Kelsey Geist, Custom Human Resource Solutions (CHRS), on HR Compliance Risks, Fractional HR, and the Mistakes Small Businesses Make (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 956)
In this episode of North Fulton Business Radio, host John Ray welcomes Kelsey Geist, Vice President of HR Operations at Custom Human Resource Solutions (CHRS), a fractional HR firm serving small- to mid-size businesses, most with fewer than 50 employees. Kelsey grew up around HR, with a mother who spent her career in the field, and she spent years insisting she would never follow that path. She eventually caught what she calls “the HR bug” and has now been with CHRS for over a decade.
The conversation digs into the most common mistakes small businesses make with HR: reactive rather than proactive thinking, inconsistent decisions between employees that quietly corrode culture, misclassifying workers under the Fair Labor Standards Act, and basic compliance gaps like missing I-9 documentation. Kelsey makes the case that bringing in a spouse, an admin, or a business partner to handle HR is not a sustainable solution. The problem is not just knowing the rules, she explains, but also having the experience to interpret specific situations and adapt in real time.
John and Kelsey also discuss AI in the HR context. While AI tools can help with tasks like screening resumes through applicant tracking systems, Kelsey is direct about the limits: AI cannot have the empathetic, relationship-informed conversations required to handle employee relations well, and HR documents written by AI without expert review are a real liability. She notes that experienced HR professionals and opposing attorneys can spot an AI-generated handbook quickly.
John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. The show is produced by John Ray and North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, and is recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.
Key Takeaways from This Episode
- Small businesses often reach a compliance threshold, such as hiring their 10th employee in Georgia, without realizing new legal obligations have kicked in. Getting HR support before growth hits is far less costly than correcting violations after the fact.
- Giving HR responsibilities to an untrained spouse, family member, or office manager tends to result in inconsistent decisions that quietly damage company culture and create legal exposure.
- Fractional HR works best as a true partnership. CHRS makes recommendations and lays out the risk options, but the business owner makes the decisions and CHRS handles execution.
- AI can help with efficiency in HR tasks like resume screening, but using it to generate employee handbooks or legal documents without expert review creates real legal risk. Experienced HR professionals, and opposing counsel, recognize AI-generated documents immediately.
Topics Discussed in this Episode
00:20 John Ray introduces the show and guest Kelsey Geist
01:53 Kelsey Geist introduces CHRS and its focus on small business fractional HR
02:38 How Kelsey came to work in HR, inspired by her mother’s career
04:07 Advocating for both businesses and employees, and what drives her work
06:27 The biggest HR mistakes small businesses make: reactivity, inconsistency, misclassification, and compliance gaps
10:20 Why handing HR to a spouse, family member, or office manager creates risk
14:04 Why HR is a strategic function, not a transactional one
15:17 How AI fits into HR: where it helps and where it falls short
20:40 What distinguishes CHRS: direct employee support and high-touch service
24:14 When should a small business owner call CHRS?
25:55 Client success story: building HR infrastructure from five employees to 25
28:24 The importance of partnership in an outsourced HR relationship
29:22 How to reach Kelsey Geist and CHRS
Kelsey Geist, Vice President of HR Operations
Kelsey has been an integral part of the CHRS leadership team since 2015, bringing over 15 years of human resources expertise to her role as Vice President of HR Operations. In this position, she not only leads and develops CHRS’s team of HR Consultants but also rolls up her sleeves every day to support clients directly.
A true HR generalist and high-level business partner, Kelsey thrives in both strategy and execution. She designs and drives people strategies for mid-sized businesses while also diving into the tactical and administrative details that keep HR moving. Whether it’s employee relations, compliance, recruiting, training, safety, or documentation, Kelsey’s ability to move seamlessly between the big picture and the day-to-day ensures clients receive both visionary guidance and practical, high-touch support.
