Senior HR leadership, without the full-time hire.
April helps technology companies and other growing businesses handle the people side of the business: policies, hiring, performance, employee relations, mergers and acquisitions, and the hard conversations. Ongoing, by project, or whenever you need a steady hand.
Previously at Hostgator.com, Indeed, Netspend, and ABBYY
Does any of this sound familiar?
- HR is somebody's side job, and they're stretched thin.
- An employee issue is escalating and you're not sure what's safe to do next.
- Your handbook is out of date, or you don't have one.
- You're growing fast and hiring, onboarding, and performance reviews are inconsistent.
- Managers avoid conflict until it turns into a crisis.
- Your team is remote or spread across states, and your policies haven't kept up.
- You need HR expertise, but a full-time HR leader isn't in the budget yet.
That's the gap April fills. You get experienced HR leadership for the hours you actually need.
HR services for small and growing businesses
Most clients start with one pressing need and keep April on for the rest. If it involves people at work, she can help.
Fractional HR leadership
Ongoing, part-time HR leadership a set number of hours each month, sometimes called a fractional HR director or outsourced HR. April works alongside your leadership team, owns the people side of the business, and keeps it moving, so you can focus on running the company.
HR consulting and projects
HR consulting projects with a clear finish line.
- Employee handbook writing and HR policies
- HR audits and compliance reviews
- Job descriptions and compensation structure
- Building an HR function from scratch for startups and small businesses
Talent management
Talent management programs that help you hire well, develop people, and keep the ones you want to keep.
- Performance management that people actually use
- Onboarding, career paths, and succession planning
- Leadership development for new and growing managers
Employee relations
Steady, fair handling of the situations that keep owners up at night.
- Workplace investigations and employee complaints
- Difficult terminations and separations
- Team conflict and coaching managers through hard conversations
Mergers and acquisitions
HR support for mergers and acquisitions, before and after closing, so you keep the talent and culture you paid for.
- HR due diligence on the company you're buying or merging with
- Integration planning for org structure, roles, and reporting lines
- Aligning pay, benefits, policies, and HR systems
- Retaining key people and communicating changes to employees
- Workforce transitions handled fairly and carefully
Training and workshops
Practical sessions for managers and HR teams, delivered virtually or in person.
- Handling conflict and giving feedback
- Using AI tools well in HR work
- Custom sessions built around your team's needs
HR for technology and high-growth companies
April spent much of her career in tech, at companies including Hostgator.com, Indeed, Netspend, and ABBYY. She knows how fast these businesses move and what breaks when headcount doubles.
Whether you're a startup hiring your first 20 people, a software company scaling past 100, or a tech business preparing for an acquisition, April brings HR that keeps up with the pace without slowing you down.
- Hiring at speed with consistent interviews, offers, and onboarding
- Remote and distributed teams across multiple states, with policies to match
- Compensation structure that's competitive and fair as you grow
- Scaling from startup to structure without losing the culture that got you here
- Building and developing managers, often first-time leaders promoted from technical roles
- Mergers and acquisitions, which are common in tech and hard on people
How it works
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A free consultation
A 30-minute call to talk through what's going on and what you need. No pitch, no obligation.
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A clear plan
April sends a short proposal with the scope, timeline, and fee in writing, so there are no surprises.
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We get to work
Regular check-ins, plain updates, and work you can see. You always know where things stand.
Ways to work together
Meet April
April has spent more than 25 years in HR, most recently as a Chief People Officer, with much of that time in technology companies including Hostgator.com, Indeed, Netspend, and ABBYY. She has built HR functions, rewritten policies, coached leaders, and helped companies through growth, change, and difficult employee situations.
Her background in industrial and organizational psychology shapes how she works. She looks at how people and systems actually behave, then fixes the system instead of just patching the problem.
She started Live Oak HR Group so smaller companies can get the same level of HR leadership that larger organizations have, without the full-time cost. April works with businesses across the United States, virtually and in person in Texas and southern Colorado, from her home base in Lakeway, Texas.
- 25+ years of HR leadership, most recently as Chief People Officer
- Previously at Hostgator.com, Indeed, Netspend, and ABBYY
- Background in industrial and organizational psychology
- TMCA Credentialed Mediator
- Serving clients nationwide
Where April works
April works with businesses throughout Texas and southern Colorado, in person or virtually, and with clients nationwide.
Austin and the Hill Country
Lakeway, Bee Cave, Austin, Round Rock, Dripping Springs, Marble Falls, and the surrounding Hill Country.
Dallas-Fort Worth
Businesses across Dallas, Fort Worth, Plano, Frisco, and the greater DFW area.
Houston and Fort Bend County
Houston, Sugar Land, Katy, The Woodlands, and Fort Bend County employers.
San Antonio
San Antonio, New Braunfels, and businesses along the I-35 corridor.
Southern Colorado
Pagosa Springs, Durango, and businesses across southern Colorado.
Nationwide, virtually
Most fractional HR work happens remotely, so April works with businesses anywhere in the United States.
From the blog
Practical HR guidance for business owners and leaders. See all articles
What Is Fractional HR, and Does Your Business Need It?
What a fractional HR leader actually does and the signs you've outgrown doing HR on the side.
Read the articleEmployee Handbook Basics for Small Businesses
What belongs in your handbook and the mistakes that cause trouble later.
Read the articleHR Due Diligence: People Questions to Ask Before You Buy a Business
A checklist for the people side of mergers and acquisitions.
Read the articleCommon questions about fractional HR
What is fractional HR?
Fractional HR means hiring an experienced HR leader part-time instead of full-time. You get senior-level HR expertise for a set number of hours each month, or for a specific project, at a fraction of the cost of a full-time HR director.
How do I know if my business needs outsourced HR?
Common signs include HR being someone's side job, an employee issue you're not sure how to handle, an outdated or missing employee handbook, rapid hiring, or a merger or acquisition on the horizon. If any of those sound familiar, a free consultation is a good place to start.
How much does a fractional HR consultant cost?
It depends on the scope. Ongoing support is usually a monthly retainer, while projects like an employee handbook or HR audit are a fixed fee. April gives you a written proposal with the scope and fee before any work begins.
Is fractional HR the same as a PEO?
No. A PEO handles payroll and benefits administration and becomes a co-employer of your staff. Fractional HR gives you HR leadership and judgment: policies, employee relations, talent strategy, and guidance through difficult situations. Many businesses use both.
Do you work with businesses outside of Texas?
Yes. April works with businesses across the United States virtually, and in person in Texas and southern Colorado, including Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, the Hill Country, and Pagosa Springs.
Can you help with HR during a merger or acquisition?
Yes. April supports HR due diligence before a deal closes and the people side of integration afterward, including org structure, aligning pay and benefits, retaining key employees, and communicating changes.
Do you work with tech startups and software companies?
Yes. Much of April's career was in technology companies, including Hostgator.com, Indeed, Netspend, and ABBYY. She works with startups building HR for the first time, software and SaaS companies scaling quickly, and tech businesses going through mergers and acquisitions.
Let's talk about what you need.
Share a little about your business and what's going on. April will reply within one business day to set up your free consultation.