HR Advisory · AI-Powered · Human-Led

The HR advisor founders actually call when it matters.

You didn't build your company to become its HR department. I bring 15+ years of strategic HR experience — backed by AI-powered tools — to help you build the people systems, processes, and culture that let you actually lead.

Abide Advisory · Live Session
Active
AI Analysis Reviewed your team data. Flagged 3 high-potential employees without development plans and a retention risk in your senior engineering hire.
Founder What do I actually say to Marcus? He's been here since day one and I think he's plateaued.
Kate · Advising This is where I step in. That's not a template conversation — it's a relationship conversation. Let's talk through what Marcus actually needs to hear, and what you need to be ready for.
⟳
The Human Handoff AI surfaces the data. Kate makes the call. Some people decisions can't be templated — that's exactly when you need a seasoned advisor, not a chatbot.
70%
of employee engagement is driven by the direct manager
15+
years as a strategic HR business partner
2×
retention lift with structured talent development programs
AI+
human judgment — knowing which one the moment actually needs
The Problem

You're making consequential people decisions without a trusted advisor.

When a performance issue surfaces, a top performer gets an outside offer, or your culture starts to drift — most founders are figuring it out alone. There's a better way.

01
No HR systems in place
Recruiting, performance reviews, and talent development are all happening ad hoc. You're reacting, not leading — and your people feel it.
02
Hard calls land on you alone
Terminations, compensation resets, difficult feedback — these decisions deserve a thought partner who's been in the room before. You shouldn't have to figure it out alone.
03
AI tools with no HR judgment
You're using AI to patch the gap, but AI can't read the room. It can't tell you whether to put someone on a PIP or have a completely different conversation. That takes experience.
The AI Advantage

AI does the heavy lifting. I make the human call.

I'm not just an HR advisor — I'm an HR advisor who uses AI to work faster, see patterns earlier, and equip you with tools that make your team more effective. But I also know exactly when AI reaches its limit and a real conversation is what's needed.

⚡
AI-powered diagnostics & drafts
I use AI to analyze team health, draft job frameworks, performance templates, and recruiting processes — faster and sharper than traditional HR consulting.
🎯
Equipping founders to use AI for HR
I coach you and your team to leverage AI for people decisions — so you're not just getting advice, you're building lasting capability.
🤝
Human judgment when it matters most
The hardest people moments — terminations, culture breaks, leadership transitions — need a seasoned HRBP, not an algorithm. That's when I step in.
How it works in practice
AI
Surfaces the signal Analyzes patterns, flags retention risks, drafts role scorecards and review frameworks.
Kate
Interprets & advises Reviews what the data is telling us, brings 15+ years of context, helps you decide what to actually do.
AI
Builds the asset Creates the performance review system, career ladder, or recruiting process — customized to your team.
Kate
Handles what can't be templated The plateaued senior hire. The re-org nobody sees coming. The moment a founder needs a real advisor, not a tool.
About

An HRBP who's been in the room.

I'm Kate Palmquist. For 15+ years I've been the HR business partner that leaders call when the situation is real — when the stakes are high and they need someone who can think strategically and tell them what to actually say.

I love this work. There's nothing quite like being the trusted advisor a founder turns to when a people decision is hard, ambiguous, or high-stakes. That's the role I was built for.

Now I bring that partnership to scaling companies as a fractional HRBP. You get the experience of a seasoned HR executive, the efficiency of AI-powered tools, and a partner who knows when to let the technology work — and when to step in herself.

I keep a deliberately small client roster. Every engagement gets my full attention — not a template, not a junior associate, not a chatbot with my name on it.

Role
Fractional HR Business Partner & Advisor
Specialization
Talent Systems, Performance & People Strategy
Ideal Client
Founders doing HR themselves, ready for a real advisor
Engagement Model
Monthly advisory — no hourly billing, no surprises
Client Size
1–100 employees
Services

Advisory that meets you where you are.

Three tiers built around your stage — and what your people actually need right now.

Foundational
$2,500/mo
For founders just starting to build people systems · 1–15 employees
HR Foundation & Advisory
  • Async advisory support via Slack or Voxer
  • Monthly strategy call
  • One HR asset per month — recruiting process, offer templates, onboarding guides, review frameworks
  • On-demand guidance for hiring & people decisions
  • AI tool recommendations & setup guidance
Most Popular
Strategic Partner
$7,500/mo
For scaling teams ready to build real HR infrastructure · 15–50 employees
Systems Build & Ongoing Advisory
  • Weekly advisory calls
  • Full talent system build — performance reviews, career pathing, recruiting process
  • Direct advisory on hard people decisions
  • AI-powered talent diagnostics & reporting
  • Async support with same-business-day response
  • Quarterly people health review
Fractional HRBP
$10,500/mo
For established companies needing embedded HR leadership · 50–100 employees
Embedded HR Leadership
  • Fractional Chief People Officer support
  • Executive team & leadership advisory
  • Succession planning & high-potential identification
  • Organizational design & talent strategy
  • Solo HR practitioner coaching & support
  • Priority access & dedicated support channel
Process

From guesswork to a people strategy that actually holds.

01
People Audit
We assess your current state — recruiting, performance, development, retention — and use AI-powered tools to surface your highest-leverage gaps fast.
02
90-Day Roadmap
A prioritized people strategy tailored to your stage. No theory — concrete actions, clear owners, and outcomes you can measure.
03
Build the Systems
We build together: recruiting processes, performance review systems, talent development programs, career frameworks. Real infrastructure, not templates.
04
Ongoing Advisory
Regular touchpoints, live advising on real situations, and a partner who keeps your people strategy ahead of your growth — not scrambling behind it.
The Outcome

What changes when you have a real people advisor.

◈
Hard decisions get easier
You stop dreading the difficult conversations. You have a thought partner who's navigated them before and knows what to say — and when.
◈
Your best people stay
Clear development paths, intentional performance conversations, and a culture that signals investment. Retention stops being a mystery.
◈
You can actually scale
With recruiting, performance, and talent development systems in place, adding headcount stops feeling risky. Your culture travels with growth.
"

I used to dread performance conversations. Now I have a framework, a thought partner, and the confidence to lead them myself.

— Placeholder · Founder, 30-person team
Work Together

Ready for an HR advisor who actually picks up the phone?

Book a complimentary discovery call. We'll look at where your people systems stand today and talk through what it would take to build something that actually scales — with the right balance of AI and human judgment.

Or reach out directly at palmquist.kate@gmail.com — I respond within one business day.