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Fractional HR — San Jose, California

Fractional HR for San Jose small businesses

Bevel HR runs the people function for San Jose companies with 10–75 employees — compliance, onboarding, payroll, and employee relations — so founders can get back to the business. Senior HR and people & culture support, starting at $1,800/month.

$1,800/mo
Starting retainer
~25%
Of a full-time HR hire
Days
To start, not months
Who we help in San Jose

San Jose businesses that need real HR — not another tool.

We work with semiconductors and hardware, software and AI, deep tech, biotech, and venture-backed startups across Silicon Valley / the San Jose metro. If you have 10–75 employees and HR keeps landing on the founder or ops lead, that's exactly who Bevel HR is built for.

01
HR keeps landing on the founder
Silicon Valley startups scale headcount faster than almost anywhere, lean heavily on equity and contractors, and operate under California's strictest-in-the-nation law plus a San Jose minimum-wage ordinance — and every offer letter, complaint, and policy question routes straight to the top. That's founder time you can't get back.
02
Hiring fast with no system
You're adding people quickly but onboarding is improvised, and new hires are left to figure it out. It shows up as avoidable turnover six months later.
03
California compliance gaps piling up
California's full complexity applies and San Jose adds its own minimum-wage and Opportunity-to-Work ordinance. Same-day final pay, meal/rest premiums, itemized wage-statement penalties, and ABC-test classification all apply. For Valley startups, contractor misclassification, equity documentation, and proper exempt/non-exempt classification of early employees are the biggest gaps.
04
A full-time hire doesn't pencil out
A full-time HR manager runs $70,000–$90,000/year fully loaded. At 10–50 employees you don't need 40 hours a week of HR — you need senior judgment at the volume you actually use.

HR compliance in California — what San Jose employers need to know

California's full complexity applies and San Jose adds its own minimum-wage and Opportunity-to-Work ordinance. Same-day final pay, meal/rest premiums, itemized wage-statement penalties, and ABC-test classification all apply. For Valley startups, contractor misclassification, equity documentation, and proper exempt/non-exempt classification of early employees are the biggest gaps. If you're also hiring remotely across state lines, the complexity compounds fast. We track state-specific requirements for every client so you're never blindsided by a rule you didn't know applied. See our multi-state hiring and HR compliance services.

Fractional HR in San Jose

Why San Jose businesses bring in fractional HR

Silicon Valley startups scale headcount faster than almost anywhere, lean heavily on equity and contractors, and operate under California's strictest-in-the-nation law plus a San Jose minimum-wage ordinance. That mix shapes the people problems we see most in Silicon Valley / the San Jose metro.

We work with semiconductors and hardware, software and AI, deep tech, biotech, and venture-backed startups — the kinds of San Jose-area employers where headcount has outrun the systems meant to support it.

California's full complexity applies and San Jose adds its own minimum-wage and Opportunity-to-Work ordinance. Same-day final pay, meal/rest premiums, itemized wage-statement penalties, and ABC-test classification all apply. For Valley startups, contractor misclassification, equity documentation, and proper exempt/non-exempt classification of early employees are the biggest gaps. That's the kind of exposure we close quietly, before it turns into a claim.

Fractional HR services & pricing

Senior HR for San Jose businesses. A fraction of the cost.

Monthly retainers that flex with your company. Minimum 3-month engagement, cancel anytime after. Fully remote — we can start the same week you sign. Full pricing & comparison →

Foundation
$1,800/mo
6–8 hrs/mo · 1–20 employees

  • Dedicated HR request channel
  • Compliance monitoring & calendar
  • On-call Q&A (up to 2 hrs/mo)
  • New-hire paperwork guidance
  • One policy update per month
  • Monthly People Report
Get started
Embedded
$6,500/mo
22–26 hrs/mo · 40–75 employees

  • Everything in Growth
  • Leadership team attendance
  • People strategy & org design
  • Comp benchmarking
  • Manager coaching
  • HRIS implementation
  • Quarterly board report
  • 4-hr urgent response SLA
Get started
Common questions

Questions from San Jose businesses

How much does fractional HR cost for a San Jose business?

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Bevel HR retainers start at $1,800/month for San Jose businesses with 1–20 employees. Most San Jose clients at 15–40 employees land on the Growth package at $3,500/month — roughly 25% of the ~$70,000–$90,000 fully loaded annual cost of a full-time HR manager.

What California employment laws do San Jose employers need to know?

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California is the strictest state and San Jose layers its own minimum-wage and Opportunity-to-Work rules on top. Silicon Valley startups most often get caught on ABC-test contractor classification and on misclassifying early employees as exempt.

Do you work with San Jose businesses remotely?

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Yes. Bevel HR is fully remote, and San Jose clients get the same responsiveness as anywhere else — over video, Slack, email, and shared HR platforms. Most find remote HR faster than an in-house hire juggling other duties.

How quickly can you start with a San Jose business?

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Within days of a signed agreement. Book a free 30-minute HR Assessment this week; if it's a fit, you'll have a proposal within 24 hours. Week one is your HR Audit — we review your current setup and surface what actually matters in Silicon Valley / the San Jose metro.

What size San Jose companies do you work with?

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We focus on San Jose businesses with 10–75 employees — the stage where HR is too complex to ignore but a full-time hire doesn't pencil out yet. We commonly work with semiconductors and hardware, software and AI, deep tech, biotech, and venture-backed startups.
Explore more

Fractional HR in other markets

Helpful guides
Get started in San Jose

Ready to get HR off your plate?

Book a free 30-minute HR Assessment. We'll look at your San Jose business, find your biggest exposure, and tell you what to prioritize. No pitch, no obligation.