Sciencix opened in Burnsville, MN, in 1985. At 26 employees, they intentionally remain a small company. In 2019, Sciencix opened a second location in Cary, NC, at Research Triangle Park. At the time, human resources was only in Burnsville, and when the head of HR retired, their team had to reassess what approach to HR was best for their company.

Lisa Bamford started her role as Director of Global Marketing and Business Development in early 2021, around the same time that Raj Bhandari stepped into the role as president.

Lisa began searching for fractional HR support online. “I did not want a big firm,” she said. “I wanted a small business like us, and I wanted a neighbor.”

She found Close HR Connection’s website, read about Ann, and was sold.

“Ann’s spirit won me over,” Lisa said. “Close HR is a company that’s going to put skin in the game. They’re not just looking to check boxes. They’re really about the impact and doing things with the right heart.”

Over the past year and a half, Close HR audited employee forms, overhauled the employee handbook, updated processes and policies, improved job descriptions, and assisted with compliance matters.

“I also really appreciated the coaching,” said Lisa. “It’s baked into what Close HR does.” Since both Lisa and Raj were new to their roles, having Close HR to assist with the learning curve was invaluable to their company, she said.

“It also didn’t hurt that the president loves football,” Lisa added, noting how Ann takes the large, intimidating world of HR and boils it down to sports references people enjoy and understand.

Lisa has seen a difference in Sciencix since consulting with Close HR. “We’ve been able to capture and retain new employees in a better way. We weren’t presenting ourselves well before, and we are now. There’s a better team culture.”

Lisa was also impressed with how personal the Close HR team is. “There’s a lot of going the extra mile that you won’t get with other organizations,” she said. “I feel like we have a friend in Close HR. It’s a highly personal investment that I think is second to none.”