FRACTIONAL HR • NEW YORK, NY
HR that lets you focus on growth.
We embed in growing businesses and build the people operations infrastructure they need to hire, manage, and scale — without the cost of a full-time HR executive.
JAY L.A. BASTIEN, FOUNDER & CEO
WHY CEMA?
Small by design. Mighty by experience.
We keep our client list intentionally limited so that every engagement receives our full attention, our deepest expertise, and our genuine investment in your outcomes.
Our principal brings over 20 years of operations experience across government, nonprofit, and private sector organizations. We know what good HR looks like at scale, and how to build it from scratch.
We work with leaders
who need to —
Growing businesses reach a point where HR can no longer be an afterthought. We step in before it becomes a problem. Explore the challenges we solve below.
You have a great team but no real HR infrastructure. No handbook, no onboarding process, no compliance framework. We build it all — from scratch, built right, built to scale.
- Employee handbook & policy development
- Onboarding program design
- HR tech stack setup & configuration
- Job architecture & org design
Labor law compliance is not optional — and the fines are real. We audit your current state, identify gaps, and build a clear plan to get you compliant before regulators do it for you.
- HR audit & compliance review
- Federal, state & local law alignment
- Classification & wage compliance
- Policy gap analysis & remediation
Great hiring is a system, not luck. We design and manage your end-to-end recruiting process so you attract the right people — and keep them through a structured onboarding experience.
- Job description development
- Interview process design
- Offer management & negotiation support
- 90-day onboarding program
Performance management done poorly destroys culture. Done well, it drives it. We design and implement systems that give your managers clarity and your employees a path forward.
- Performance review cycle design
- Goal-setting frameworks (OKR, MBO)
- Manager coaching & training
- PIP design & documentation support
What makes your company great at 10 people can disappear by 50. We help you codify your culture, build scalable people systems, and grow your team without losing what makes it work.
- Culture & values articulation
- Org design for growth stages
- People operations strategy
- Leadership development support
Employee relations issues left unaddressed become lawsuits. We step in early — managing conflict, conducting investigations, and navigating terminations with care, documentation, and legal awareness.
- Employee relations & conflict resolution
- Workplace investigation support
- Termination process management
- Documentation & risk mitigation
Sound familiar? We should talk.
How we can
help you
Senior-level HR and people operations support — on retainer or project basis — built around your business and deeply invested in your growth.
Fractional HR Partnership
Ongoing people operations leadership without the full-time cost. We embed in your business and become your HR department — handling everything from compliance to culture, as a true strategic partner.
- Dedicated fractional HR Director
- Employee relations & conflict resolution
- Compliance monitoring & policy updates
- HR strategy & leadership advisory
- Monthly reporting & people metrics
HR Infrastructure Build
Your handbook. Your onboarding program. Your performance system. We build your entire HR foundation from the ground up — once, right, and designed to grow with your business.
- Employee handbook & policy suite
- Onboarding & offboarding programs
- Performance review system design
- HR tech stack setup & integration
- Job architecture & compensation bands
HR Audit & Compliance Review
A comprehensive, unflinching review of your current HR practices, documentation, and compliance posture. We tell you exactly where you stand — and what to do about it.
- Full HR documentation review
- Federal, state & local compliance audit
- Classification & wage & hour review
- Risk gap analysis & priority matrix
- 30-60-90 day remediation roadmap
Recruiting & Onboarding Support
Great hires don't happen by accident. We manage your end-to-end recruiting process and build an onboarding experience that turns new hires into fully contributing team members fast.
- Job description development
- Interview process & scorecard design
- Candidate screening & coordination
- Offer management & negotiation
- Structured 30-60-90 day onboarding
Not sure which service fits? Let's figure it out together.
Get in touch →Built on trust.
Proven by results.
We are discreet about the work we do for our clients. Here is what a few of them have shared about their experience working with cema.
"Working with cema was transformational. They understood our people challenges immediately and built systems we actually use. We finally feel like a real company."
infrastructure build
"We were growing faster than our HR could keep up. cema came in, assessed everything, and built us infrastructure that scaled with us. Worth every dollar."
"The compliance audit alone saved us from a situation that could have been very costly. cema found gaps we didn't even know existed and gave us a clear path to fix them."
Let's build
something
great.
Whether you need ongoing HR support or a one-time project — tell us about your business and we'll be in touch to explore how cema can help.
What happens next
Every message is read personally — no bots, no automated responses. We take time to understand your situation before we respond.
If we're a strong fit, we'll reach out within 1–2 business days to schedule a 30-minute introductory conversation.
After our call, we'll send a tailored proposal outlining scope, timeline, and investment — specific to your business.
Once you're ready to move forward, we hit the ground running. Most engagements begin within 1–2 weeks of signing.