competes with HR Answers' subscription-style Fractional HR and Advantage Services offerings.
• Paychex: Paychex provides payroll, HR, benefits, and PEO services primarily to small and mid-sized businesses. Its HR services suite and advisory offerings compete with HR Answers' Fractional HR and consulting portfolio, especially for the same SMB segment.
• Sequoia One: Sequoia One is a PEO providing full-service HR outsourcing to SMBs across payroll, benefits, compliance, and policy support. It is comparable to HR Answers on multi-process HR outsourcing for smaller employers.
• ADP TotalSource: ADP TotalSource is ADP's PEO division providing comprehensive outsourced HR, benefits, compliance, and advisory solutions to SMBs. It competes head-to-head with HR Answers' multi-process Fractional HR offering, particularly in Oregon and Washington.
• Insperity: Insperity is a large publicly-traded PEO providing comprehensive HR outsourcing (payroll, benefits, compliance, advisory) to SMBs and mid-market clients. It directly overlaps HR Answers' fractional and outsourced HR services value proposition at much greater scale.

Emerging players

• Gusto: Gusto provides payroll, benefits, and HR software to SMBs and has expanded into compliance, handbooks, and HR advisor access. It is comparable as a tech-first alternative to traditional fractional HR consulting for the SMB segment HR Answers targets.
• Namely: Namely provides a mid-market HR platform spanning payroll, benefits, talent management, and HR service delivery. It competes for the same mid-market client profile and increasingly bundles advisor access relevant to HR Answers' subscription tier.
• BambooHR: BambooHR is an HRIS and people management platform purpose-built for SMBs, offering onboarding, performance, and policy tooling. It overlaps with the HR operational/administrative side of HR Answers' Fractional HR work.
• Rippling: Rippling is a unified HR/IT/finance platform for SMBs that increasingly bundles compliance features, policy templates, and HR workflows. It represents a tech-enabled competitive threat to advisory-heavy HR consulting firms like HR Answers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC08puI0etWsbQKDrU2BkfIA/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/HRAnswersPortland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hranswersinc
• Instagraminstagram.com/hranswersinc
• Xx.com/4hranswers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Answers