About this HR Consultant role at Gusto, Inc.
About Gusto
At Gusto, we're on a mission to grow the small business economy. We handle the hard stuff — payroll, health insurance, 401(k)s, and HR — so owners can focus on their craft and their customers. With teams in Denver, San Francisco, and New York, we support more than 500,000 small businesses nationwide and are building a workplace that reflects the people we serve.
All full-time employees receive competitive base pay, benefits, and equity (RSUs) — because everyone who helps build Gusto should share in its success. Offer amounts are determined by role, level, and location. Learn more about our Total Rewards philosophy.
AI is a fundamental part of how work gets done at Gusto. We expect all team members to actively engage with AI tools relevant to their role and grow their fluency as the technology evolves. AI experience requirements vary by role and will be assessed during the interview process.
About the Role:
Small business owners wear many hats. HR shouldn't be the one that keeps them up at night. As a Gusto HR Partner, you're the trusted HR expert in their corner, helping them hire well, keep great people, stay compliant, and handle the tough stuff with confidence.
Think of the role as project management with an HR specialty. You'll look after a group of small business clients and guide each one's People work from start to finish. You'll set the plan, keep things moving, and make sure nothing slips. You'll both offer expert advice and get into the weeds. One hour you're helping a founder map out how their team should grow and the next, you're writing a handbook, drafting a performance plan, or sitting in on a difficult conversation to help a manager feel ready.
We use technology for almost everything we do, and AI is how you keep it all manageable. It helps you pull up a client's full story before a call, draft a first version of a policy or coaching plan, check a state law, and move between clients without losing your place. You bring discernment, empathy, and expertise. The tech helps with the rest.
Relationships are the heart of this job. Small business owners need someone they trust, and you'll earn that by showing up, following through, and caring about their success. Your performance is measured by three things: how your book of clients grows, how long those relationships last and the quality of your work you deliver along the way.
Here’s what you’ll do day-to-day:
- Be their trusted advisor. You're the main point of contact for your clients, offering expert advice as well as managing priorities, timelines, and deliverables across your whole book.
- Do the hands-on work. Write and update handbooks, policies, job descriptions, offer letters, and performance and separation documents. Handle onboarding and offboarding, and help with payroll, benefits, and leave.
- Coach with confidence. Help owners and managers prepare for hard conversations about performance, conflict, and terminations, and step in to join those conversations when it helps.
- Keep clients on the right side of the rules. Run compliance audits, stay on top of federal, state, and local requirements, and flag risks early.
- Think strategically. Turn a client's goals into a practical People plan covering hiring, onboarding, development, retention, compensation, and change management.
- Build lasting relationships. Learn what makes each client tick, spot what they'll need next, and grow the relationship over time.
- Stay curious and champion change. We’re always adding new tools and finding better ways to work. You’ll learn quickly, adapt as things change, and share what you learn with the team. Then you’ll bring that same openness to clients, guiding them through change with clear communication and buy-in.
Here’s what we're looking for:
- 4–8 years of HR experience as an HR Generalist, HR consultant, People Operations Specialist, HRBP, or similar, ideally across different industries and company sizes
- Strong project management skills and the ability to keep balance multiple stakeholders and track deadlines
- Hands-on HR know-how. You've written the documents and run the processes
- Experience coaching leaders through tough conversations
- A genuine knack for building trust and long-term relationships with clients
- Real comfort with and an interest in AI and new technology, including a habit of trying new tools and adapting when things change.
- Fluency with HR software and tools like Google Workspace, Slack, and Notion
- Able to clearly communicate with everyone from founders to frontline employees
- The ability to switch gears quickly and stay calm in fast-moving, ambiguous situations
- Discretion and integrity with confidential information
- A love of learning, and a passion for helping small businesses thrive
Our cash compensation amount for this role is between $98,000 - $115,000/year in Denver and $98,000 - $110,000/year for Phoenix. Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors including candidate location, experience and expertise and may vary from the amounts listed above.
At Gusto, we don't use titles the traditional way, as a signal of rank or hierarchy. Instead, our titles describe two things at once — your craft (what you do, e.g. Engineering, Design) and your scope of ownership (what you're accountable for) — which is why you'll see something like "Head of X" instead of a rank word like "Director" that tells you neither. Because of this, the title on this posting may look different from what you'd expect based on the scope and seniority of the role, and from how similar roles are typically titled elsewhere. If you have questions about how this role compares to your current title or level, your recruiter can help translate.
Gusto has physical office spaces in Denver, San Francisco, and New York City. Employees who are based in those locations will be expected to work from the office on designated days approximately 2-3 days per week (or more depending on role). The same office expectations apply to all Symmetry roles, Gusto's subsidiary, whose physical office is in Scottsdale.
Note: The San Francisco office expectations encompass both the San Francisco and San Jose metro areas.
When approved to work from a location other than a Gusto office, a secure, reliable, and consistent internet connection is required. This includes non-office days for hybrid employees.
Reliable, consistent presence: We expect regular and predictable attendance, whether you're working in-office, hybrid, or fully remote, so that you stay closely connected to your team, customers, and stakeholders in real time and ensure colleagues and customers receive the timely support and responsiveness they deserve.
Our customers come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds, not just because it's the right thing to do, but because it makes our company stronger. If you share our values and our enthusiasm for small businesses, you will find a home at Gusto.
Gusto is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate in hiring or any employment decision based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or other applicable legally protected characteristic. Gusto considers qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law. Gusto is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. We want to see our candidates perform to the best of their ability. If you require a medical or religious accommodation at any time throughout your candidate journey, please fill out this form and a member of our team will get in touch with you.
Gusto takes security and protection of your personal information very seriously. Please review our Fraudulent Activity Disclaimer.
Personal information collected and processed as part of your Gusto application will be subject to Gusto's Applicant Privacy Notice.