Kelsey’s hands-on leadership has been pivotal in CHRS’s growth, helping nearly triple revenue post-COVID while solidifying the firm as a trusted HR partner nationwide. She is particularly skilled in navigating employee relations, multi-state employment practices, and tailoring solutions that are scalable, compliance-driven, and people-focused.
Originally from Southern California, Kelsey now resides in the metro-Atlanta area with her spouse and two children.
Custom Human Resource Solutions (CHRS)
Custom Human Resource Solutions (CHRS) simplifies the complex world of HR, helping businesses navigate today’s ever-changing employment landscape with confidence. Grounded in client-centered excellence and compliance leadership, CHRS provides the HR support businesses need, when and how they need it.
Whether a business is looking for on-site, on-call, or hybrid services, the CHRS dedicated consulting team delivers real-time, practical solutions. From everyday administrative tasks to more advanced strategies like succession planning, performance management, and workplace investigations, CHRS is a dependable HR partner at every stage of the business journey.
With proven expertise, a commitment to compliance, and a focus on client success, CHRS helps organizations of all sizes identify vulnerabilities, streamline processes, and build stronger, more resilient teams.
Renasant Bank supports North Fulton Business Radio
Renasant Bank has humble roots, having started in 1904 as a $100,000 bank located in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has grown into one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions, boasting over $26 billion in assets and more than 280 offices offering banking, lending, wealth management, and financial services throughout the region. All of Renasant’s success stems from the commitment of each banker to invest in the communities they serve, which in turn helps them better understand the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, their banking professionals understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.
Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | X (Twitter) | YouTube
Beyond Computer Solutions supports North Fulton Business Radio
Whether you’re a law firm, medical practice, or manufacturer, there’s one headline you don’t want to make: “Local Business Pays Thousands in Ransom After Cyberattack.” That’s where Beyond Computer Solutions comes in. They help organizations like yours stay out of the news and in business with managed IT and cybersecurity services designed for industries where compliance and reputation matter most.
Whether they serve as your complete IT department or simply support your internal team, they are well-versed in HIPAA, secure document access, written security policies, and other essential aspects that ensure your safety and well-being. Best of all, it starts with a complimentary security assessment.
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About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray
With over 900 episodes and having featured over 1,400 guests, North Fulton Business Radio is the longest-running podcast in the North Fulton area, covering business in our community like no one else. We are the undisputed “Voice of Business” in North Fulton!
The show invites a diverse range of business, non-profit, and community leaders to share their significant contributions to their respective markets, communities, and professions. There is no discrimination based on company size, and there is never any “pay to play.” North Fulton Business Radio supports and celebrates businesses by sharing positive stories that traditional media ignore. Some media lean left. Some media lean right. We lean business.
John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. John and the team at North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, produce the show, which is recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.
The studio is located at 275 South Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009.
You can find the entire archive of shows by following this link. The show is accessible on all major podcast apps, such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, and many others.
John Ray also operates his own business advisory practice. John’s services include advising solopreneurs and small professional services firms on their value, their positioning and business development, and their pricing. His clients are professionals who are selling their expertise, such as consultants, coaches, attorneys, CPAs, accountants, bookkeepers, marketing professionals, and other professional services practitioners.
John is the author of the five-star-rated book The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices, praised by readers for its practical insights on raising confidence, value, and prices.
Steve Zylstra serves as president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council, a role he assumed in 2007. He is responsible for strategy, operations, finance and policy development. Zylstra is a vocal spokesman for the value technology can provide in raising social and economic standards in Arizona.
Karen Nowicki is a successful author, speaker and the creator of Deep Impact Leadership™ and SoulMarks Coaching™. She is a two-time recipient of the prestigious national Choice Award® for her book and personal development retreat. Karen was crowned the first-ever “Mompreneur of the Year” Award in 2010 for the southwestern states. She was recognized for her leadership, business acumen, and work-life balance.
Leslie Cooper Marquez is a dynamic marketing professional with over 17 years of broad-based marketing, public relations and advertising experience in both in-house and agency environments.
